Quantum-sized effects in oxidized silicon structures with surface II-VI nanocrystals

The Si-SiO₂ interface in oxidized macroporous silicon structures with surface CdS and ZnO nanocrystals was investigated using the methods of electroreflectance and photoconductivity. The Franz-Keldysh effect, built-in electric field and surface quantization of charge carriers in the Si-SiO₂ region were revealed. The splitting of photoconductivity peaks was detected in the area of indirect band-to-band transition due to quantization of charge carriers in the surface silicon region, too. The latter data correlate with the results of the electroreflectance spectra measurements in the area of direct interband transition of oxidized macroporous silicon structures with surface CdS and ZnO nanocrystals

Band-gap and sub-band-gap photoelectrochemical processes at nanocrystalline CdS grown on ZnO by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method

Cadmium sulfide nanoparticle (NP) deposition by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method on the surface of mesoporous ZnO micro-platelets with a large specific surface area (110 ± 10 m2g− 1) results in the formation of ZnO/CdS heterostructures exhibiting a high incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (Y) not only within the region of CdS fundamental absorption (Ymax = 90%; 0.1 M Na2S + 0.1 M Na2SO3), but also in the sub-band-gap (SBG) range (Ymax = 25%). The onset potentials of SBG photoelectrochemical processes are more positive than the band-gap (BG) onset potential by up to 100 mV. A maximum incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency value for SBG processes is observed at larger amount of deposited CdS in comparison with the case of BG ones. The Urbach energy (EU) of CdS NPs determined from the photocurrent spectra reaches a maximal value on an early deposition stage (EU = 93 mV at SILAR cycle number N = 5), then lowers somewhat (EU = 73 mV at N = 10) and remains steady in the range of N from 20 to 300 (EU = 67 ± 1 mV). High efficiency of the photoelectrochemical SBG processes are interpreted in terms of light scattering in the ZnO/CdS heterostructures

Effect of [OH-] linkages on luminescent properties of ZnO nanoparticles

Optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles prepared from a simple chemical method using sodium zincate bath show strong white light emission. X-ray absorption fine structure studies reveal a completely different local environment around Zn in these ZnO nanoparticles. The observed luminescence properties and local structural changes have been explained on the basis of a linkage between Zn and OH- ions in the surface layers of ZnO nanoparticles.Comment: J. Phys. Chem. C. (2011) (in print

Composition-Dependent Optical Band Bowing, Vibrational and Photochemical Behavior of Aqueous Glutathione-Capped (Cu, Ag)InS Quantum Dots

A mild aqueous synthesis of colloidal 2-4 nm (Cu,Ag)-In-S (CAIS) quantum dots (QDs) stabilized by surface metal complexes with glutathione was introduced. Linear variations of the interplanar distances as well as of the characteristic Ag(Cu)-S-related Raman vibrational frequencies of CAIS QDs with increasing copper content show such QDs to be solid solutions rather than a mixture of AIS and CIS phases. At the same time, the band gaps and the energies of photoluminescence (PL) band maxima of CAIS QDs show non-monotonous changes decreasing from AIS to CAIS QDs (50 molar% Cu) and then increasing back for Cu-richer CAIS compositions and pure CIS. This behavior was interpreted as a result of the band bowing phenomenon. The bowing parameters of CAIS QDs determined from both absorption spectra (1.10 eV) and PL spectra (0.38 eV) are close to the range typically reported for ternary bulk MI-MIII-S compounds with the MI sites occupied by a mixture of copper and silver cations. The PL intensity of CAIS QDs was found to decrease during PL registration due to the photochemical decomposition of QDs, the efficiency of this process increasing with increasing copper content. A similar trend was found in the photocatalytic reduction of methylviologen cations by hydrosulfide anions in the presence of CAIS. The initial rate of this reaction increased monotonously from AIS to CAIS to CIS QDs, with the activity of the CAIS QDs (50 molar% Cu) and pure CIS QDs being respectively 1.5 and 2.7 times higher than the photoactivity of pure AIS QDs. This trend is compliant with a strong decrease in the PL emission efficiency observed from AIS to CAIS to CIS QDs. Similar optical and photochemical properties were revealed for core/shell CAIS/ZnS QDs. The band-bowing effect and photochemical activity of mixed CAIS (CAIS/ZnS) QDs open good perspectives for light-conversion applications in the photon energy range down to 1.8 eV

Photoluminescence and structural properties of CdSe quantum dot-gelatin composite films

a b s t r a c t Optical and structural properties of composite films of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) embedded in gelatin matrix have been investigated by photoluminescence (PL), optical absorption and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. The optical absorption of the composite in the visible spectral range is found to be determined mainly by light absorption in the QDs. The decrease of the film transparency and the shift of the absorption edge to lower energies observed upon thermal annealing of the films at 140-160 1C are ascribed to the formation of chromophore groups in gelatin matrix. XRD patterns of the composite revealed helix to coil transition in gelatin matrix under thermal annealing of the composite at 100-160 1C. It is found that PL spectra of the composite are dominated by exciton and defect-related emission of the QDs and also contain weak emission of gelatin matrix. It is found that thermal annealing of the composite at 100-160 1C changes PL intensity and produces the shift of the PL bands to lower energies. As the annealed composite was kept in air for several months, the shift of exciton-related PL band position restored partially and the PL intensity increased. It is proposed that the increase of the PL intensity upon the thermal annealing of composite at 140 1C can be used for enhancement of the QDrelated PL. Changes that occurred in the PL spectra of composite are ascribed to structural and chemical transformations in gelatin matrix and at the QD/gelatin interface

Mercury-indium-sulfide nanocrystals: A new member of the family of ternary in based chalcogenides

A general synthesis approach of aqueous glutathione-capped ternary Ag-In-S, Cu-In-S, and Hg-In-Snanocrystals (NCs) is introduced allowing the NC composition to be varied in a broad range. TernaryHg-In-S (HIS) NCs are reported for the first time and found to have the same tetragonal chalcopyritemotif as Cu-In-S and Ag-In-S NCs, corroborated by phonon spectra, while X-ray photoelectronspectroscopic data indicate mercury to be present as Hg+ in the Hg-In-S NCs. Colloidal HIS and Hg-InS/ZnS NCs showed little or no variations of the spectral width of the photoluminescence band uponNC size selection, temperature variation in a broad range of 10-350 K, deposition of a ZnS shell, or apost-synthesis annealing. All these observations are similar to those reported earlier for Ag-In-S andAg-In-S/ZnS NCs and allowed us to assume a general photoluminescence mechanism for all threeternary compounds, based on the model of radiative self-trapped exciton recombination