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Yang H, Liu Y, Ding Y, Li F, Wang L, Cai B, Zhang F, Liu T, Boschloo G, Johansson EMJ, Sun L. Monolithic FAPbBr 3 photoanode for photoelectrochemical water oxidation with low onset-potential and enhanced stability. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5486. [PMID: 37679329 PMCID: PMC10484934 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41187-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite considerable research efforts on photoelectrochemical water splitting over the past decades, practical application faces challenges by the absence of efficient, stable, and scalable photoelectrodes. Herein, we report a metal-halide perovskite-based photoanode for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. With a planar structure using mesoporous carbon as a hole-conducting layer, the precious metal-free FAPbBr3 photovoltaic device achieves 9.2% solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency and 1.4 V open-circuit voltage. The photovoltaic architecture successfully applies to build a monolithic photoanode with the FAPbBr3 absorber, carbon/graphite conductive protection layers, and NiFe catalyst layers for water oxidation. The photoanode delivers ultralow onset potential below 0 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode and high applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 8.5%. Stable operation exceeding 100 h under solar illumination by applying ultraviolet-filter protection. The photothermal investigation verifies the performance boost in perovskite photoanode by photothermal effect. This study is significant in guiding the development of photovoltaic material-based photoelectrodes for solar fuel applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yawen Liu
- Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Physical Chemistry, Uppsala University, 75120, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yunxuan Ding
- Center of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Westlake University, 310024, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fusheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, China
| | - Linqin Wang
- Center of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Westlake University, 310024, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin Cai
- Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Physical Chemistry, Uppsala University, 75120, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fuguo Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tianqi Liu
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gerrit Boschloo
- Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Physical Chemistry, Uppsala University, 75120, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik M J Johansson
- Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Physical Chemistry, Uppsala University, 75120, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Licheng Sun
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Center of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Westlake University, 310024, Hangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, China.
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2
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Gelija D, Loka C, Goddati M, Bak NH, Lee J, Kim MD. Integration of Ag Plasmonic Metal and WO 3/InGaN Heterostructure for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37452743 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c05141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a Ag/WO3/InGaN hybrid heterostructure was successfully developed by sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy techniques, to obtain unique Ag nanospheres adorned with cauliflower-like WO3 nanostructure over the InGaN nanorods (NRs). Exploiting the localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag, the Ag/WO3/InGaN heterostructure exhibited superior photoabsorption ability in the visible region (400-700 nm) of the solar spectrum, with a surface plasmon resonance band centered around 440 nm. Comprehensive analysis through photoluminescence spectroscopy, photocurrent measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the Ag/WO3/InGaN hybrid heterostructure significantly enhances the charge carrier separation and transfer kinetics leading to improved overall photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. The photocurrent density of the Ag/WO3/InGaN photoanode is 1.17 mA/cm2, which is about 2.72 times higher than that of pure InGaN NRs under visible light irradiation. The photoanode exhibited excellent stability for about 12 h. From the study, it has been found that the maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) is ∼1.67% at the applied bias of 0.6 V. The improved PEC water splitting efficiency of the Ag/WO3/InGaN photoanode is attributed to the synergistic effects of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), efficient charge carrier separation and transport, and the presence of a Schottky junction. Consequently, the plasmonic metal-assisted heterojunction-based semiconductor Ag/WO3/InGaN demonstrates immense potential for practical applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devarajulu Gelija
- Institute of Quantum Systems (IQS), Chungnam National University, 99, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Chadrasekhar Loka
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering & Smart Natural Space Research Centre, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, South Korea
| | - Mahendra Goddati
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Na-Hyun Bak
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, 99, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaebeom Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon-Deock Kim
- Institute of Quantum Systems (IQS), Chungnam National University, 99, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, 99, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
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3
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Sun C, Shao Z, Hu Y, Peng Y, Xie Q. Photoelectrocatalysis Synthesis of Ammonia Based on a Ni-Doped MoS 2/Si Nanowires Photocathode and Porous Water with High N 2 Solubility. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:23085-23092. [PMID: 37140159 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c01304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The synthesis of ammonia through photocatalysis or photoelectrochemistry (PEC) and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) has become one of the recent research hotspots in the field, where the catalyzed materials and strategies are critical for the NRR. Herein, a Ni-doped MoS2/Si nanowires (Ni-MoS2/Si NWs) photocathode is prepared, where the Si NWs are formed on the surface of a Si slice by the metal-assisted chemical etching method, and the hydrothermally synthesized Ni-MoS2 nanosheets are then cast-coated on the Si NWs electrode. Porous water with high solubility of N2 is prepared by treating a hydrophobic porous coordination polymer with hydrophilic bovine serum albumin for subsequent aqueous dispersing. The relevant electrodes and materials are characterized by electrochemistry, UV-vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, and zeta potential method. The uses of the Ni-MoS2/Si NWs photocathode and the porous water with high nitrogen solubility for PEC-NRR give a yield of NH3 of 12.0 mmol h-1 m-2 under optimal conditions (e.g., at 0.25 V vs RHE), and the obtained apparent Faradaic efficiency higher than 100% is discussed from the inherent photocurrent-free photocatalysis effect of the photoelectrodes and the suggested classification of three kinds of electrons in PEC, which may have some reference value in understanding and improving other PEC-based processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education of China), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Ziqi Shao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education of China), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education of China), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yueyi Peng
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education of China), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Qingji Xie
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education of China), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
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Pastor E, Montañés L, Gutiérrez-Blanco A, Hegner FS, Mesa CA, López N, Giménez S. The role of crystal facets and disorder on photo-electrosynthesis. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:15596-15606. [PMID: 36148901 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr03609f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemistry has the potential to play a crucial role in the storage of solar energy and the realisation of a circular economy. From a chemical viewpoint, achieving high conversion efficiencies requires subtle control of the catalyst surface and its interaction with the electrolyte. Traditionally, such control has been hard to achieve in the complex multinary oxides used in PEC devices and consequently the mechanisms by which surface exposed facets influence light-driven catalysts are poorly understood. Yet, this understanding is critical to further improve conversion yields and fine-tune reaction selectivities. Here, we review the impact that crystal facets and disorder have on photoelectrochemical reactivity. In particular, we discuss how the crystal orientation influences the energetics of the surface, the existence of defects and the transport of reactive charges, ultimately dictating the PEC activity. Moreover, we evaluate how facet stability dictates the tendency of the solid to undergo reconstructions during catalytic processes and highlight the experimental and computational challenges that must be overcome to characterise the role of the exposed facets and disorder in catalytic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Pastor
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n 12006, Castelló, Spain.
| | - Laura Montañés
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n 12006, Castelló, Spain.
| | - Ana Gutiérrez-Blanco
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n 12006, Castelló, Spain.
| | - Franziska S Hegner
- Technical University of Munich, Department of Physics, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Camilo A Mesa
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n 12006, Castelló, Spain.
| | - Núria López
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Avinguda Països Catalans 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Sixto Giménez
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n 12006, Castelló, Spain.
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Abduvalov A, Kaikanov M, Atabaev TS, Tikhonov A. Improving Photoelectrochemical Activity of Magnetron-Sputtered Double-Layer Tungsten Trioxide Photoanodes by Irradiation with Intense Pulsed Ion Beams. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12152639. [PMID: 35957071 PMCID: PMC9370333 DOI: 10.3390/nano12152639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity of metal oxide photoelectrodes for water-splitting applications can be boosted in several different ways. In this study, we showed that PEC activity can be significantly improved with a double-layer (crystalline-amorphous) configuration of WO3 thin films irradiated with intense pulsed ion beams (IPIB) of a nanosecond duration. It was found that IPIB irradiation promotes the formation of crystalline and sponge-like WO3 structures on the surface. Due to an increase in the active surface and light scattering in irradiated samples, photocurrent generation increased by ~80% at 1.23 reversible hydrogen electrodes (RHE).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alshyn Abduvalov
- Physics Department, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (M.K.); (A.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-747-583-11-92
| | - Marat Kaikanov
- Physics Department, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (M.K.); (A.T.)
| | - Timur Sh. Atabaev
- Chemistry Department, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan;
| | - Alexander Tikhonov
- Physics Department, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (M.K.); (A.T.)
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Jilani A, Hussain SZ, Melaibari AA, Abu-Hamdeh NH. Development and Mechanistic Studies of Ternary Nanocomposites for Hydrogen Production from Water Splitting to Yield Sustainable/Green Energy and Environmental Remediation. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14071290. [PMID: 35406164 PMCID: PMC9003420 DOI: 10.3390/polym14071290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Photocatalysts lead vitally to water purifications and decarbonise environment each by wastewater treatment and hydrogen (H2) production as a renewable energy source from water-photolysis. This work deals with the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and H2 production by novel silver-nanoparticle (AgNPs) based ternary-nanocomposites of thiolated reduce-graphene oxide graphitic carbon nitride (AgNPs-S-rGO2%@g-C3N4) material. Herein, the optimised balanced ratio of thiolated reduce-graphene oxide in prepared ternary-nanocomposites played matchlessly to enhance activity by increasing the charge carriers’ movements via slowing down charge-recombination ratios. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO), >2 wt.% or <2 wt.%, rendered H2 production by light-shielding effect. As a result, CIP degradation was enhanced to 95.90% by AgNPs-S-rGO2%@g-C3N4 under the optimised pH(6) and catalyst dosage(25 mg/L) irradiating beneath visible-light (450 nm, 150 watts) for 70 min. The chemical and morphological analysis of AgNPs-S-rGO2%@g-C3N4 surface also supported the possible role of thiolation for this enhancement, assisted by surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs having size < 10 nm. Therefore, AgNPs-S-rGO2%@g-C3N4 has 3772.5 μmolg−1 h−1 H2 production, which is 6.43-fold higher than g-C3N4 having cyclic stability of 96% even after four consecutive cycles. The proposed mechanism for AgNPs-S-rGO2%@g-C3N4 revealed that the photo-excited electrons in the conduction-band of g-C3N4 react with the adhered water moieties to generate H2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asim Jilani
- Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +966-599693297
| | - Syed Zajif Hussain
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, SBA-School of Science & Engineering (SBA-SSE), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore 54792, Pakistan;
| | - Ammar A. Melaibari
- Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Nidal H. Abu-Hamdeh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
- Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power System, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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Tailoring g-C3N4 with Lanthanum and Cobalt Oxides for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Activity. Catalysts 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/catal12010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, the synthesis, characterization, and photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic characteristics of hydrothermally prepared La2O3–g-C3N4, CoO–g-C3N4, and La2O3–CoO–g-C3N4 are discussed. The XRD analysis and crystalline phases unveiled the impregnation of La2O3 and CoO into g-C3N4. The microscopic analysis supports the formation of g-C3N4 nanoflakes and La2O3 and CoO nanoparticles embedded homogeneously in the La2O3–CoO–g-C3N4 nanocomposite, whereas the EDX comprehended their respective elemental composition and ratios. A bandgap energy of 2.38 eV for La2O3–CoO–g-C3N4 was calculated using the Tauc plot method, complementing high visible-light activity. The solar-driven water-splitting reaction exhibited significant photocurrent efficiency (~3.75 mA/cm2), augmenting the hydrogen generation by La2O3–CoO–g-C3N4 compared to that by pure g-C3N4, La2O3–g-C3N4, and CoO–g-C3N4 in 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte. The synergistic effect of La2O3 and CoO impregnation with g-C3N4 led to effective division of the photogenerated charge transporters, enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogen generation by the photocatalysts. Furthermore, photocatalytic pollutant removal, namely greater than 90% decomposition of methylene blue (MB) from water, was investigated with a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics under 1 sun visible-light irradiation. Thus, La2O3–CoO–g-C3N4 nanocomposite was found to be a prospective material for harnessing solar energy.
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Thermal Treatment of Polyvinyl Alcohol for Coupling MoS2 and TiO2 Nanotube Arrays toward Enhancing Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Performance. Catalysts 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/catal11070857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, using semiconductor photoelectrodes, is considered a promising renewable energy source and solution for environmental sustainability. Herein, we report polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a binder material for combining MoS2 and TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) to improve PEC water splitting ability. By a thermal treatment process, the formation of the π conjunction in the PVA structure enhanced the PEC performance of MoS2/TNAs, exhibiting linear sweeps in an anodic direction with the current density over 65 μA/cm2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Besides, the photoresponse ability of MoS2/TNAs is approximately 6-fold more significant than that of individual TNAs. Moreover, a Tafel slope of 140.6 mV/decade has been obtained for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of MoS2/TNAs materials.
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Abstract
The preparation of tungsten oxide (WO3) thin film by direct current (DC) reactive sputtering magnetron method and its photoelectrocatalytic properties for water oxidation reaction are investigated using ultraviolet-visible radiation. The structural, morphological, and compositional properties of WO3 are fine-tuned by controlling thin film deposition time, and post-annealing temperature and environment. The findings suggest that the band gap of WO3 can be controlled by adjusting the post-annealing temperature; the band gap decreased from 3.2 to 2.7 eV by increasing the annealing temperature from 100 to 600 °C. The theoretical calculations of the WO3 bandgap and the density of state are performed by density functional theory (DFT). Following the band gap modification, the photoelectrocatalytic activity increased and the maximum photocurrent (0.9 mA/cm2 at 0.6 VSCE) is recorded with WO3 film heated at 500 °C. The WO3 film heated under air exhibits much better performance in photoelectrochemical water oxidation process than that of annealed under inert atmosphere, due to its structural variation. The change in sputtering time leads to the formation of WO3 with varying film thickness, and the maximum photocurrent is observed when the film thickness is approximately 150 nm. The electrical conductivity and charge transfer resistance are measured and correlated to the properties and the performance of the WO3 photoelectrodes. In addition, the WO3 photoelectrode exhibits excellent photoelectrochemical stability.
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Air Annealing Effect on Oxygen Vacancy Defects in Al-doped ZnO Films Grown by High-Speed Atmospheric Atomic Layer Deposition. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25215043. [PMID: 33143026 PMCID: PMC7663192 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, aluminum-doped zinc oxide (Al:ZnO) thin films were grown by high-speed atmospheric atomic layer deposition (AALD), and the effects of air annealing on film properties are investigated. The experimental results show that the thermal annealing can significantly reduce the amount of oxygen vacancies defects as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra due to the in-diffusion of oxygen from air to the films. As shown by X-ray diffraction, the annealing repairs the crystalline structure and releases the stress. The absorption coefficient of the films increases with the annealing temperature due to the increased density. The annealing temperature reaching 600 °C leads to relatively significant changes in grain size and band gap. From the results of band gap and Hall-effect measurements, the annealing temperature lower than 600 °C reduces the oxygen vacancies defects acting as shallow donors, while it is suspected that the annealing temperature higher than 600 °C can further remove the oxygen defects introduced mid-gap states.
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