R F Webster

Electronic and optical properties of single crystal SnS2: an earth-abundant disulfide photocatalyst

Tin disulfide is attractive as a potential visible-light photocatalyst because its elemental components are cheap, abundant and environmentally benign. As a 2-dimensional semiconductor, SnS2 can undergo exfoliation to form atomic layer sheets that provide high surface areas of photoactive material. In order to facilitate the deployment of this exciting material in industrial processes and electrolytic cells, single crystals of phase pure SnS2 are synthesised and analysed with modern spectroscopic techniques to ascertain the values of relevant semiconductor properties. An electron affinity of 4.16 eV, ionisation potential of 6.44 eV and work function of 4.81 eV are found. The temperature dependent band gap is also reported for this material for the first time. We confirm the valence band is formed predominately by a mixture S 3p and Sn 5s, while the conduction band consists of a mixture of Sn 5s and 5p orbitals and comment on the agreement between experiment and theory for values of band gaps.

Rapid phosphine-free synthesis of CdSe quantum dots: promoting the generation of Se precursors using a radical initiator

The replacement of phosphine containing compounds in the synthesis of II–VI quantum dots (QDs) via the ‘hot-injection’ method has received considerable attention in recent years, in particular toward scaling-up production. A key bottleneck in current approaches is the poor solubility of elemental Se in solvents such as 1-octadecene (1-ODE) or oleylamine requiring a heating temperature of 200 °C for several hours, or the introduction of additives such as alkylthiols or NaBH4, or replacement by SeO2. In the present work, we elucidate the fundamental steps in the dissolution of elemental Se in 1-ODE and oleylamine with the view of facilitating the large-scale synthesis of CdSe QDs. The main organoselenium species generated during the solubilisation of elemental Se in 1-ODE and oleylamine were identified by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C and 77Se). Experimental evidence suggests that the rate determining step is the formation of Se radicals, via homolytic cleavage of the Se–Se bond, that attack the allylic proton in 1-ODE and oleylamine. Plausible reaction pathways in both systems are proposed. Finally, we demonstrate that the radical-mediated solubilisation of Se can be significantly accelerated by the addition of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), a common radical initiator used in the polymer industry. In this way, a highly concentrated Se precursor was prepared. The “hot-injection” of the Se precursor into CdO containing 1-ODE solution leads to the formation of highly luminescent CdSe QDs with a well-defined cubic structure.

Electron microscopy of gallium nitride growth on polycrystalline diamond

Transmission and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the growth of gallium nitride (GaN) on polycrystalline diamond substrates grown by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy with a low-temperature aluminium nitride (AlN) nucleation layer. Growth on unmasked substrates was in the (0001) orientation with threading dislocation densities ≈7 × 109 cm−2. An epitaxial layer overgrowth technique was used to reduce the dislocation densities further, by depositing silicon nitride stripes on the surface and etching the unmasked regions down to the diamond substrate. A re-growth was then performed on the exposed side walls of the original GaN growth, reducing the threading dislocation density in the overgrown regions by two orders of magnitude. The resulting microstructures and the mechanisms of dislocation reduction are discussed.

Indium Nitride and Indium Gallium Nitride layers grown on nanorods

Molecular beam epitaxy has been used to grow InN layers on both Si and SiC substrates and In0.5Ga0.5N layers on Si substrates using a nanorod precursor array. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show that nanorods grown first under N-rich conditions, and then under more metal-rich conditions to promote lateral growth are free of dislocations until coalescence occurs. At coalescence, dislocations are introduced at grain boundaries. These are predominantly twist boundaries, with better epitaxial alignment seen on SiC substrates. The lateral growth of In0.5Ga0.5N is shown to be cubic, tentatively ascribed to the growth of basal plane stacking faults at the start of the lateral growth and the low growth temperatures used.

Microstructure of InxGa1-xN nanorods grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Transmission electron microscopy is used to examine the structure and composition of In x Ga1−x N nanorods grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The results confirm a core–shell structure with an In-rich core and In-poor shell resulting from axial and lateral growth sectors respectively. Atomic resolution mapping by energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis and high angle annular dark field imaging show that both the core and the shell are decomposed into Ga-rich and In-rich platelets parallel to their respective growth surfaces. It is argued that platelet formation occurs at the surfaces, through the lateral expansion of surface steps. Studies of nanorods with graded composition show that decomposition ceases for x ≥ 0.8 and the ratio of growth rates, shell:core, decreases with increasing In concentration.