1
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Reddy NR, Kumar AS, Reddy PM, Kakarla RR, Jung JH, Aminabhavi TM, Joo SW. Efficient synthesis of 3D ZnO nanostructures on ITO surfaces for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 352:120082. [PMID: 38232595 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
New photoactive materials with uniform and well-defined morphologies were developed for efficient and sustainable photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting and hydrogen production. The investigation is focused on hydrothermal deposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) onto indium tin oxide (ITO) conductive surfaces and optimization of hydrothermal temperature for growing uniform sized 3D ZnO morphologies. Fine-tuning of hydrothermal temperature enhanced the scalability, efficiency, and performance of ZnO-decorated ITO electrodes used in PEC water splitting. Under UV light irradiation and using eco-friendly low-cost hydrothermal process in the presence of stable ZnO offered uniform 3D ZnO, which exhibited a high photocurrent of 0.6 mA/cm2 having stability up to 5 h under light-on and light-off conditions. The impact of hydrothermal temperature on the morphological properties of the deposited ZnO and its subsequent performance in PEC water splitting was investigated. The work contributes to advancement of scalable and efficient fabrication technique for developing energy converting photoactive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ramesh Reddy
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - A Sai Kumar
- Department of Physics, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - P Mohan Reddy
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Raghava Reddy Kakarla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Jae Hak Jung
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea.
| | - Tejraj M Aminabhavi
- Center for Energy and Environment, School of Advanced Sciences, KLE Technological University, Hubballi, 580031, Karnataka, India; University Center for Research & Development (UCRO), Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, 140 413, India.
| | - Sang Woo Joo
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Cho KH, Chen R, Elbert J, Su X. Redox-Functionalized Semiconductor Interfaces for Photoelectrochemical Separations. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2305275. [PMID: 37471171 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202305275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Redox-mediated electrosorption is a promising platform for selective electrochemical (EC) separations, due to its molecular selectivity, high uptake, and tunability for target ions. However, the electrical energy required is mainly generated by non-renewable energy sources, which limits its sustainability and overall impact to decarbonization. Here, a redox-mediated photoelectrochemical (PEC) separation process using polyvinyl ferrocene functionalized TiO2 nanorod electrodes is proposed, which integrates direct solar energy as a driver for the selective electrosorption. The photoelectrochemically-driven oxidation and reduction with both homogeneous and heterogeneous ferrocene-systems is investigated to establish the underlying mechanism. The PEC system can separate heavy metal oxyanions at lower voltages or even without electrical energy. At 0.3 V versus SCE, a 124 mg g-1 uptake for Mo is achieved, which is comparable to the performance of EC cells at 0.75 V versus SCE. Thus, PEC systems not only can generate energy for spontaneous redox-separations, but also can reduce electrical energy consumption by 51.4% compared to EC cells for separation processes when coupled with an external electrical energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Hyun Cho
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Raylin Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Johannes Elbert
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Xiao Su
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
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3
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Machreki M, Chouki T, Tyuliev G, Fanetti M, Valant M, Arčon D, Pregelj M, Emin S. The Role of Lattice Defects on the Optical Properties of TiO 2 Nanotube Arrays for Synergistic Water Splitting. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:33255-33265. [PMID: 37744782 PMCID: PMC10515401 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we report a facile one-step chemical method to synthesize reduced titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube arrays (NTAs) with point defects. Treatment with NaBH4 introduces oxygen vacancies (OVs) in the TiO2 lattice. Chemical analysis and optical studies indicate that the OV density can be significantly increased by changing reduction time treatment, leading to higher optical transmission of the TiO2 NTAs and retarded carrier recombination in the photoelectrochemical process. A cathodoluminescence (CL) study of reduced TiO2 (TiO2-x) NTAs revealed that OVs contribute significantly to the emission bands in the visible range. It was found that the TiO2 NTAs reduced for a longer duration exhibited a higher concentration of OVs. A typical CL spectrum of TiO2 was deconvoluted to four Gaussian components, assigned to F, F+, and Ti3+ centers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were used to support the change in the surface chemical bonding and electronic valence band position in TiO2. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra confirmed the presence of OVs in the TiO2-x sample. The prepared TiO2-x NTAs show an enhanced photocurrent for water splitting due to pronounced light absorption in the visible region, enhanced electrical conductivity, and improved charge transportation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manel Machreki
- Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Nova
Gorica, Vipavska 11c, 5270 Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Takwa Chouki
- Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Nova
Gorica, Vipavska 11c, 5270 Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Georgi Tyuliev
- Institute
of Catalysis, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St., Bldg. 11, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Mattia Fanetti
- Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Nova
Gorica, Vipavska 11c, 5270 Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Valant
- Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Nova
Gorica, Vipavska 11c, 5270 Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Denis Arčon
- Institute
“Jožef Stefan”, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty
of Mathematics and Physics, University of
Ljubljana, Jadranska
c. 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Pregelj
- Institute
“Jožef Stefan”, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Saim Emin
- Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Nova
Gorica, Vipavska 11c, 5270 Ajdovščina, Slovenia
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4
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Andrei V, Roh I, Yang P. Nanowire photochemical diodes for artificial photosynthesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade9044. [PMID: 36763656 PMCID: PMC9917021 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade9044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Artificial photosynthesis can provide a solution to our current energy needs by converting small molecules such as water or carbon dioxide into useful fuels. This can be accomplished using photochemical diodes, which interface two complementary light absorbers with suitable electrocatalysts. Nanowire semiconductors provide unique advantages in terms of light absorption and catalytic activity, yet great control is required to integrate them for overall fuel production. In this review, we journey across the progress in nanowire photoelectrochemistry (PEC) over the past two decades, revealing design principles to build these nanowire photochemical diodes. To this end, we discuss the latest progress in terms of nanowire photoelectrodes, focusing on the interplay between performance, photovoltage, electronic band structure, and catalysis. Emphasis is placed on the overall system integration and semiconductor-catalyst interface, which applies to inorganic, organic, or biologic catalysts. Last, we highlight further directions that may improve the scope of nanowire PEC systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virgil Andrei
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Inwhan Roh
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Liquid Sunlight Alliance, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Peidong Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Liquid Sunlight Alliance, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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5
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Ren X, Zeng X, Wang Y, Liu X, Li A, Xing X, Du J. Integration of an Electron Transport Layer and a p‐n Heterojunction in a ZnO photoanode for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation. ChemistrySelect 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202203608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Ren
- College of Chemistry Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450000 P. R. China
- Henan Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Anyang Normal University Anyang 455000 P. R. China
| | - Xuyang Zeng
- College of Chemistry Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450000 P. R. China
- Henan Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Anyang Normal University Anyang 455000 P. R. China
| | - Yanqiu Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Anyang Normal University Anyang 455000 P. R. China
| | - Xuzhao Liu
- Henan Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Anyang Normal University Anyang 455000 P. R. China
| | - Ang Li
- Henan Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Anyang Normal University Anyang 455000 P. R. China
| | - Xiu‐Shuang Xing
- Henan Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Anyang Normal University Anyang 455000 P. R. China
| | - Jimin Du
- Henan Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Anyang Normal University Anyang 455000 P. R. China
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Ghobadi TGU, Ghobadi A, Demirtas M, Buyuktemiz M, Ozvural KN, Yildiz EA, Erdem E, Yaglioglu HG, Durgun E, Dede Y, Ozbay E, Karadas F. Building an Iron Chromophore Incorporating Prussian Blue Analogue for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation. Chemistry 2021; 27:8966-8976. [PMID: 33929068 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202100654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The replacement of traditional ruthenium-based photosensitizers with low-cost and abundant iron analogs is a key step for the advancement of scalable and sustainable dye-sensitized water splitting cells. In this proof-of-concept study, a pyridinium ligand coordinated pentacyanoferrate(II) chromophore is used to construct a cyanide-based CoFe extended bulk framework, in which the iron photosensitizer units are connected to cobalt water oxidation catalytic sites through cyanide linkers. The iron-sensitized photoanode exhibits exceptional stability for at least 5 h at pH 7 and features its photosensitizing ability with an incident photon-to-current conversion capacity up to 500 nm with nanosecond scale excited state lifetime. Ultrafast transient absorption and computational studies reveal that iron and cobalt sites mutually support each other for charge separation via short bridging cyanide groups and for injection to the semiconductor in our proof-of-concept photoelectrochemical device. The reorganization of the excited states due to the mixing of electronic states of metal-based orbitals subsequently tailor the electron transfer cascade during the photoelectrochemical process. This breakthrough in chromophore-catalyst assemblies will spark interest in dye-sensitization with robust bulk systems for photoconversion applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Gamze Ulusoy Ghobadi
- UNAM - National Nanotechnology Research Center Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Amir Ghobadi
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and NANOTAM - Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Merve Demirtas
- UNAM - National Nanotechnology Research Center Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Muhammed Buyuktemiz
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Gazi University Teknikokullar, 06500, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kubra N Ozvural
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Elif Akhuseyin Yildiz
- Department of Engineering Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Ankara University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emre Erdem
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - H Gul Yaglioglu
- Department of Engineering Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Ankara University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Engin Durgun
- UNAM - National Nanotechnology Research Center Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yavuz Dede
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Gazi University Teknikokullar, 06500, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ekmel Ozbay
- UNAM - National Nanotechnology Research Center Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and NANOTAM - Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ferdi Karadas
- UNAM - National Nanotechnology Research Center Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
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7
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Majumder S, Quang ND, Hung NM, Chinh ND, Kim C, Kim D. Deposition of zinc cobaltite nanoparticles onto bismuth vanadate for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 599:453-466. [PMID: 33962206 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.04.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During the past few decades, photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has attracted significant attention because of the reduced production cost of hydrogen obtained by utilizing solar energy. Significant efforts have been invested by the scientific community to produce stable ternary metal oxide semiconductors, which can enhance the stability and increase the overall production of oxygen. Herein, we present the ternary metal oxide deposition of ZnCo2O4 as a route to obtain a novel photocatalyst layer on BiVO4 to form BiVO4/ZnCo2O4 a novel composite photoanode for PEC water splitting. The structural, topographical, and optical analyses were performed using field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to confirm the structure of the ZnCo2O4 grafted over BiVO4. A remarkable 4.4-fold enhancement of the photocurrent was observed for the BiVO4/ZnCo2O4 composite compared with bare BiVO4 under visible illumination. The optimum loading of ZnCo2O4 over BiVO4 yields unprecedented stable photocurrent density with an apparent cathodic shift of 0.46 V under 1.5 AM simulated light illumination. This is also evidenced by the flat-band potential change through Mott-Schottky analysis, which reveals the formation of p-ZnCo2O4 on n-BiVO4. The improvement in the PEC performance of the composite with respect to bare BiVO4 is ascribed to the formation of thin passivating layer of p-ZnCo2O4 on n-BiVO4 which improves the kinetics of interfacial charge transfer. Based on our study, we have gained an in-depth understanding of the BiVO4/ZnCo2O4 composite as high potential in efficient PEC water splitting devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutripto Majumder
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Nguyen Duc Quang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Nguyen Manh Hung
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Le Quy Don Technical University, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Duc Chinh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Chunjoong Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dojin Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Karyaoui M, Ben Jemia D, Gannouni M, Ben Assaker I, Bardaoui A, Amlouk M, Chtourou R. Characterization of Ag-doped ZnO thin films by spray pyrolysis and its using in enhanced photoelectrochemical performances. INORG CHEM COMMUN 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2020.108114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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9
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Ghobadi TGU, Ghobadi A, Soydan MC, Vishlaghi MB, Kaya S, Karadas F, Ozbay E. Strong Light-Matter Interactions in Au Plasmonic Nanoantennas Coupled with Prussian Blue Catalyst on BiVO 4 for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. CHEMSUSCHEM 2020; 13:2577-2588. [PMID: 32157799 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202000294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
A facial and large-scale compatible fabrication route is established, affording a high-performance heterogeneous plasmonic-based photoelectrode for water oxidation that incorporates a CoFe-Prussian blue analog (PBA) structure as the water oxidation catalytic center. For this purpose, an angled deposition of gold (Au) was used to selectively coat the tips of the bismuth vanadate (BiVO4 ) nanostructures, yielding Au-capped BiVO4 (Au-BiVO4 ). The formation of multiple size/dimension Au capping islands provides strong light-matter interactions at nanoscale dimensions. These plasmonic particles not only enhance light absorption in the bulk BiVO4 (through the excitation of Fabry-Perot (FP) modes) but also contribute to photocurrent generation through the injection of sub-band-gap hot electrons. To substantiate the activity of the photoanodes, the interfacial electron dynamics are significantly improved by using a PBA water oxidation catalyst (WOC) resulting in an Au-BiVO4 /PBA assembly. At 1.23 V (vs. RHE), the photocurrent value for a bare BiVO4 photoanode was obtained as 190 μA cm-2 , whereas it was boosted to 295 μA cm-2 and 1800 μA cm-2 for Au-BiVO4 and Au-BiVO4 /PBA, respectively. Our results suggest that this simple and facial synthetic approach paves the way for plasmonic-based solar water splitting, in which a variety of common metals and semiconductors can be employed in conjunction with catalyst designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Gamze Ulusoy Ghobadi
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 6800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Amir Ghobadi
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
- NANOTAM-Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mahmut Can Soydan
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
- NANOTAM-Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mahsa Barzgar Vishlaghi
- Chemistry Department, Koc University, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
- TUPRAS Energy Center (KUTEM), Koc University, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
| | - Sarp Kaya
- Chemistry Department, Koc University, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
- TUPRAS Energy Center (KUTEM), Koc University, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
| | - Ferdi Karadas
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 6800, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ekmel Ozbay
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 6800, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
- NANOTAM-Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
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Ghobadi A, Hajian H, Butun B, Ozbay E. Strong Interference in Planar, Multilayer Perfect Absorbers: Achieving High-Operational Performances in Visible and Near-Infrared Regimes. IEEE NANOTECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE 2019. [DOI: 10.1109/mnano.2019.2916113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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11
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Investigation of Strain Effects on Photoelectrochemical Performance of Flexible ZnO Electrodes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11006. [PMID: 31358865 PMCID: PMC6662888 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47546-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In this report, the growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals with various morphologies, nanoflower, nanosheet, and nanorod, on flexible stainless steel (SS) foils to be utilized as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cells has been presented. It has been aimed to provide flexibility and adaptability for the next generation systems with the incorporation of SS foils as electrode into PEC cells. Therefore, physical deformation tests have been applied to the prepared ZnO thin film photoanodes. These thin films have been thoroughly characterized before and after straining for better understanding the relationship between the morphology, straining effect and photoelectrochemical efficiency. We observed a notable increase in the maximum incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) and durability of all ZnO photoelectrodes after straining process. The increase in IPCE values by 1.5 and 2.5 folds at 370 nm has been observed for nanoflower and nanorod morphologies, respectively after being strained. The maximum IPCE of 69% has been calculated for the ZnO nanorod structures after straining. Bending of the SS electrodes resulted in the more oriented nanorod arrays compared to its flat counterpart, which improved both the light absorption and also the photo-conversion efficiency drastically. The finite-difference time-domain simulations have also been carried out to examine the optical properties of flat and bent ZnO electrodes. Finally, it has been concluded that SS photoanodes bearing ZnO semiconducting material with nanoflower and nanorod morphologies are very promising candidates for the solar hydrogen generator systems in terms of efficiency, durability, flexibility, and lightness in weight.
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