Ultra long-lived electron-hole separation within water-soluble colloidal ZnO nanocrystals: Prospective applications for solar energy production

Zinc oxide was one of the first semiconductors used in dye-sensitized solar cells but its instability in aqueous media precludes its use for large-scale applications. Herein, we report on a novel ZnO nanocrystal material derived by an organometallic approach that is simultaneously stable and soluble...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano energy 2016-12, Vol.30, p.187-192
Main Authors: Cieślak, Anna M., Pavliuk, Mariia V., D’Amario, Luca, Abdellah, Mohamed, Sokołowski, Kamil, Rybinska, Urszula, Fernandes, Daniel L.A., Leszczyński, Michał K., Mamedov, Fikret, El-Zhory, Ahmed M., Föhlinger, Jens, Budinská, Alena, Wolska-Pietkiewicz, Małgorzata, Hammarström, Leif, Lewiński, Janusz, Sá, Jacinto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advanced laser based spectroscopy
Solar energy production prospectus
Ultra long-lived electron-hole separation
Water-soluble colloidal ZnO nanocrystals
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Zinc oxide was one of the first semiconductors used in dye-sensitized solar cells but its instability in aqueous media precludes its use for large-scale applications. Herein, we report on a novel ZnO nanocrystal material derived by an organometallic approach that is simultaneously stable and soluble in water due to its carboxylate oligoethylene glycol shell strongly anchored to the inorganic core by the head groups. The resulting unique inorganic core-organic shell interface also stabilizes the photo-generated hole, leading to a dramatic slowing down of charge recombination, which otherwise is a major hurdle in using nanostructured ZnO. •Water stable ZnO nanocrystals that can undergo sensitization.•Long-lived change separation state.•Hole stabilization.
ISSN:2211-2855
DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2016.09.045