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Enabling Efficient Creation of Long-Lived Charge-Separation on Dye-Sensitized NiO Photocathodes

Journal Article · · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
The hole-injection and recombination photophysics for NiO sensitized with RuP ([RuII(bpy)2(4,4'-(PO3H2)2-bpy)]2+) are explored. Ultrafast transient absorption (TA) measurements performed with an external electrochemical bias reflect the efficiency for productive hole-injection, that is, quenching of the dye excited state that results in a detectable charge-separated electron–hole pair, is linearly dependent on the electronic occupation of intragap states in the NiO film. Population of these states via a negative applied potential increases the efficiency from 0% to 100%. The results indicate the primary loss mechanism for dye-sensitized NiO is rapid nongeminate recombination enabled by the presence of latent holes in the surface of the NiO film. Our results indicate a new design paradigm for NiO photocathodes and devices centered on the avoidance of this recombination pathway.
Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Solar Fuels (UNC EFRC)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001011
OSTI ID:
1469824
Journal Information:
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 32 Vol. 9; ISSN 1944-8244
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (10)

Caesium for Perovskite Solar Cells: An Overview journal June 2018
Bay Annulated Indigo as a New Chromophore for p-type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells journal April 2018
Promising sensitizers for dye sensitized solar cells: A comparison of Ru(II) with other earth's scarce and abundant metal polypyridine complexes journal April 2019
A red to blue series of push–pull dyes for NiO based p-DSSCs journal January 2018
Insights into the mechanism and aging of a noble-metal free H 2 -evolving dye-sensitized photocathode journal January 2018
Photoelectrocatalytic H 2 evolution from integrated photocatalysts adsorbed on NiO journal January 2019
Three applications of ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy of semiconductor thin films: spectroelectrochemistry, microscopy, and identification of thermal contributions journal January 2018
Dye-sensitized photocathodes for oxygen reduction: efficient H 2 O 2 production and aprotic redox reactions journal January 2019
Developing photocathode materials for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells journal January 2019
Insights into the mechanism and aging of a noble-metal free H-2-evolving dye-sensitized photocathode text January 2018

Figures / Tables (10)


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