• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.52-57
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• 2016

Nanoporous-layer-covered TiO₂ nanotube arrays (Type II TNTs) were fabricated by two-step electrochemical anodization. For comparison, conventional TiO₂ nanotube arrays (Type I TNTs) were also prepared by one-step electrochemical anodization. Types I and II TNTs were detached by selective etching and then transferred successfully to a transparent F-doped SnO₂ (FTO) substrate by a sol-gel process. Both FTO/Types I and II TNTs allowed front side illumination to exhibit incident photon-to-current efficiencies (IPCEs) in the long wavelength region of 300 to 750 nm without the absorption of light by the iodine-containing electrolyte. The Type II TNT exhibited longer electron lifetime and faster charge transfer than the Type I TNT because of its relatively fewer defect states. These beneficial effects lead to a high overall energy conversion efficiency (5.32 %) of the resulting dye-sensitized solar cell.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.299-305
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• 2003

Physical properties and microstructure of new coumarin 4 doped $SiO_2$-PDMS ORMOSILs, synthesized by one-step (OS, acid-catalysis) and two-step (TS, acid-base catalysis) routes of sol-gel method with varying pH (0.6 to 7) and dye content $(5\;{times}\;10^{-4}\;to\;5{\times}\;10^{-2}\;mole)$, are reported. BET, UV-visible spectroscopy and SEM were used for characterizations. The increase in acid or base concentration increased the size of pores and aggregated silica particles. The samples with pH ≤ 2.5 were transparent and attributed to the small size of pores (~20 Å) and silica particles. The samples with pH > 2.5 were translucent or opaque due to non-uniform pore system formed by voids and large aggregated silica particles. The surface area was found a key factor controlling the interactions between the gel matrix and the dye. The OS samples with the highest dye concentration exhibited the minimal values of pore size, surface area and silica particle size, resulting in the concentration-quenching phenomenon.

• 공업화학
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.400-405
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• 2015

Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)를 전구체로서 이용하여 제조된 기존의 반사방지(AR; anti-reflective) 코팅막은 대부분 수분을 쉽게 흡수할 뿐만 아니라 낮은 내마모성을 갖는다. 본 연구에서는 AR 코팅막의 투과율, 소수성 및 내마모성을 향상할 목적으로 전구체로서 methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS)를 사용하고 불소 실란, 산 촉매, 염기 촉매 및 산-염기 2단계 촉매를 첨가하여 다양한 AR 코팅막을 제조하였다. 제조된 AR 코팅막은 UV-Vis, 접촉각 측정기, AFM, 연필경도 및 부착성 시험을 통해 특성을 분석하였다. 그 결과, 경화온도가 $300^{\circ}C$일 때 코팅되지 않은 유리 기판의 투과율은 90.5%인 반면, AR 코팅된 유리 기판의 투과율은 94.8%로 증가하였다. 불소 실란을 첨가한 경우, 소수성이 크게 향상되었음을 나타내듯이 AR 코팅막 표면에서의 접촉각은 $96.3^{\circ}$에서 $108^{\circ}$까지 증가하였다. AR 코팅막의 내마모성은 산 촉매에 의해 향상되었으며, 그것의 투과율은 염기 촉매에 의해 증가하였다. 산-염기 2단계 촉매 반응에 의해 제조한 AR 코팅막의 경우, 상승 효과에 의해 촉매의 도입 없이 제조된 AR 코팅막과 비교하여 투과율 및 내마모성이 향상되었다.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2014년도 제46회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.466.2-466.2
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• 2014

The Quantum dot (QD) solar cells have been under active research due to their high light harvesting efficiencies and low fabrication cost. In spite of these advantages, there have been some problems on the charge collection due to the limitation of the diffusion length. The modification of advanced nanostructure is capable of solving the charge collection problem by increasing diffusion length of electron. One dimensional nanomaterials such as nanorods, nanowires, and nanotubes may enhance charge collection efficiency in QD solar cells. In this study, we synthesized $TiO_2$ anatase nanorod arrays with length of 200 nm by two-step sol-gel method. The morphology and crystal structure for the nanorod were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The anatase nanorods are single-crystalline and possess preferred orientation along with (001) direction. The photovoltaic properties for the heterojunction structure QD solar cells based on the anatase nanorod were also characterized. Compared with conventional $TiO_2$ nanoparticle based QD solar cells, these nanostructure solar cells exhibited better charge collection properties due to long life time measured by transient open circuit studies. Our findings demonstrate that the single crystalline anatase nanorod arrays are promising charge transport semiconductors for heterojunction QD solar cells.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.246-251
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• 2010

The composite photocatalysts of a Fe-modified carbon nanotube (CNT)-$TiO_2$ were synthesized by a two-step sol-gel method at high temperature. Its chemical composition and surface properties were investigated by BET surface area, scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The results showed that the BET surface area was improved by modification of Fe, which was related to the adsorption capacity for each composite. Interesting thin layer aggregates of nanosized $TiO_2$ were observed from TEM images, probably stabilized by the presence of CNT, and the surface and structural characterization of the samples was carried out. The XRD results showed that the Fe/CNT-$TiO_2$ composites contained a mix of anatase and rutile forms of $TiO_2$ particles when the precursor is $TiOSO_4{\cdot}xH_2O$ (TOS). An excellent photocatalytic activity of Fe/CNT-$TiO_2$ was obtained for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. It was considered that Fe cation could be doped into the matrix of $TiO_2$, which could hinder the recombination rate of the excited electrons/holes. The photocatalytic activity of the composites was also found to depend on the presence of CNT. The synergistic effects among the Fe, CNT and $TiO_2$ components were responsible for improving the visible light photocatalytic activity.

• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2011년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.8.1-8.1
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• 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.

• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2012년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.65-65
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• 2012

Copper zinc tin sulfide ($Cu_2ZnSnS_4$, CZTS) is a very promising material as a low cost absorber alternative to other chalcopyrite-type semiconductors based on Ga or In because of the abundant and economical elements. In addition, CZTS has a band-gap energy of 1.4~1.5eV and large absorption coefficient over ${\sim}10^4cm^{-1}$, which is similar to those of $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$(CIGS) regarded as one of the most successful absorber materials for high efficient solar cell. Most previous works on the fabrication of CZTS thin films were based on the vacuum deposition such as thermal evaporation and RF magnetron sputtering. Although the vacuum deposition has been widely adopted, it is quite expensive and complicated. In this regard, the solution processes such as sol-gel method, nanocrystal dispersion and hybrid slurry method have been developed for easy and cost-effective fabrication of CZTS film. Among these methods, the hybrid slurry method is favorable to make high crystalline and dense absorber layer. However, this method has the demerit using the toxic and explosive hydrazine solvent, which has severe limitation for common use. With these considerations, it is highly desirable to develop a robust, easily scalable and relatively safe solution-based process for the fabrication of a high quality CZTS absorber layer. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of a high quality CZTS absorber layer with a thickness of 1.5~2.0 ${\mu}m$ and micrometer-scaled grains using two different non-vacuum approaches. The first solution-processing approach includes air-stable non-toxic solvent-based inks in which the commercially available precursor nanoparticles are dispersed in ethanol. Our readily achievable air-stable precursor ink, without the involvement of complex particle synthesis, high toxic solvents, or organic additives, facilitates a convenient method to fabricate a high quality CZTS absorber layer with uniform surface composition and across the film depth when annealed at $530^{\circ}C$. The conversion efficiency and fill factor for the non-toxic ink based solar cells are 5.14% and 52.8%, respectively. The other method is based on the nanocrystal dispersions that are a key ingredient in the deposition of thermally annealed absorber layers. We report a facile synthetic method to produce phase-pure CZTS nanocrystals capped with less toxic and more easily removable ligands. The resulting CZTS nanoparticle dispersion enables us to fabricate uniform, crack-free absorber layer onto Mo-coated soda-lime glass at $500^{\circ}C$, which exhibits a robust and reproducible photovoltaic response. Our simple and less-toxic approach for the fabrication of CZTS layer, reported here, will be the first step in realizing the low-cost solution-processed CZTS solar cell with high efficiency.