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Manjunatha C, Rastogi CK, Manmadha Rao B, Girish Kumar S, Varun S, Raitani K, Maurya G, Karthik B, Swathi C, Sadrzadeh M, Khosla A. Advances in Hierarchical Inorganic Nanostructures for Efficient Solar Energy Harvesting Systems. CHEMSUSCHEM 2024; 17:e202301755. [PMID: 38478710 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The urgent need to address the global energy and environmental crisis necessitates the development of efficient solar-power harvesting systems. Among the promising candidates, hierarchical inorganic nanostructures stand out due to their exceptional attributes, including a high specific surface area, abundant active sites, and tunable optoelectronic properties. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the fundamental principles underlying various solar energy harvesting technologies, including dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), photocatalytic, photoelectrocatalytic (water splitting), and photothermal (water purification) systems, providing a foundational understanding of their operation. Thereafter, the discussion is focused on recent advancements in the synthesis, design, and development of hierarchical nanostructures composed of diverse inorganic material combinations, tailored for each of these solar energy harvesting systems. We meticulously elaborate on the distinct synthesis methods and conditions employed to fine-tune the morphological features of these hierarchical nanostructures. Furthermore, this review offers profound insights into critical aspects such as electron transfer mechanisms, band gap engineering, the creation of hetero-hybrid structures to optimize interface chemistry through diverse synthesis approaches, and precise adjustments of structural features. Beyond elucidating the scientific fundamentals, this review explores the large-scale applications of the aforementioned solar harvesting systems. Additionally, it addresses the existing challenges and outlines the prospects for achieving heightened solar-energy conversion efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Manjunatha
- Centre for Nanomaterials and Devices, Department of Chemistry, RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - B Manmadha Rao
- Department of Physics, VIT-AP University, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - S Girish Kumar
- Centre for Nanomaterials and Devices, Department of Chemistry, RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India
| | - S Varun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India
| | - Karthik Raitani
- Centre for Advanced Studies, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, India
| | - Gyanprakash Maurya
- Centre for Advanced Studies, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, India
| | - B Karthik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India
| | - C Swathi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India
| | - Mohtada Sadrzadeh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Ajit Khosla
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Province, China
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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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Nadikatla SK, Chintada VB, Gurugubelli TR, Koutavarapu R. Review of Recent Developments in the Fabrication of ZnO/CdS Heterostructure Photocatalysts for Degradation of Organic Pollutants and Hydrogen Production. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114277. [PMID: 37298752 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Researchers have recently paid a lot of attention to semiconductor photocatalysts, especially ZnO-based heterostructures. Due to its availability, robustness, and biocompatibility, ZnO is a widely researched material in the fields of photocatalysis and energy storage. It is also environmentally beneficial. However, the wide bandgap energy and quick recombination of the photoinduced electron-hole pairs of ZnO limit its practical utility. To address these issues, many techniques have been used, such as the doping of metal ions and the creation of binary or ternary composites. Recent studies showed that ZnO/CdS heterostructures outperformed bare ZnO and CdS nanostructures in terms of photocatalytic performance when exposed to visible light. This review largely concentrated on the ZnO/CdS heterostructure production process and its possible applications including the degradation of organic pollutants and hydrogen evaluation. The importance of synthesis techniques such as bandgap engineering and controlled morphology was highlighted. In addition, the prospective uses of ZnO/CdS heterostructures in the realm of photocatalysis and the conceivable photodegradation mechanism were examined. Lastly, ZnO/CdS heterostructures' challenges and prospects for the future have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhosh Kumar Nadikatla
- Chemistry Division, Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities, GMR Institute of Technology, Rajam 532127, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Vinod Babu Chintada
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, GMR Institute of Technology, Rajam 532127, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Thirumala Rao Gurugubelli
- Physics Division, Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities, GMR Institute of Technology, Rajam 532127, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Ravindranadh Koutavarapu
- Department of Robotics Engineering, College of Mechanical and IT Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
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Yang Y, Wan S, Wang R, Ou M, Fan X, Zhong Q. NiFe-bimetal-organic framework grafting oxygen-vacancy-rich BiVO4 photoanode for highly efficient solar-driven water splitting. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 629:487-495. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.08.182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Mane P, Bagal IV, Bae H, Kulkarni MA, Abdullah A, Ryu SW, Ha JS. Boosting the charge transfer kinetics in MOCVD prepared nitrogen doped hierarchical ZnO-Si nanowires for bifunctional photoelectrochemical water oxidation and organic contaminant removal. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2022.116729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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