Premium
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL STUDIES OF ULTRATHIN PHOTOACTIVE (POLYMER) LAYERS VIA SENSITIZATION OF ZnO
Author(s) -
Li XuePing,
Tributsch Helmut
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1989.tb05559.x
Subject(s) - materials science , semiconductor , optoelectronics , thin film , rhodamine b , band gap , polymer , layer (electronics) , metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy , electron transfer , nanotechnology , photocatalysis , photochemistry , chemistry , composite material , epitaxy , catalysis , biochemistry
–Since photoelectrochemical properties of very thin (< 100 Å) layers of photoactive materials cannot be studied on metal contacts due to energy transfer losses and excessive dark currents through holes, an attempt was made to investigate them in contact with a large gap oxide semiconductor (ZnO). It was expected that electrons excited within the thin layer can be injected into the conduction band of ZnO. Experiments have shown this to be possible with the p‐type polymer semiconductor poly(2,5‐furylenvinylene) applied at thickness equivalent to 1–50 monolayers. Studies on complementary sensitization with Rhodamine B suggest energy transfer mediated electron transfer across the polymer layer into ZnO. In contrast, sensitization of ZnO by thin layers of n ‐CdS or rc‐FeS 2 (prepared by painting or MOCVD) was not successful. Promises and difficulties of the technique which could also be applied to biological samples are discussed.