Preparation and Photoelectrochemical Properties of CdSe/TiO₂ Hybrid Mesoporous Structures

We report on the design and synthesis of a novel CdSe/TiO₂ hybrid mesoporous structure and its implementation as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) application. The CdSe/TiO₂ hybrid mesoporous structure was produced by assembling CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and TiO₂ nanocrystals into CdSe/TiO₂ hybrid colloidal spheres, followed by calcination to remove the capping ligands between CdSe and TiO₂. Compared to the system involving CdSe QDs directly linked to TiO₂ through molecular linkers, this CdSe/TiO₂ hybrid mesoporous structure affords the advantage of better interfacial coupling between CdSe and TiO₂ due to closer contact. As a result, the CdSe/TiO₂ hybrid mesoporous structure exhibits significantly improved photoresponse as a photoanode, as demonstrated successfully in comparative PEC studies. This study illustrates the importance of fundamental structural control in influencing PEC properties of hybrid assembled nanostructures