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Integration of Semiconducting Sulfides for Full‐Spectrum Solar Energy Absorption and Efficient Charge Separation
Author(s) -
Zhuang TaoTao,
Liu Yan,
Li Yi,
Zhao Yuan,
Wu Liang,
Jiang Jun,
Yu ShuHong
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201601865
Subject(s) - ternary operation , heterojunction , zinc sulfide , materials science , absorption (acoustics) , semiconductor , optoelectronics , copper sulfide , solar energy , electron , absorption spectroscopy , nanocrystal , copper , nanotechnology , zinc , optics , physics , ecology , quantum mechanics , computer science , metallurgy , composite material , biology , programming language
The full harvest of solar energy by semiconductors requires a material that simultaneously absorbs across the whole solar spectrum and collects photogenerated electrons and holes separately. The stepwise integration of three semiconducting sulfides, namely ZnS, CdS, and Cu 2− x S, into a single nanocrystal, led to a unique ternary multi‐node sheath ZnS–CdS–Cu 2− x S heteronanorod for full‐spectrum solar energy absorption. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the nonstoichiometric copper sulfide nanostructures enables effective NIR absorption. More significantly, the construction of pn heterojunctions between Cu 2− x S and CdS leads to staggered gaps, as confirmed by first‐principles simulations. This band alignment causes effective electron–hole separation in the ternary system and hence enables efficient solar energy conversion.