Inorganic Chemistry Commons^™

Three-Dimensional Nanotube Arrays For Solar Energy Harvesting And Production Of Solar Fuels, Wipula P. R. Liyanage

Doctoral Dissertations

"Over the past decade extensive research has been carried out on photovoltaic semiconductors to provide a solution towards a renewable energy future. Fabricating high-efficiency photovoltaic devices largely rely on nanostructuring the photoabsorber layers due to the ability of improving photoabsorption, photocurrent generation and transport in nanometer scale. Vertically aligned, highly uniform nanorods and nanowire arrays for solar energy conversion have been explored as potential candidates for solar energy conversion and solar-fuel generation owing to their enhanced photoconversion efficiencies.

However, controlled fabrication of nanorod and especially nanotube arrays with uniform size and shape and a pre-determined distribution density is still a …

Optimization Of P-Type Czts Nanocrystal Thin Film Layers For Applications In Low Cost Photovoltaic Devices, Kyle S.B. Jeffs

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystal synthesis was optimized by way of photoelectrochemical measurements through tuning the stoichiometry. Formation of a Cu2ZnSnS4 light-absorbing layer was studied using multiple depositions methods. These included dropcasting, electrophoretic deposition, and use of 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane as a chemical linker. Dropcasting samples were compared according to the solvents used to suspend the nanocrystals. Photoelectrochemical measurements were used to compare dropcasting with electrophoretic deposition and use of 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane as a chemical linker. Dropcasting was shown to be the least effective method of depositing the light-absorbing layer. Samples prepared by electrophoretic deposition were optimized according to a number …