3-D ordered macroporous cuprous oxide: Fabrication, optical, and photoelectrochemical properties

Controllable fabrication and photoelectrochemical property of multilayer tantalum nitride hollow sphere-nanofilms

Multilayer Ta3 N5 hollow sphere-nanofilms with precisely tunable numbers of layers are successfully fabricated by the combination of oil-water interfacial self-assembly strategy and the controllable sol-gel reaction of precursors. The photoelectrochemical water splitting properties of the as-obtained Ta3 N5 hollow sphere-nanofilms are significantly enhanced and found to be highly dependent on the layer numbers of the nanofilms.

Imitation of variable structural color in Paracheirodon innesi using colloidal crystal films

Spacing variation of adjoining reflecting thin films in iridophore is responsible for the variable interference color in the paracheirodon innesi. On the basis of this phenomenon, colloidal crystal thin films with different structures are fabricated from monodisperse poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) (PSMA) colloids. The relationship between the colors and structures of the films is investigated and discussed according to the principle of light interference. A two-layer colloidal film having uniform color is researched and it displays diverse colors before and after swelling by styrene (St), which can be used to mimic the variable structural color of the paracheirodon innesi.

Fabrication of 3D copper oxide structure by holographic lithography for photoelectrochemical electrodes

We fabricated three-dimensional copper oxide structure by holographic lithography and electroless deposition. A five-beam interference pattern defined a woodpile structure of SU-8. The surface modification of SU-8 structure was achieved by multilayer coating of polyelectrolyte, which is critical for activating the surface for the reduction of copper. Copper was deposited onto the surface of the structure by electroless deposition, and subsequent calcinations removed the SU-8 structure and simultaneously oxidized the copper into copper oxide. The porous copper oxide structure was used as a photoelectrochemical electrode. Because of the highly porous structure, our structure showed higher photocurrent efficiency.

Electric field directed self-assembly of cuprous oxide nanostructures for photon sensing

We demonstrate a novel chemical-free water-based technique to synthesize various forms of cuprous oxide nanostructures at room temperature. The self-assemblies of these nanostructures are formed by the anodic oxidation of Cu in deionized (DI) water. Direct growth of these nanostructures on SiO(2)/Si (100) substrate has been successfully achieved by tuning the bias voltage and the growth duration. A variety of nanostructures from one-dimensional nanowires to different complex two- and three-dimensional structures are successfully grown by this method. We show that the morphological evolution in the self-assembly of the structures strongly depends on the spatial electric field distribution on the substrate. Furthermore, the electrical devices made from these nanowire networks exhibit promising photon sensing characteristics under white light illumination and can be exploited for future applications in photodetection and photovoltaic studies at the nanoscale level.