Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Scaffolds for Photoelectrochemical Solar Cells. Capture and Transport of Photogenerated Electrons

Anusorn Kongkanand, Rebeca Martínez Domínguez, and Prashant V. Kamat*
Radiation Laboratory, Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-0579
Nano Lett., 2007, 7 (3), pp 676–680
DOI: 10.1021/nl0627238
Publication Date (Web): February 20, 2007
Copyright © 2007 American Chemical Society
*

  Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:  pkamat@nd.edu.

Abstract

Abstract Image

Single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) architecture when employed as conducting scaffolds in a TiO2 semiconductor based photoelectrochemical cell can boost the photoconversion efficiency by a factor of 2. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were dispersed on SWCNT films to improve photoinduced charge separation and transport of carriers to the collecting electrode surface. The shift of 100 mV in apparent Fermi level of the SWCNT−TiO2 system as compared to the unsupported TiO2 system indicates the Fermi level equilibration between the two systems. The interplay between the TiO2 and SWCNT of attaining charge equilibration is an important factor for improving photoelectrochemical performance of nanostructured semiconductor based solar cells. The feasibility of employing a SWCNT−TiO2 composite to drive the water photoelectrolysis reaction has also been explored.

View: Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF

Tools

History

  • Published In Issue March 14, 2007
  • Received November 21, 2006
    Revised Manuscript Received January 22, 2007

Recommend & Share

Related Content

Other ACS content by these authors: