Solution Fabrication and Photoelectrical Properties of CuInS₂ Nanocrystals on TiO₂ Nanorod Array

Abstract

One-dimensional semiconductor architectures are receiving attention in preparing photovoltaic solar cells because of its superior charge transport as well as excellent light-harvesting efficiency. In this study, vertically aligned single-crystalline TiO(2) nanorods array was grown directly on transparent conductive glass (FTO), and then CuInS(2) nanocrystals were deposited on nanorods array by spin coating method to form TiO(2)/CuInS(2) heterostructure films. The resulting nanostructure assembly and composition was confirmed by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) , transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and X-ray diffraction(XRD). Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis) data indicates that the absorbance of the nanocomposite film extended into the visible region compared with bare TiO(2) nanorod arrays. The surface photovoltage spectra (SPS) also showed a new and enhanced response region corresponding to the absorption spectrum. These results suggest that the novel CuInS(2) nanocrystals sensitized TiO(2) nanorod array on FTO photoelectrodes has a potential application in photovoltaic devices.

Electrodeposited ZnIn2S4 onto TiO2 thin films for semiconductor-sensitized photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications

“…Therefore to enlarge the photoresponse spectrum, considerable efforts have been made, such as doping with transition and/or noble metals [7,8], non-metals [9,10], deposition in quantum dots [11] and construction of heterojunctions with other semiconductors [12][13][14][15][16].…”

“…A possible explanation is as follows. TiO 2 has no photocatalytic activity in the visible region of λ >420 nm due to its wide band gap (3.6 eV)[15,35]. The ZnIn 2 S 4 with a narrower band gap (2.4eV) allows the photodegradation of methylene blue in visible light region[32].…”

AACVD of Cu2−xS, In2S3 and CuInS2 thin films from [Cu(iBu2PS2)(PPh3)2] and [In(iBu2PS2)3] as single source precursors

“…24 A variety of wet and dry methods have been used for deposition of metal sulfide thin films. These methods include chemical bath deposition, 25 spin coating, 26 chemical spray pyrolysis, 27 successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), 28 physical vapor deposition (PVD), 29 atomic layer deposition (ALD), 30 modulated flux deposition, 31 electrodeposition 32 and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) 33 including aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). 34 It has been found that the thin films deposited by different techniques have different phase structure and degree of crystallinity, thus showing variable electrical as well as optoelectronic properties.…”

In-situ growth of Cu2ZnSnS4 nanosheets on TiO2 nanowires for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

“…One of the most effective approach is to deposit narrow bandgap semiconductors such as CdS [16][17] , CdSe [18][19] and CuInS 2 [20][21] . However, those semiconductors include toxic or rare elements (Cd, In and Se), which limit the large scale applications.…”