access icon free Photoelectric properties of three-dimensional urchin-like zinc oxide/titanium dioxide composite micronanostructures

Three-dimensional (3D) urchin-like zinc oxide (ZnO)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) composite micronanostructures were first successfully synthesised using a facile electrochemical deposition method by depositing TiO2 into the surface of as-prepared 3D urchin-like ZnO, and polydienes dimethylammonium chloride as polycation solution. Photoelectric properties of the single 3D urchin-like ZnO and the composite micronanostructures as dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) anodes were investigated. During the deposition reaction, the TiO2 was exactly densely anchored onto the surface of 3D urchin-like ZnO with uniform size, which were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The effects of different molar ratios of TiO2 and ZnO for the composite structure's morphology and photocatalytic activity were investigated systematically. The results indicated that the composite micronanostructures exhibited a larger adsorption range (−450 nm) and higher photoelectric conversion efficiency due to the synergistic effects, planar heterojunction, and mesoporous structure. When used as photoanodes for DSSCs, the I–V curve showed the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the novel composite was increased by 17.7% of that compared with the single 3D urchin-like ZnO. These features collectively demonstrated the composite has a considerable potential for various applications in photocatalysis materials.

Inspec keywords: X-ray chemical analysis; semiconductor heterojunctions; porous semiconductors; catalysis; II-VI semiconductors; scanning electron microscopy; nanofabrication; electrochemical electrodes; X-ray diffraction; dye-sensitised solar cells; nanoporous materials; electrodeposition; zinc compounds; photoelectrochemistry; nanocomposites; wide band gap semiconductors; semiconductor growth; mesoporous materials; photoconductivity; adsorption; titanium compounds

Other keywords: ZnO-TiO2; mesoporous structure; planar heterojunction; photoanodes; photoelectric properties; scanning electron microscopy; polydiene dimethylammonium chloride; three-dimensional urchin-like zinc oxide-titanium dioxide composite micronanostructures; DSSC; synergistic effects; I-V curve; facile electrochemical deposition method; photoelectric conversion efficiency; polycation solution; photocatalytic activity; molar ratios; energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; adsorption range; dye-sensitised solar cell anodes; X-ray diffraction; deposition reaction; composite structure morphology

Subjects: Deposition from liquid phases (melts and solutions); Nanofabrication using thin film deposition methods; Solar cells and arrays; Photoelectrochemical conversion; Electrical properties of thin films, low-dimensional and nanoscale structures; Heterogeneous catalysis at surfaces and other surface reactions; Nanometre-scale semiconductor fabrication technology; Composite materials (engineering materials science); Deposition from liquid phases; Electromagnetic radiation spectrometry (chemical analysis); Semiconductor junctions; Structure of solid clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes and nanostructured materials; Electrochemistry and electrophoresis; Photochemistry and radiation chemistry; Sorption and accommodation coefficients (surface chemistry); Structure of powders and porous materials; Oxide and ferrite semiconductors; Photoconduction and photovoltaic effects; photodielectric effects; Adsorption and desorption kinetics; evaporation and condensation; Photoconducting materials and properties; Low-dimensional structures: growth, structure and nonelectronic properties; II-VI and III-V semiconductors

http://iet.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1049/mnl.2015.0394
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