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The development of high-efficiency solid-state excitonic photovoltaic solar cells compatible with solution processing techniques is a research area of intense interest, with the poor optical harvesting in the red and near-IR (NIR) portion of the solar spectrum a significant limitation to device performance. Herein we present a solid-state solar cell design, consisting of TiO2nanotube arrays vertically oriented from the FTO-coated glass substrate, sensitized with unsymmetrical squaraine dye (SQ-1) that absorbs in the red and NIR portion of solar spectrum, and which are uniformly infiltrated with p-type regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) that absorbs higher energy photons. Our solid-state solar cells exhibit broad, near-UV to NIR, spectral response with external quantum yields of up to 65%. Under UV filtered AM 1.5G of 90 mW/cm2intensity we achieve typical device photoconversion efficiencies of 3.2%, with champion device efficiencies of 3.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper and titanium remain relatively plentiful in the earth’s crust; hence, their use for large-scale solar energy conversion technologies is of significant interest. We describe fabrication of vertically oriented p-type Cu−Ti−O nanotube array films by anodization of copper rich (60% to 74%) Ti metal films cosputtered onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass. Cu−Ti−O nanotube array films 1 μm thick exhibit external quantum efficiencies up to 11%, with a spectral photoresponse indicating that the complete visible spectrum, 380 to 885 nm, contributes significantly to the photocurrent generation. Water-splitting photoelectrochemical pn-junction diodes are fabricated using p-type Cu−Ti−O nanotube array films in combination with n-type TiO 2nanotube array films. With the glass substrates oriented back-to-back, light is incident upon the UV absorbing n-TiO 2side, with the visible light passing to the p-Cu−Ti−O side. In a manner analogous to photosynthesis, photocatalytic reactions are powered only by the incident light to generate fuel with oxygen evolved from the n-TiO 2side of the diode and hydrogen from the p-Cu−Ti−O side. To date, we find under global AM 1.5 illumination that such photocorrosion-stable diodes generate a photocurrent of approximately 0.25 mA/cm 2, at a photoconversion efficiency of 0.30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to obtain a material architecture suitable for high-efficiency visible spectrum water photoelectrolysis, herein we report on the fabrication and visible spectrum (380−650 nm) photoelectrochemical properties of self-aligned, vertically oriented Ti−Fe−O nanotube array films. Ti−Fe metal films of variable composition, iron content ranging from 69% to 3.5%, co-sputtered onto FTO-coated glass are anodized in an ethylene glycol NH4F electrolyte. The resulting amorphous samples are annealed in oxygen at 500 °C, resulting in nanotubes composed of a mixed Ti−Fe−O oxide. Some of the iron goes into the titanium lattice substituting titanium ions, and the rest either forms -Fe2O3crystallites or remains in the amorphous state. Depending upon the Fe content, the band gap of the resulting films ranges from about 380 to 570 nm. The Ti−Fe oxide nanotube array films are utilized in solar spectrum water photoelectrolysis, demonstrating 2 mA/cm2under AM 1.5 illumination with a sustained, time−energy normalized hydrogen evolution rate by water splitting of 7.1 mL/W·hr in a 1 M KOH solution with a platinum counter electrode under an applied bias of 0.7 V. The surface morphology, structure, elemental analysis, optical, and photoelectrochemical properties of the Ti−Fe oxide nanotube array films are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the time-resolved, X-ray excited optical luminescence spectra from two types of MgxZn(1-x)O core−shell, heterostructured nanowires:  type I, with a small x, wurtzite core, encased in a larger x, wurtzite sheath; and type II, with a wurtzite core (x∼ 0), encased in a rock-salt sheath (x> 0.62). By monitoring the X-ray energy dependence of the various luminescence peaks, we have determined the local environment of the sites where these peaks originate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the use of highly ordered transparent TiO2 nanotube arrays in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Highly ordered nanotube arrays of 46-nm pore diameter, 17-nm wall thickness, and 360-nm length were grown perpendicular to a fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass substrate by anodic oxidation of a titanium thin film. After crystallization by an oxygen anneal, the nanotube arrays are treated with TiCl4 to enhance the photogenerated current and then integrated into the DSC structure using a commercially available ruthenium-based dye. Although the negative electrode is only 360-nm-thick, under AM 1.5 illumination the generated photocurrent is 7.87 mA/cm2, with a photocurrent efficiency of 2.9%. Voltage-decay measurements indicate that the highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays, in comparison to nanoparticulate systems, have superior electron lifetimes and provide excellent pathways for electron percolation. Our results indicate that remarkable photoconversion efficiencies may be obtained, possibly to the ideal limit of ∼31% for a single photosystem scheme, with an increase of the nanotube-array length to several micrometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high-efficiency solid-state excitonic photovoltaic solar cells compatible with solution processing techniques is a research area of intense interest, with the poor optical harvesting in the red and near-IR (NIR) portion of the solar spectrum a significant limitation to device performance. Herein we present a solid-state solar cell design, consisting of TiO(2) nanotube arrays vertically oriented from the FTO-coated glass substrate, sensitized with unsymmetrical squaraine dye (SQ-1) that absorbs in the red and NIR portion of solar spectrum, and which are uniformly infiltrated with p-type regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) that absorbs higher energy photons. Our solid-state solar cells exhibit broad, near-UV to NIR, spectral response with external quantum yields of up to 65%. Under UV filtered AM 1.5G of 90 mW/cm(2) intensity we achieve typical device photoconversion efficiencies of 3.2%, with champion device efficiencies of 3.8%.

Copper and titanium remain relatively plentiful in the earth's crust; hence, their use for large-scale solar energy conversion technologies is of significant interest. We describe fabrication of vertically oriented p-type Cu-Ti-O nanotube array films by anodization of copper rich (60% to 74%) Ti metal films cosputtered onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass. Cu-Ti-O nanotube array films 1 mum thick exhibit external quantum efficiencies up to 11%, with a spectral photoresponse indicating that the complete visible spectrum, 380 to 885 nm, contributes significantly to the photocurrent generation. Water-splitting photoelectrochemical pn-junction diodes are fabricated using p-type Cu-Ti-O nanotube array films in combination with n-type TiO 2 nanotube array films. With the glass substrates oriented back-to-back, light is incident upon the UV absorbing n-TiO 2 side, with the visible light passing to the p-Cu-Ti-O side. In a manner analogous to photosynthesis, photocatalytic reactions are powered only by the incident light to generate fuel with oxygen evolved from the n-TiO 2 side of the diode and hydrogen from the p-Cu-Ti-O side. To date, we find under global AM 1.5 illumination that such photocorrosion-stable diodes generate a photocurrent of approximately 0.25 mA/cm (2), at a photoconversion efficiency of 0.30%.

In an effort to obtain a material architecture suitable for high-efficiency visible spectrum water photoelectrolysis, herein we report on the fabrication and visible spectrum (380-650 nm) photoelectrochemical properties of self-aligned, vertically oriented Ti-Fe-O nanotube array films. Ti-Fe metal films of variable composition, iron content ranging from 69% to 3.5%, co-sputtered onto FTO-coated glass are anodized in an ethylene glycol + NH4F electrolyte. The resulting amorphous samples are annealed in oxygen at 500 degrees C, resulting in nanotubes composed of a mixed Ti-Fe-O oxide. Some of the iron goes into the titanium lattice substituting titanium ions, and the rest either forms alpha-Fe2O3 crystallites or remains in the amorphous state. Depending upon the Fe content, the band gap of the resulting films ranges from about 380 to 570 nm. The Ti-Fe oxide nanotube array films are utilized in solar spectrum water photoelectrolysis, demonstrating 2 mA/cm2 under AM 1.5 illumination with a sustained, time-energy normalized hydrogen evolution rate by water splitting of 7.1 mL/W.hr in a 1 M KOH solution with a platinum counter electrode under an applied bias of 0.7 V. The surface morphology, structure, elemental analysis, optical, and photoelectrochemical properties of the Ti-Fe oxide nanotube array films are considered.

We describe the use of highly ordered transparent TiO(2) nanotube arrays in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Highly ordered nanotube arrays of 46-nm pore diameter, 17-nm wall thickness, and 360-nm length were grown perpendicular to a fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass substrate by anodic oxidation of a titanium thin film. After crystallization by an oxygen anneal, the nanotube arrays are treated with TiCl(4) to enhance the photogenerated current and then integrated into the DSC structure using a commercially available ruthenium-based dye. Although the negative electrode is only 360-nm-thick, under AM 1.5 illumination the generated photocurrent is 7.87 mA/cm(2), with a photocurrent efficiency of 2.9%. Voltage-decay measurements indicate that the highly ordered TiO(2) nanotube arrays, in comparison to nanoparticulate systems, have superior electron lifetimes and provide excellent pathways for electron percolation. Our results indicate that remarkable photoconversion efficiencies may be obtained, possibly to the ideal limit of approximately 31% for a single photosystem scheme, with an increase of the nanotube-array length to several micrometers.

In this study highly ordered titania nanotube arrays of variable wall thickness are used to photocleave water under ultraviolet irradiation. We demonstrate that the wall thickness and length of the nanotubes can be controlled via anodization bath temperature. We find that the nanotube wall thickness is a key parameter influencing the magnitude of the photoanodic response and the overall efficiency of the water-splitting reaction. For 22 nm inner pore diameter nanotube arrays, those fabricated in a 5 degrees C anodization bath, 224 nm length and 34 nm wall thickness produced a photoanodic response that was thrice that of a nanotube array fabricated in a 50 degrees C anodization bath, 120 nm length and 9 nm wall-thickness. At high anodic polarization, above 1 V, the quantum efficiency under 337 nm illumination was greater than 90%. For the 5 degrees C anodization bath samples (22 nm pore-diameter, 34 nm wall thickness), upon 320-400 nm illumination at an intensity of 100 mW/cm(2), hydrogen gas was generated at the power-time normalized rate of 960 micromol/h W (24 mL/h W) at an overall conversion efficiency of 6.8%. To the best of our knowledge, this hydrogen generation rate is the highest reported for a titania-based photoelectrochemical cell.