Activating ZnO nanorods photoanodes in visible light by CdS surface sensitiser. (14th August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Biswas, Indranil; Roy (Kundu), Piyali; Sinha, Prasanta Kumar; Kanu, Moumita; Chakraborty, Ashim Kumar
• Is Part Of: Micro & nano letters. Volume 14:Number 9(2019)
• Page Start: 941
• Page End: 946
• Publication Date: 2019-08-14
• Subjects: ultraviolet spectra -- photoluminescence -- copper compounds -- liquid phase deposition -- nanorods -- nanofabrication -- photoelectrochemistry -- fluorine -- semiconductor growth -- cadmium compounds -- X‐ray diffraction -- visible spectra -- semiconductor thin films -- field emission electron microscopy -- X‐ray chemical analysis -- wide band gap semiconductors -- scanning electron microscopy -- II‐VI semiconductors -- nanostructured materials -- zinc compounds; field emission scanning electron microscopy -- one‐dimensional hexagonal wurtzite structure -- visible light -- fluorine‐doped tin oxide‐coated soda lime glass substrate -- hazardous nanocrystal layer deposition technique -- bare photoanode -- uniform nanorods -- core shell structures -- depositing layer -- vertically aligned NRs -- surface sensitiser -- nanorods photoanodes -- nanorods photoanodes -- bare structure -- optical properties -- X‐ray diffraction -- XRD -- photoluminescence spectra -- ultraviolet–visible spectra -- ZnO -- CdS; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanostructures -- Periodicals; Microtechnology -- Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2018.5700
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-0443

Abstract

Abstract : Thin films of c ‐axis aligned uniform ZnO nanorods (NRs) were fabricated on to fluorine‐doped tin oxide‐coated soda lime glass substrate by a two‐step chemical route. Thereafter ZnO NRs/CdS core shell structures were successfully synthesised by depositing CdS layer on top of vertically aligned ZnO NRs using less hazardous nanocrystal layer deposition technique. The presence of CdS in ZnO NRs/CdS core shell structures was confirmed by energy dispersive X‐ray analysis. Examination of structure and morphology of the fabricated films by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that both films have one‐dimensional hexagonal wurtzite structure. Optical properties evaluated from ultraviolet–visible and photoluminescence spectra demonstrated better photo response of ZnO NRs/CdS core shell structure with respect to bare ZnO NR structure. Optical to chemical conversion efficiency of ZnO NRs/CdS photoanode was found to be ∼1.75 times higher than bare ZnO NRs photoanode in photo electrochemical water splitting under visible light.