Ordered multilayer films of hollow sphere aluminium-doped zinc oxide for photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ordered multilayer films of hollow sphere aluminium-doped zinc oxide for photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion

AU - Zhang, Menglong

AU - Mitchell, Robert W.

AU - Huang, Haowei

AU - Douthwaite, Richard E.

N1 - © The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2017. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.

PY - 2017/10/9

Y1 - 2017/10/9

N2 - Transparent conducting oxides (TCO's) are integral to many optoelectronic devices used for a range of display and solar energy technologies. Non-planar, 3-dimensional, TCO's offer the opportunity to support thin films of functional materials to increase light absorption, charge extraction, and wavelength-dependent manipulation of light if ordered into photonic structures. In addition increased surface area is also important for applications which rely on interfacial phenomena such as photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion, which is the focus of this investigation. Photoelectrodes have been fabricated from ordered spherical arrays of aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) and subsequently coated with photoactive semiconductor (CdS) nanoparticles using simple solution chemical deposition. The spheres of the structured AZO TCO are hollow and access to the internal volume supports loading of CdS as a thin film which results in increased light collection per geometric surface area. Efficient charge collection is observed, without restricting diffusion of electrolyte, allowing photocurrents ca. 20 times greater than a planar analogue.

AB - Transparent conducting oxides (TCO's) are integral to many optoelectronic devices used for a range of display and solar energy technologies. Non-planar, 3-dimensional, TCO's offer the opportunity to support thin films of functional materials to increase light absorption, charge extraction, and wavelength-dependent manipulation of light if ordered into photonic structures. In addition increased surface area is also important for applications which rely on interfacial phenomena such as photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion, which is the focus of this investigation. Photoelectrodes have been fabricated from ordered spherical arrays of aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) and subsequently coated with photoactive semiconductor (CdS) nanoparticles using simple solution chemical deposition. The spheres of the structured AZO TCO are hollow and access to the internal volume supports loading of CdS as a thin film which results in increased light collection per geometric surface area. Efficient charge collection is observed, without restricting diffusion of electrolyte, allowing photocurrents ca. 20 times greater than a planar analogue.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032618969&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1039/c7ta07509j

DO - 10.1039/c7ta07509j

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85032618969

SN - 2050-7488

VL - 5

SP - 22193

EP - 22198

JO - Journal of Materials Chemistry A

JF - Journal of Materials Chemistry A

IS - 42

ER -