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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 international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201601865
Subject(s) - ternary operation , materials science , heterojunction , zinc sulfide , absorption (acoustics) , optoelectronics , semiconductor , copper sulfide , absorption spectroscopy , electron , solar energy , copper , 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.