The electrical conductivity of the two‐dimensional (2D) electron gas at the interface of epitaxially grown ultrathin films of LaTiO3 on SrTiO3 shows a large gain upon near‐UV excitation. The gain in conductivity can be turned on or off by the application of a gate voltage of correct polarity. This feature of the 2D gas should allow realization of optoelectronic devices whose functionality can be enhanced by sequential application of an electric field and light.
Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) thin films were electrodeposited on Mo substrates at room temperature by a single-step electrodeposition method. The X-ray diffraction showed that, the as-prepared samples were rich in secondary phases. However, the Raman spectra showed the existence of crystalline CZTS phase. The post-annealing treatment was carried out in the temperature range 400 CÀ600 C in an Ar-atmosphere to improve the CZTS phase composition and crystallinity. The kesterite CZTS phase grew to larger extent upon annealing at 500 C.
Solar energy harvesting through photovoltaic conversion is the most promising technology for renewable energy production. Nanoscience and nanotechnology have enabled the development of hybrid and multifunctional materials for harnessing solar energy. Hybrid nanomaterials consist of more than two nanomaterials to improve the individual performance of the components. In this paper, the authors explain and review two approaches to solar energy harvesting – namely, photovoltaic and photosynthetic. Natural photosynthetic biomaterials such as photosystem I, photosystem II, proteins and bacteria extracted from various leaves, plants or fruits can be used with inorganic nanomaterials to enhance the efficiencies of hybrid solar cells. The authors review biohybrid solar cells based on various natural dyes and nanostructures such as quantum dots, nanotubes, thin films and bulk nanoparticles. Biohybrid nanostructures have the potential to absorb almost 100% light, and hence, they can exhibit an extraordinary efficiency of up to 100%. Artificial photosynthetic systems such as photoelectrochemical cells may be built using biohybrid materials for solar energy conversion at a low cost and in an eco-friendly manner. Biohybrid nanostructured light-harvesting devices are desirable for high efficiency with a wide spectral response. Hybrid solar cells can change the path of next-generation hybrid solar cell technology.
Photoelectrochemical properties have been investigated for flexible photoelectrodes containing 310 nm thick ZnO film on spin-coated ITO/PET. The high crystalline structure of ZnO was studied using x-ray diffraction pattern. A value of 3.4 eV has been estimated for optical band gap from its absorption spectra. The flexible ZnO photoelectrode was demonstrated to generate photoelectrochemical current. The photocurrents are enhanced by 4% whereas flat-band potential is shifted by 8 V due to the illumination. Values of 1.022 and 0.714 AW−1 were found to be for photo switching and photoresponsivity, respectively. ZnO/ITO/PET can be used as a substrate for making flexible hybrid PEC devices to generate solar power and solar fuels.
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