• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.239-245
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• 2020

Synthesizing one-dimensional nanostructures of oxide semiconductors is a promising approach to fabricate highefficiency photoelectrodes for hydrogen production from photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, vertically aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays are successfully synthesized on fluorine-doped-tin-oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate via seed-mediated hydrothermal synthesis method with the use of a ZnO nanoparticle seed layer, which is formed by thermally oxidizing a sputtered Zn metal thin film. The structural, optical and PEC properties of the ZnO nanorod arrays synthesized at varying levels of Zn sputtering power are examined to reveal that the optimum ZnO nanorod array can be obtained at a sputtering power of 20 W. The photocurrent density and the optimal photocurrent conversion efficiency obtained for the optimum ZnO nanorod array photoanode are 0.13 mA/㎠ and 0.49 %, respectively, at a potential of 0.85 V vs. RHE. These results provide a promising avenue to fabricating earth-abundant ZnO-based photoanodes for PEC water oxidation using facile hydrothermal synthesis.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing-Green Technology
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.643-650
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• 2018

A self-powered electrochromic device was fabricated on an indium tin oxide-polyethylene naphthalate flexible substrate using a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) as a self-harvesting source; the electrochromic device was naturally bleached and operated under outdoor light conditions. The color of the organic electrochromic polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate, was shifted from pale blue to deep blue with an antimony tin oxide film as a charge-balanced material. Electrochromic performance was enhanced by secondary doping using dimethyl sulfoxide. As a result, the device showed stable switching behavior with a high transmittance change difference of 40% at its specific wavelength of 630 nm for 6 hrs. To improve the efficiency of the solar cell, 1.0 wt.% of Ag NWs in the photoanode was applied to the $TiO_2$ photoanode. It resulted in an efficiency of 3.3%, leading to an operating voltage of 0.7 V under xenon lamp conditions. As a result, we built a standalone self-harvesting electrochromic system with the performance of transmittance switching of 29% at 630 nm, by connecting with two solar cells in a device. Thus, a self-harvesting and flexible device was fabricated to operate automatically under the irradiated/dark conditions.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.377-389
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• 2022

The current global energy supply depends heavily on fossil fuels. This makes technology such as direct water splitting from harvesting solar energy in photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems potentially attractive due to its a promising route for environmentally benign hydrogen production. In this study, undoped and nickel-doped molybdenum oxide photoanodes (called photoanodes S₁ and S₂ respectively) were synthesized through electrodeposition by applying -1.377 V vs Ag/AgCl (3 M KCl) for 3 hours on an FTO-coated glass substrate immersed in molibdatecitrate aqueous solutions at pH 9. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used for microstructural and compositional characterizations of the photoanodes. In addition, the optical and photoelectrochemical characterizations of these photoanodes were performed by UV-Visible spectroscopy, and linear scanning voltammetry (LSV) respectively. The results showed that all the photoanodes produced exhibit conductivity and catalytic properties that make them attractive for water splitting application in a photoelectrochemical cell. In this context, the photoanode S₂ exhibited better photocatalytic activity than the photoanode S₁. In addition, photoanode S₂ had the lowest optical band-gap energy value (2.58 eV), which would allow better utilization of the solar spectrum.

• Rapid Communication in Photoscience
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 2014

N-doped anatase $TiO_2$ nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel process followed by a hydrothermal treatment and successfully used as the photoanodes in organic dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). As expected, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.44% was obtained for the NKX2677/HC-A-sensitized DSSC based on the 30 mol% N-doped $TiO_2$ photoanode, which was an improvement of 23% relative to that of the DSSC based on the NKX2677/DCA.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.360-361
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• 2008

A new kind of SBM co-polymer binder as styrene, n-butyl acrylate, and methacrylic acid (SBM) monodisperse co-polymer binder materials basted on $TiO_2$ pastes was synthesized and this $TiO_2$ pastes were applied of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The SBM co-polymer binder was prepared by soap-free emulsion copolymerization using a PEG-EEM macromonomer. The photoanodes were characterized by morphology investigated from field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The photoelectrochemical properties of the thin films and the performance of DSSCs were measured by photovoltaic-current density. DSSC based on the emulsion co-polymer binder was obtained conversion efficiency of 7.1% under irradiation of AM 1.5($100mWcm^{-2}$).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.856-862
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• 2013

The photoanode electrode of $TiO_2$ nanotubes (NTs) anchored with ZnS/CdSSe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) was prepared by anodization of Ti metal and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) procedure. The tuning of the band gap of CdSSe was done with controlled composition of Cd, S, or Se during the SILAR. A ladder-like energy structure suitable for carrier transfer was attained with the photoanode electrode. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of our solar cell fabricated with the regular array of $TiO_2$ NTs anchored with CdSSe/CdS or CdSe/CdS QDs [i.e., (CdSSe/CdS/$TiO_2NTs$) or (CdSe/CdS/$TiO_2NTs$)] was PCE = 3.49% and 2.81% under the illumination at 100 mW/$cm^2$, respectively. To protect the photocorrosion of our solar cell from the electrolyte and to suppress carrier recombination, ZnS was introduced onto CdSSe/CdS. The PCE of our solar cell with the structure of a photoanode electrode, (ZnS/CdSSe/CdS/$TiO_2$ NTs/Ti) was 4.67% under illumination at 100 mW/$cm^2$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2011

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have drawn great academic attention due to their potential as low-cost renewable energy sources. DSCs contain a nanostructured TiO2 photoanode, which is a key-component for high conversion efficiency. Particularly, one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructured photoanodes can enhance the electron transport for the efficient collection to the conducting substrate in competition with the recombination processes. This is because photoelectron colletion is determined by trapping/detrapping events along the site of the electron traps (defects, surface states, grain boundaries, and self-trapping). Therefore, 1-D nanostructured photoanodes are advantageous for the fast electron transport due to their desirable features of greatly reduced intercrystalline contacts with specified directionality. In particular, anodic TiO2 nanotube (NT) electrodes recently have been intensively explored owing to their ideal structure for application in DSCs. Besides the enhanced electron transport properties resulted from the 1-D structure, highly ordered and vertically oriented nanostructure of anodic TiO2 NT can contribute additional merits, such as enhanced electrolyte diffusion, better interfacial contact with viscous electrolytes. First, to confirm the advantages of 1-D nanostructured material for the photoelectron collection, we compared the electron transport and charge recombination characteristics between nanoparticle (NP)- and nanorod (NR)-based photoanodes in DSCs by the stepped light-induced transient measurements of photocurrent and voltage (SLIM-PCV). We confirmed that the electron lifetime of the NR-based photoanode was much longer than that of the NP-based photoanode. In addition, highly ordered and vertically oriented TiO2 NT photoanodes were prepared by electrochemical anodization method. We compared the photovoltaic properties of DSCs utilizing TiO2 NT photoanodes prepared by one-step anodization and two-step anodization. And, to reduce the charge recombination rate, energy barrier layer (ZnO, Al2O3)-coated TiO2 NTs also applied in DSC. Furthermore, we applied the TiO2 NT photoanode in DSCs using a viscous electrolyte, i.e., cobalt bipyridyl redox electrolyte, and confirmed that the pore structure of NT array can enhance the performances of this viscous electrolyte.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.632-637
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• 2015

Mesoporous $TiO_2$ granules were prepared by spray pyrolysis using nano-sized titania particles which were synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and they were evaluated as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells. To enhance the cell efficiency, nanoparticles within granules were chemically interconnected by adding titanium ethoxide (TEOT) to colloidal spray solution. The resulting titania particles had anatase phase without forming rutile. $TiO_2$ granules obtained showed about 400 nm in size, the specific surface area of $74-77m^2/g$, and average pore size of 13-17 nm. The chemical modification of $TiO_2$ granules by adding TEOT initially to the colloidal spray solution was proved to be an effective way in terms of increasing both the light scattering within photoanode and the lifetimes of photo-excited electrons. Consequently, the light-harvesting efficiency of TEOT-modified granules (${\eta}=6.72%$) was enhanced about 14% higher than primitive nanoparticles.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

This review article summarizes photoelectrochemical water splitting using gallium nitride (GaN). GaN materials have been studied as novel photoelectrode material due to its chemical stability and easy band gap engineering. Unlike other semiconductor materials that are easily corroded in strongly acidic or alkaline electrolyte, n-type GaN is chemically stable enough to be used as photoanode in oxygen evolution reaction. Furthermore, studies on p-type GaN have been recently reported. This review briefly discusses problems that need to be solved before GaN materials find widespread use in solar fuel application.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.749-752
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• 2009

Anodized tubular titania ($TiO_2$) electrodes (ATTEs) are prepared and used as both the photoanode and the cathode substrate in a photoelectrochemical system designed to split water into hydrogen with the assistance of an enzyme and an external bias (solar cell). In particular, the ATTE used as the cathode substrate for the immobilization of the enzyme is prepared by two methods; adsorption and crosslinking. Results show that the optimized amount of enzyme is 10.98 units for the slurried enzyme, 3.66 units for the adsorbed one and 7.32 units for the crosslinked one, and the corresponding hydrogen evolution rates are 33.04, 148.58, and 234.88 umol/hr, respectively. The immobilized enzyme, specifically the chemically crosslinked one, seems to be much superior to the slurried enzyme, due to the enhanced charge-transfer process that is caused by the lower electrical resistance between the enzyme and the ATTE. This results in a greater number of accepted electrons and a larger amount of enzymes able to deal with the electrons.