• Rapid Communication in Photoscience
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.79-81
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• 2013

A novel method of fabricating polythiophene-gold nanoparticle composite film electrodes for photoelectric conversion is demonstrated. The method includes electrodeposition of gold and electropolymerization of 2,2'-bithiophene onto an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrode. First, electrodeposition of gold onto the ITO electrode was carried out with various repetition times of pulsed applied potential (0.25 s at -2.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl) in an aqueous solution of $HAuCl_4$. Significant progress of the number density of deposited gold nanoparticles was confirmed from scanning electron micrographs, from 4 (1 time) to 25% (15 times). Next, electropolymerization of 2,2'-bithiophene onto the above ITO electrode was performed under controlled charge condition (+1.4 V vs. Ag wire, 15 $mC/cm^2$). Structural characterization of as-fabricated films were carried out by spectroscopic and electron micrographic methods. Photocurrent responses from the sample film electrodes were investigated in the presence of electron acceptors (methyl viologen and oxygen). Photocurrent intensities increased with increasing the density of deposited gold nanoparticles up to ~10%, and tended to decrease above it. It suggests that the surplus gold nanoparticles exhibit quenching effects rather than enhancement effects based on localized electric fields induced by surface plasmon resonance of the deposited gold nanoparticles.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.193-202
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• 2013

In this article, we present the effects of Ag doping and after-growth thermal annealing on the photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL) behaviors of $SnO_2$ nanoparticles. $SnO_2$ nanoparticles of 4-7 nm size range containing different Ag contents were synthesized by hydrothermal process. It has been observed that the after-growth thermal annealing process enhances the crystallite size and stabilizes the TL emissions of $SnO_2$ nanostructures. Incorporated Ag probably occupies the interstitial sites of the $SnO_2$ lattice, affecting drastically their emission behaviors on thermal annealing. Both the TL response and dose-linearity of the $SnO_2$ nanoparticles improve on 1.0% Ag doping, and subsequent thermal annealing. However, a higher Ag content causes the formation of Ag clusters, reducing both the TL and PL responses of the nanoparticles.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2016

Although the time dependences of the electrocatalytic activities of Pt and Pd nanoparticles during electrochemical operations have been widely studied, the time dependences under nonpolarized conditions have never been investigated in depth. This study reports the changes in the electrocatalytic activities of Pt and Pd nanoparticles with aging in air and in solution. Pt (or Pd) nanoparticle-modified electrodes are obtained by adsorbing citrate-stabilized Pt (or Pd) nanoparticles on amine-modified indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, or by electrodeposition of Pt (or Pd) nanoparticles on ITO electrodes. The electrocatalytic activities of freshly prepared Pt and Pd nanoparticles in the oxygen reduction reaction slowly decrease with aging. The electrocatalytic activities decrease more slowly in solution than in air. An increase in surface contamination may cause electrocatalytic deactivation during aging. The electrocatalytic activities of long-aged Pt (or Pd) nanoparticles are significantly enhanced and recovered by NaBH₄ treatment.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.227-231
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• 2020

Silver nanowire random networks are promising candidates for replacing indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent and conductive electrodes. They can also be used as transparent heating films with self-cleaning and defogging properties. By virtue of the Joule heating effect, silver nanowire random networks can be heated when voltage bias is applied; however, they are unsuitable for long-term use. In this work, we study the Joule heating of silver nanowire random networks embedded in polymers. Silver nanowire random networks embedded in polymers exhibit breakdown under the application of electric current. Their surface morphological changes indicate that nanoparticle formation may be the main cause of this electrical breakdown. Numerical analyses are used to investigate the temperatures of the silver nanowire and substrate.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.67.2-67.2
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• 2012

Graphene is expected to have a significant impact in various fields in the foreseeable future. For example, graphene is considered to be a promising candidate to replace indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent conductive electrodes in optoelectronics applications. We report the tunability of the wavelength of localized surface plasmon resonance by varying the distance between graphene and Au nanoparticles [1]. It is estimated that every nanometer of change in the distance between graphene and the nanoparticles corresponds to a resonance wavelength shift of ~12 nm. The nanoparticle-graphene separation changes the coupling strength of the electromagnetic field of the excited plasmons in the nanoparticles and the antiparallel image dipoles in graphene. We also show a hysteresis in the conductance and capacitance can serve as a platform for graphene memory devices. We report the hysteresis in capacitance-voltage measurements on top gated bilayer graphene which provide a direct experimental evidence of the existence of charge traps as the cause for the hysteresis [2]. By applying a back gate bias to tune the Fermi level, an opposite sequence of switching with the different charge carriers, holes and electrons, is found [3]. The charging and discharging effect is proposed to explain this ambipolar bistable hysteretic switching.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.913-918
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• 2014

Five mol % tungsten-doped tin oxide ($W_{0.05}Sn_{0.95}O_2$, TTO5) was prepared by co-precipitation of $SnCl_4{\cdot}5H_2O$ and $WCl_4$, followed by calcination at $1000^{\circ}C$. The as-prepared TTO5 was in the pure cassiterite phase with a particle size of ~50 nm and optical bandgap of 2.51 eV. Herein it was applied for the formation of TTO5/$TiO_2$ heterojunctions by covering the TTO5 surface with $TiO_2$ by sol-gel method. Under visible-light irradiation (${\lambda}{\geq}420$ nm), TTO5/$TiO_2$ showed a significantly high photocatalytic activity in removing gaseous 2-propanol (IP) and evolving $CO_2$. It is deduced that its high visible-light activity is caused by inter-semiconductor holetransfer between the valence band (VB) of TTO5 and $TiO_2$, since the TTO5 nanoparticle (NP) exhibits the absorption edge at ~450 nm and its VB level is located more positive side than that of $TiO_2$. The evidence for the hole-transport mechanism between TTO5 and $TiO_2$ was also investigated by monitoring the holescavenging reaction with 1,4-terephthalic acid (TA).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.2895-2900
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• 2014

We fabricated quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) using cadmium sulfide (CdS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) as sensitizers. A spin coated $TiO_2$ nanoparticle (NP) film on tin-doped indium oxide glass and sputtered Au on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass were used as photo-anode and counter electrode, respectively. CdS QDs were deposited onto the mesoporous $TiO_2$ layer by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. Pre-synthesized CdTe QDs were deposited onto a layer of CdS QDs using a direct adsorption technique. CdS/CdTe QDSSCs had high light harvesting ability compared with CdS or CdTe QDSSCs. QDSSCs incorporating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), sprayed onto the substrate before deposition of the next layer or mixed with $TiO_2$ NPs, mostly exhibited enhanced photo cell efficiency compared with the pristine cell. In particular, a maximum rate increase of 24% was obtained with the solar cell containing a $TiO_2$ layer mixed with SWNTs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.388-388
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• 2011

Graphene, with its unique physical and structural properties, has recently become a proving ground for various physical phenomena, and is a promising candidate for a variety of electronic device and flexible display applications. The physical properties of graphene depend directly on the thickness. These properties lead to the possibility of its application in high-performance transparent conducting films (TCFs). Compared to indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, which have a typical sheet resistance of ~60 ${\Omega}/sq$ and ~85% transmittance in the visible range, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesized graphene electrodes have a higher transmittance in the visible to IR region and are more robust under bending. Nevertheless, the lowest sheet resistance of the currently available CVD graphene electrodes is higher than that of ITO. Here, we report an ingenious strategy, irradiation of MeV electron beam (e-beam) at room temperature under ambient condition,for obtaining size-homogeneous gold nanoparticle decorated on graphene. The nano-particlization promoted by MeV e-beam irradiation was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy elemental mapping, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These results clearly revealed that gold nanoparticle with 10~15 nm in mean size were decorated along the surface of the graphene after 1.0 MeV-e-beam irradiation. The fabrication high-performance TCF with optimized doping condition showed a sheet resistance of ~150 ${\Omega}/sq$ at 94% transmittance. A chemical transformation and charge transfer for the metal gold nanoparticle were systematically explored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. This approach advances the numerous applications of graphene films as transparent conducting electrodes.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.362-366
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• 2014

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were synthesized using a $0.25cm^2$ area of a $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layer as the electrode and platinum (Pt) as the counter electrode. The $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layers (12 to 22 ${\mu}m$) were screen-printed on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass. Glancing angle X-ray diffraction results indicated that the $TiO_2$ layer is composed of pure anatase with no traces of rutile $TiO_2$. The Pt counter electrode and the ruthenium dye anchored $TiO_2$ electrode were then assembled. The best photovoltaic performance of DSSC, which consists of a $18{\mu}m$ thick $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layer, was observed at a short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) of $14.68mA{\cdot}cm^{-2}$, an open circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) of 0.72V, a fill factor (FF) of 63.0%, and an energy conversion efficiency (${\eta}$) of 6.65%. It can be concluded that the electrode thickness is attributed to the energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.51.3-51.3
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• 2010

Due to the recent public awareness of global warming and sustainable economic growth, there has been a growing interest in alternative clean energy sources. Hydrogen is considered as a clean fuel for the next generation. One of the technical challenges related to the use of hydrogen is safe monitoring of the hydrogen leak during separation, purification and transportation. For detecting various gases, chemiresistor-type gas sensors have been widely studied and used due to their well-established detection scheme and low cost. However, it is known that many of them have the limited sensitivity and slow response time, when used at low temperature conditions. In our work, a sensor based on Schottky barriers at the electrode/sensing material interface showed promising results that can be utilized for developing fast and highly sensitive gas sensors. Our hydrogen sensor was designed and fabricated based on indium oxide (In2O3)-doped tin oxide (SnO2) semiconductor nanoparticles with platinum (Pt) nanoclusters in combination with interdigitated electrodes. The sensor showed the sensitivity as high as $10^7%$ (Rair/Rgas) and the detection limit as low as 30 ppm. The sensor characteristics could be obtained via optimized materials synthesis route and sensor electrode design. Not only the contribution of electrical resistance from the film itself but also the interfacial effect was identified as an important factor that contribute significantly to the overall sensor characteristics. This promises the applicability of the developed sensor for monitoring hydrogen leak at room temperature.