Light-harvesting nanostructured devices
Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
Final Report Abstract
The project was devoted to explore the functionalization of anodically generated mesoporous metal oxide membranes towards photo-functional devices able to harvest/utilize visible light. Several different combinations of mesoporous metal oxide templates were synthesized in our laboratory by anodic oxidation (with or without subsequent atomic layer deposition), and initial experiments concerning the functionalization of the metal oxide pores with functional molecular species should be performed. Further, these structures should be functionalized and devices should be assembled for two inter-related applications relying on similar approaches but different physicochemical effects for utilizing visible light. In particular, functionalized mesoporous membranes providing a regular and adjustable template with defined geometry should be used for the design of photovoltaic / photocatalytic devices and photoconductive devices / photosensitive switches. The strategy proposed for the project proposal was designed to provide detailed insight into the relative importance of structural and geometrical aspects, as well as detailed structure-activity relationships because the geometrical arrangement of arrays of the different functional species could be pre-defined. Moreover, the results of macroscopic measurements (on the ensemble of identical functional nanostructures) could be compared to local measurements to distinguish between effects due to the particular nanostructure and local molecular interactions within the arrays. The experimental work concerning the tailored synthesis of anodic alumina templates as masks or containers for functional nanostructures started and commenced successfully and as planned and described in the project application. Details are given below. As a result, we could successfully prepare a functional device based on nanoscale perovskite structures confined within the cylindrical pores of anodic alumina templates. To achieve this goal, several sequential synthesis steps were developed and evaluated. In the course of these systematic investigations, processing windows for the deposition or co-deposition by different methods (thermal evaporation, sputter deposition, spin coating) were evaluated and the best suited of the tested methods were selected. One astonishing result obtained on the fully integrated photovoltaic nanostructures was the observation of enhanced performance after extended exposure to ambient conditions. Normally, perovskite-based devices for photovoltaic or photo-sensing applications display a distinct degradation with time when stored under ambient conditions due to the sensitivity of the perovskite for humidity. It seems that the confinement inside the AAO pores helps preventing rapid degradation. Thus, crystal growth and recovery that can proceed during the time interval of storage result in an increase of the so-called crystallinity, which at the same time enhances the photophysical properties of the nanostructures.
Publications
- How to evaluate and manipulate charge transfer and photocatalytic response at hybrid nanocarbon–metal oxide interfaces, Advanced Functional Materials 28 (2018) 1704730
N. Kemnade, P. Gebhardt, G.M. Haselmann, A. Cherevan, G. Wilde, D. Eder
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201704730) - Energy Transfer between CNT Surface and −Re(CO)3(phen)+* Pendants Grafted to P4VP in Nanohybrid Shish-Kebob-like Structures, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 124 (2019) 1238-1248
I. Maisuls, S. Ostendorp, G. Wilde, A.J. Parola, C.A. Strassert, E. Wolcan
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b10567) - Stability and Performance of Nanostructured Perovskites for Light‐Harvesting Applications, Small Methods 3 (2019) 1800404
M. Gabski, S. Ostendorp, M. Peterlechner, G. Wilde
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.201800404) - Exploring the Phase Space of Multi-Principal- Element Alloys and Predicting the Formation of Bulk Metallic Glasses, Entropy 22 (2020) 292
M. Gabski, M. Peterlechner, G. Wilde
(See online at https://doi.org/10.3390/e22030292) - Interface‐Driven Thermoelectric Switching Performance of VO+‐Diffused Soda‐Lime Glass, physica status solidi (RRL)–Rapid Research Letters 15 (2021) 2100077
C.M.E. Alphonse, M. Muralikrishna Garlapati, B.J. Tyler, H.F. Arlinghaus, S.V. Divinski, G. Wilde
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/pssr.202100077)
