Probing interfacial energetics and charge transfer kinetics in semiconductor nanocomposites: New insights into heterostructured TiO2/BiVO4 photoanodes
Abstract
Heterostructured nanocomposites offer promise for creating systems exhibiting functional properties that exceed those of the isolated components. For solar energy conversion, such combinations of semiconducting nanomaterials can be used to direct charge transfer along pathways that reduce recombination and promote efficient charge extraction. However, interfacial energetics and associated kinetic pathways often differ significantly from predictions derived from the characteristics of pure component materials, particularly at the nanoscale. Here, the emergent properties of TiO2/BiVO4 nanocomposite photoanodes are explored using a combination of X-ray and optical spectroscopies, together with photoelectrochemical (PEC) characterization. Application of these methods to both the pure components and the fully assembled nanocomposites reveals unpredicted interfacial energetic alignment, which promotes ultrafast injection of electrons from BiVO4 into TiO2. Physical charge separation yields extremely long-lived photoexcited states and correspondingly enhanced photoelectrochemical functionality. This work highlights the importance of probing emergent interfacial energetic alignment and kinetic processes for understanding mechanisms of solar energy conversion in complex nanocomposites.
- Authors:
-
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Sion (Switzerland)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1379785
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1398673
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231; SC0004993; 701745
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nano Energy
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 34; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 2211-2855
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Nanocomposites; Photoelectrochemistry; Interfacial energetics; Photocarrier dynamics; Metal oxides
Citation Formats
Hess, Lucas H., Cooper, Jason K., Loiudice, Anna, Jiang, Chang -Ming, Buonsanti, Raffaella, and Sharp, Ian D. Probing interfacial energetics and charge transfer kinetics in semiconductor nanocomposites: New insights into heterostructured TiO2/BiVO4 photoanodes. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.02.051.
Hess, Lucas H., Cooper, Jason K., Loiudice, Anna, Jiang, Chang -Ming, Buonsanti, Raffaella, & Sharp, Ian D. Probing interfacial energetics and charge transfer kinetics in semiconductor nanocomposites: New insights into heterostructured TiO2/BiVO4 photoanodes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.02.051
Hess, Lucas H., Cooper, Jason K., Loiudice, Anna, Jiang, Chang -Ming, Buonsanti, Raffaella, and Sharp, Ian D. Tue .
"Probing interfacial energetics and charge transfer kinetics in semiconductor nanocomposites: New insights into heterostructured TiO2/BiVO4 photoanodes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.02.051. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1379785.
@article{osti_1379785,
title = {Probing interfacial energetics and charge transfer kinetics in semiconductor nanocomposites: New insights into heterostructured TiO2/BiVO4 photoanodes},
author = {Hess, Lucas H. and Cooper, Jason K. and Loiudice, Anna and Jiang, Chang -Ming and Buonsanti, Raffaella and Sharp, Ian D.},
abstractNote = {Heterostructured nanocomposites offer promise for creating systems exhibiting functional properties that exceed those of the isolated components. For solar energy conversion, such combinations of semiconducting nanomaterials can be used to direct charge transfer along pathways that reduce recombination and promote efficient charge extraction. However, interfacial energetics and associated kinetic pathways often differ significantly from predictions derived from the characteristics of pure component materials, particularly at the nanoscale. Here, the emergent properties of TiO2/BiVO4 nanocomposite photoanodes are explored using a combination of X-ray and optical spectroscopies, together with photoelectrochemical (PEC) characterization. Application of these methods to both the pure components and the fully assembled nanocomposites reveals unpredicted interfacial energetic alignment, which promotes ultrafast injection of electrons from BiVO4 into TiO2. Physical charge separation yields extremely long-lived photoexcited states and correspondingly enhanced photoelectrochemical functionality. This work highlights the importance of probing emergent interfacial energetic alignment and kinetic processes for understanding mechanisms of solar energy conversion in complex nanocomposites.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.02.051},
journal = {Nano Energy},
number = C,
volume = 34,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
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