• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2016.02a
• /
• pp.401-401
• /
• 2016

Although vertically aligned one-dimensional (1D) structure has been considered as efficient forms for photoelectrode, development of efficient 1D nanostructured photocathode are still required. In this sense, we recently demonstrated a simple fabrication route for CuInS2 (CIS) nanorod arrays from aqueous solution by template-assisted growth-and-transfer method and their feasibility as a photoelectrode for water splitting. In this study, we further evaluated the photoelectrochemical properties surface-modified CIS nanorod arrays. Surface modification with CdS and ZnS was performed by successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method, which is well known as suitable technique for conformal coating throughout nanoporous structure. With surface modification of CdS and ZnS, both photoelectrochemical performance and stability of CuInS2 nanorod arrays were improved by shifting of the flat-band potential, which was analyzed both onset potential and Mott-schottky plot.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2009.06a
• /
• pp.243-244
• /
• 2009

The $TiO_2$ nanofiber doped $TiO_2$ electrode area applied to dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs). The mixtures of $TiO_2$ nanofiber to $TiO_2$ photoelectrode has larger surface area than $TiO_2$ photoelectrode. In this research added 2.5, 5 and 10wt% $TiO_2$ nanofibers and the optimum condition of 5 wt% $TiO_2$ nanofiber's high surface area contributing the improvement of short-circuit photocurrent. The open-circuit voltage was 0.7V and solar energy conversion efficiency was 5.4%.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.33 no.12
• /
• pp.4063-4068
• /
• 2012

Oxide substrates in semiconductor-sensitized solar cells (SSSCs) have a great impact on their performance. $TiO_2$ has long been utilized as an oxide substrate, and other alternatives such as ZnO and $SnO_2$ have also been explored due to their superior physical properties over $TiO_2$. In the development of high-performance SSSCs, it is of significant importance to understand the effect of oxides on the electron injection and charge recombination as these two are major factors in dictating solar cell performance. In addition, elucidating the relationship between these two critical processes and solar cell performance in each oxide is critical in building up the basic foundation of SSSCs. In this study, ultrafast pump-probe laser spectroscopy and open-circuit decay analysis were conducted to examine the characteristics of three representative oxides ($TiO_2$, ZnO, and $SnO_2$) in terms of electron injection kinetics and charge recombination, and the implication of results is discussed.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
• /
• 1993.05a
• /
• pp.76-78
• /
• 1993

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2015.08a
• /
• pp.243.1-243.1
• /
• 2015

To replace the based on silicon solar cells, the third generation solar cells, Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), is low fabrication than silicon solar cells, environmentally friendly and can be applied to various field. For this reason, the DSSCs have been continuously researched. But DSSCs have one drawback that is the low power conversion efficiency (PCE) than silicon solar cells. To solve the problem, we used the backr-eflector the Al foil that can be easily obtained from the surrounding in order to improve the efficiency of the DSSCs. Easily detachable Al foil back-reflector increases the photocurrent by enhancing the harvesting light because the discarded light is reused. It also leads to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE). In addition, we compared with the efficiency of the DSSCs that is applied and does not be applied with back-reflector according to the thickness of the TiO2 photoelectrode. When the back-reflector is applied to DSSCs, the photocurrent is increased. It leads to affect the efficiency. We used to solar simulator and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) to confirm the PCE and resistance. The DSSCs were also measured by External Quantum effect (EQE). At the same time, FE-SEM and XRD were used to confirm the thickness of layer and crystal structural of photoelectrode.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.94-98
• /
• 2011

A Sn-doped $In_2O_3$ (ITO) nanowire photoelectrode was produced using a simple metal evaporation method at low synthesis temperature (< $540^{\circ}C$). The nanowire electrodes have large surface area compared with that of flat ITO thin film, and show low electrical resistivity of $5.6{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}cm$ at room temperature. In order to apply ITO nanowires to the photoelectrodes of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), those surfaces were modified by $TiO_2$ nanoparticles using a chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The conversion efficiency of the fabricated $TiO_2$/ITO nanostructure-based DSSC was obtained at 1.4%, which was increased value by a factor of 6 than one without ITO nanowires photoelectrode. This result is attributed to the large surface area and superior electrical property of the ITO nanowires photoelectrode, as well as the structural advantages, including short diffusion length of photo-induced electrons, of the fabricated $TiO_2$/ITO nanostructure-based DSSC.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.418-424
• /
• 2019

In this study, $TiO_2$ nanotubes with different morphologies were prepared in the electrolyte consisting of ethylene glycol, ammonium fluoride($NH_4F$), and deionized water($H_2O$) by controlling the voltage and time in the anodization method. Thicknesses and pore sizes of these $TiO_2$ nanotubes were measured to interpret the relationship between anodization conditions and $TiO_2$ nanotube morphologies. Element contents in the $TiO_2$ nanotubes were detected for further analysis of $TiO_2$ nanotube characteristics. Photoelectrolyticdecolorization efficiencies of the $TiO_2$ nanotube plates with various morphologies were tested to clarify the morphology that a highly active $TiO_2$ nanotube plate should have. Influences of applied voltage in photoelectrolysis processes and sodium sulfate($Na_2SO_4$) concentration in wastewater on the decolorization efficiency were also studied. To save the equipment investment cost in photoelectrolysis methods, a two-photoelectrode system that uses the $TiO_2$ nanotube plates as photoanode and photocathode instead of adding other counter electrodes was studied. Compared with single-photoelectrode system that uses the $TiO_2$ nanotube plate as photoanode and titanium plate as cathode on the view of the treatment of dye wastewater containing different amounts of salt. As a result, a considerably suitable voltage was strictly needed for enhancing the photoelectrolyticdecolorization effect of the two-photoelectrode system but if salts exist in wastewater, an excellent increase in the decolorization efficiency can be obtained.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.461-466
• /
• 2011

In this study, the fluorine doped $TiO_2$ was prepared as a photoelectrode in order to improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells and estimated the electrochemical characterizations. The energy conversion efficiency of the prepared dye-sensitized solar cells using fluorine doped $TiO_2$ was calculated from a current-voltage curve. The efficiency of prepared dye-sensitized solar cells was improved by about maximum three times by F-doping on $TiO_2$. It was suggested that the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells was improved by hybrid semiconductors of $TiO_2/TiOF_2$ in photoelectrode based on reduced $TiOF_2$ energy level via fluorine doping. It can be confirmed that the electron transport was faster but the electron recombination was slower by doping fluorine on $TiO_2$ in photoelectrode through intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy and intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2016.02a
• /
• pp.417-417
• /
• 2016

Global environmental deterioration has become more serious year by year and thus scientific interests in the renewable energy as environmental technology and replacement of fossil fuels have grown exponentially. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell consisting of semiconductor photoelectrodes that can harvest light and use this energy directly to split water, also known as photoelectrolysis or solar water splitting, is a promising renewable energy technology to produce hydrogen for uses in the future hydrogen economy. A major advantage of PEC systems is that they involve relatively simple processes steps as compared to many other H2 production systems. Until now, a number of materials including TiO2, WO3, Fe2O3, and BiVO4 were exploited as the photoelectrode. However, the PEC performance of these single absorber materials is limited due to their large charge recombinations in bulk, interface and surface, leading low charge separation/transport efficiencies. Recently, coupling of two materials, e.g., BiVO4/WO3, Fe2O3/WO3 and CuWO4/WO3, to form a type II heterojunction has been demonstrated to be a viable means to improve the PEC performance by enhancing the charge separation and transport efficiencies. In this study, we have prepared a triple-layer heterojunction BiVO4/WO3/SnO2 photoelectrode that shows a comparable PEC performance with previously reported best-performing nanostructured BiVO4/WO3 heterojunction photoelectrode via a facile solution method. Interestingly, we found that the incorporation of SnO2 nanoparticles layer in between WO3 and FTO largely promotes electron transport and thus minimizes interfacial recombination. The impact of the SnO2 interfacial layer was investigated in detail by TEM, hall measurement and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. In addition, our planar-structured triple-layer photoelectrode shows a relatively high transmittance due to its low thickness (~300 nm), which benefits to couple with a solar cell to form a tandem PEC device. The overall PEC performance, especially the photocurrent onset potential (Vonset), were further improved by a reactive-ion etching (RIE) surface etching and electrocatalyst (CoOx) deposition.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2011.05a
• /
• pp.8.1-8.1
• /
• 2011

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) materials have been widely used as an electron collector in DSSC. This is required to have an extremely high porosity and surface area such that the dye can be sufficiently adsorbed and be electronically interconnected, resulting in the generation of a high photocurrent within cells. In particular, their geometrical structures and crystalline phase have been extensively investigated as important issues in improving its photovoltaic efficiency. In this study, we present a new strategy to fabricate a photoelectrode having a periodic structured $TiO_2$ film templated from 1D or 3D polystyrene (PS) microspheres array. Monodisperse PS spheres of various radiuses were used for colloidal array on FTO glasses and two types of photoelectrode structures with different $TiO_2$ materials were investigated respectively. One is the igloo-shaped electrode prepared by $TiO_2$ deposition by RF-sputtering onto 2D microsphere-templated substrates. At the interface between the film and substrate, there are voids formed by the decomposition of PS microspheres during the calcination step. These holes might be expected to play the predominant roles as scattering spherical voids to promote a light harvesting effect, a spacious structure for electrolytes with higher viscosity and effective paths for electron transfer. Additionally the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ phase prepared by the RF-sputtering method was previously reported to improve the electron drift mobility within $TiO_2$ electrodes. This yields solar cells with a cell efficiency of 2.45% or more at AM 1.5 illumination, which is a very remarkable result, considering its $TiO_2$ electrode thickness (<2 ${\mu}m$). This study can be expanded to obtain higher cell efficiency by higher dye loading through the increase of surface area or multi-layered stacking. The other is the inverse opal photonic crystal electrode prepared by titania particles infusion within 3D colloidal arrays. To obtain the enlargement of ordered area and high quality of crystallinity, the synthesis of titania particles coated with a organic thin layer were applied instead of sol-gel process using the $TiO_2$ precursors. They were dispersed so well in most solvents without aggregates and infused successfully within colloidal array structures. This ordered mesoporous structure provides the large surface area leading to the enough adsorption of dye molecules and have an light harvesting effect due to the photonic band gap properties (back-and-forth reflection effects within structures). A major advantage of this colloidal array template method is that the pore size and its distribution within $TiO_2$ photoelectrodes are determined by those of latex beads, which can be controlled easily. These materials may have promising potentials for future applications of membrane, sensor and so on as well as solar cells.