A Novel Way for Synthesizing Phosphorus-Doped Zno Nanowires

Mapping the structural, electrical, and optical properties of hydrothermally grown phosphorus-doped ZnO nanorods for optoelectronic device applications

The phosphorus-doped ZnO nanorods were prepared using hydrothermal process, whose structural modifications as a function of doping concentration were investigated using X-ray diffraction. The dopant concentration-dependent enhancement in length and diameter of the nanorods had established the phosphorus doping in ZnO nanorods. The gradual transformation in the type of conductivity as observed from the variation of carrier concentration and Hall coefficient had further confirmed the phosphorus doping. The modification of carrier concentration in the ZnO nanorods due to phosphorus doping was understood on the basis of the amphoteric nature of the phosphorus. The ZnO nanorods in the absence of phosphorus showed the photoluminescence (PL) in the range of the ultraviolet (UV) and visible regimes. The UV emission, i.e. near-band-edge emission of ZnO, was found to be red-shifted after the doping of phosphorus, which was attributed to donor-acceptor pair formation. The observed emissions in the visible regime were due to the deep level emissions that were aroused from various defects in ZnO. The Al-doped ZnO seed layer was found to be responsible for the observed near-infrared (NIR) emission. The PL emission in UV and visible regimes can cover a wide range of applications from biological to optoelectronic devices.

Fabrication of ZnO/Red Phosphorus Heterostructure for Effective Photocatalytic H₂ Evolution from Water Splitting

Photocatalysis is a green technique that can convert solar energy to chemical energy, especially in H₂ production from water splitting. In this study, ZnO and red phosphorus (ZnO/RP) heterostructures were fabricated through a facile calcination method for the first time, which showed the considerable photocatalytic activity of H₂ evolution. The photocatalytic activities of heterostructures with different ratios of RP have been investigated in detail. Compared to bare ZnO, ZnO/RP heterostructures exhibit a 20.8-fold enhancement for H₂ production and furthermore overcome the photocorrosion issue of ZnO. The improved photocatalytic activities highly depend on the synergistic effect of the high migration efficiency of photo-induced electron–hole pairs with the inhibited charge carrier recombination on the surface. The presented strategy can also be applied to other semiconductors for various optoelectronics applications.

Doped ZnO 1D nanostructures: synthesis, properties, and photodetector application

In the past decades, the doping of ZnO one-dimensional nanostructures has attracted a great deal of attention due to the variety of possible morphologies, large surface-to-volume ratios, simple and low cost processing, and excellent physical properties for fabricating high-performance electronic, magnetic, and optoelectronic devices. This article mainly concentrates on recent advances regarding the doping of ZnO one-dimensional nanostructures, including a brief overview of the vapor phase transport method and hydrothermal method, as well as the fabrication process for photodetectors. The dopant elements include B, Al, Ga, In, N, P, As, Sb, Ag, Cu, Ti, Na, K, Li, La, C, F, Cl, H, Mg, Mn, S, and Sn. The various dopants which act as acceptors or donors to realize either p-type or n-type are discussed. Doping to alter optical properties is also considered. Lastly, the perspectives and future research outlook of doped ZnO nanostructures are summarized.

Strain-engineered modulation on the electronic properties of phosphorous-doped ZnO

The modulation of strain on the electronic properties of ZnO:P is investigated by density functional theory calculations. The variation of formation energy (E(f)) and band structure with strains ranging from -0.1 to 0.1 are considered. Although both the conduction band minimum (CBM) and the valence band maximum of ZnO are antibonding states, the CBM is more sensitive to strain, reducing the band gap with an increase in strain. P-substituted O (PO) defects show poor p-type conductivity due to a smaller E(f) and lower lying acceptor levels as a consequence of lattice expansion. The E(f) of P-substituted Zn (PZn) defects decreases under tension, owing to the release of strong repulsive stress induced by excess electrons from PZn. The donor energy band of PZn broadens under tensile strain, which benefits n-type conductivity. For Zn vacancies (VZn) and PZn-2VZn complexes, the distances between the O atoms around VZn are so large that repulsive and attractive interactions become weak, which results in an easy release of the strain. We herein present for the first time that the E(f) values of VZn and PZn-2VZn complexes decrease under both tension and compression, or in the high-pressure rock-salt phase. Under a strain of 0.1 the PZn-2VZn complex shows the smallest E(f). Under -0.07 strain the wurtzite/rock-salt phase transition occurs and the direct band gap becomes an indirect one. The variation of band structures in the rock-salt phase is similar to that in the wurtzite phase. Consequently, the p-type conductivity of ZnO:P can be improved with an increase in solubility of PZn-2VZn or VZn defects.