Jin Ho Bang

Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. A Tale of Two Semiconductor Nanocrystals: CdSe and CdTe

CdSe and CdTe nanocrystals are linked to nanostructured TiO2 films using 3-mercaptopropionic acid as a linker molecule for establishing the mechanistic aspects of interfacial charge transfer processes. Both these quantum dots are energetically capable of sensitizing TiO2 films and generating photocurrents in quantum dot solar cells. These two semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit markedly different external quantum efficiencies ( approximately 70% for CdSe and approximately 0.1% for CdTe at 555 nm). Although CdTe with a more favorable conduction band energy (E(CB) = -1.0 V vs NHE) is capable of injecting electrons into TiO2 faster than CdSe (E(CB) = -0.6 V vs NHE), hole scavenging by a sulfide redox couple remains a major bottleneck. The sulfide ions dissolved in aqueous solutions are capable of scavenging photogenerated holes in photoirradiated CdSe system but not in CdTe. The anodic corrosion and exchange of Te with S dominate the charge transfer at the CdTe interface. Factors that dictate the efficiency and photostability of CdSe and CdTe quantum dots are discussed.

Tailored TiO2−SrTiO3 Heterostructure Nanotube Arrays for Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance

TiO(2) nanotube arrays formed on Ti substrate by electrochemical anodization have been converted into TiO(2)-SrTiO(3) heterostructures by controlled substitution of Sr under hydrothermal conditions. The growth of SrTiO(3) crystallites on the nanotube array electrode was probed by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. As the degree of Sr substitution increases with the duration of hydrothermal treatment, an increase in the size of SrTiO(3) crystallites was observed. Consequently, with increasing SrTiO(3) fraction in the TiO(2)-SrTiO(3) nanotube arrays, we observed a shift in the flat band potential to more negative potentials, thus confirming the influence of SrTiO(3) in the modification of the photoelectrochemical properties. The TiO(2)-SrTiO(3) composite heterostructures obtained with 1 h or less hydrothermal treatment exhibit the best photoelectrochemical performance with nearly 100% increase in external quantum efficiency at 360 nm. The results presented here provide a convenient way to tailor the photoelectrochemical properties of TiO(2)-SrTiO(3) nanotube array electrodes and employ them for dye- or quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells and/or photocatalytic hydrogen production.

CdSe quantum dot-fullerene hybrid nanocomposite for solar energy conversion: electron transfer and photoelectrochemistry.

The development of organic/inorganic hybrid nanocomposite systems that enable efficient solar energy conversion has been important for applications in solar cell research. Nanostructured carbon-based systems, in particular C(60), offer attractive strategies to collect and transport electrons generated in a light harvesting assembly. We have assembled CdSe-C(60) nanocomposites by chemically linking CdSe quantum dots (QDs) with thiol-functionalized C(60). The photoinduced charge separation and collection of electrons in CdSe QD-C(60) nanocomposites have been evaluated using transient absorption spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical measurements. The rate constant for electron transfer between excited CdSe QD and C(60) increased with the decreasing size of the CdSe QD (7.9 × 10(9) s(-1) (4.5 nm), 1.7 × 10(10) s(-1) (3.2 nm), and 9.0 × 10(10) s(-1) (2.6 nm)). Slower hole transfer and faster charge recombination and transport events were found to dominate over the forward electron injection process, thus limiting the deliverance of maximum power in CdSe QD-C(60)-based solar cells. The photoinduced charge separation between CdSe QDs and C(60) opens up new design strategies for developing light harvesting assemblies.

Control of morphology and defect density in zinc oxide for improved dye-sensitized solar cells

While zinc oxide (ZnO) with a mesoporous network has long been explored for adsorption of dyes and as an electron-transporting medium in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the performance of ZnO-based DSSCs remains unsatisfactory. Despite the importance of understanding the surface characteristics of ZnO in DSSC applications, most of the studies relevant to ZnO-based DSSCs are focused on the synthesis of unique nanostructures of ZnO. In this study, we not only introduce a novel disk-shaped ZnO nanostructure, but also provide insight into the distinctive surface properties of ZnO and its influence on DSSC performance. When utilized in DSSCs, the mesoporous ZnO nanodisk yields 60% better power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to commercial ZnO nanoparticles, which is attributed to less surface and bulk trap densities as concluded by an in-depth open-circuit voltage decay (OCVD) analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Another aspect that contributes to the higher PCE is the better connectivity of primary particles that join together to form secondary disk-shaped particles. Furthermore, a 40% improvement in the PCE was observed by coating the mesoporous ZnO nanodisk with TiO2, which results from the passivation of the surface defects that aid in suppressing the interfacial charge recombination.