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Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots Incorporated into Dye‐Sensitized TiO 2 Photoanodes with Dual Contributions
Author(s) -
Shi Yan,
Na Yong,
Su Ting,
Li Liang,
Yu Jia,
Fan Ruiqing,
Yang Yulin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201600067
Subject(s) - photocurrent , materials science , energy conversion efficiency , optoelectronics , photoluminescence , dye sensitized solar cell , fluorescence , quantum dot , quantum efficiency , electrode , photochemistry , spectroscopy , chemistry , optics , electrolyte , physics , quantum mechanics
Fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were prepared through bottom‐up synthesis, which possess excitation wavelength‐dependent photoluminescence properties upon excitation by near visible light. For the first time, CQDs were incorporated into N719‐sensitized TiO 2 photoelectrodes as the electron‐transport medium, presenting dual contributions to the photo‐to‐electrical energy conversion: 1) spectral response compensation for the dye‐sensitized TiO 2 film at around 400 nm was successfully observed in the incident photon‐to‐current conversion measurements; and 2) intensity modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy showed that the electron transport time, charge collection efficiency, and electron diffusion length in the TiO 2 electrode were all improved after CQDs incorporation. An example of using the CQDs‐ containing photoanode in a solar cell device resulted in enhancements of 32 % and 21 % for the short‐circuit current density and photo‐to‐electrical conversion efficiency, respectively.