A Facile Self-assembly Synthesis of Hexagonal ZnO Nanosheet Films and Their Photoelectrochemical Properties

Here, large-scale and uniform hexagonal zinc oxide(ZnO) nanosheet films were deposited onto indium tin oxide(ITO)-coated transparent conducting glass substrates via a facile galvanic displacement deposition process. Compared with other commonly used solution methods, this process avoids high temperature and electric power as well as supporting agents to make it simple and cost-effective. The as-fabricated ZnO nanosheet films have uniform hexagonal wurtzite structure. The photoelectrochemical(PEC) cell based on ZnO nanosheet film/ITO photoelectrode was also fabricated and its performance was improved by optimizing the solution concentration. A higher photocurrent density of*500 l A cm^(-2)under AM 1.5 G simulated illumination of 100 m W cm^(-2)with zero bias potential(vs. Ag/AgCl electrode) was obtained, which may ascribe to the increased surface-to-volume ratio of disordered Zn O nanosheet arrays. Our developed method may be used to deposit other oxide semiconductors, and the Zn O nanosheet film/ITO PEC cell can be used to design low-cost optoelectronic and photoelectrochemical devices.

Fast Growth of Highly Ordered TiO2 Nanotube Arrays on Si Substrate under High-Field Anodization

Highly ordered TiO_2 nanotube arrays(NTAs) on Si substrate possess broad applications due to its high surfaceto-volume ratio and novel functionalities, however, there are still some challenges on facile synthesis. Here, we report a simple and cost-effective high-field(90–180V) anodization method to grow highly ordered TiO_2 NTAs on Si substrate,and investigate the effect of anodization time, voltage, and fluoride content on the formation of TiO_2 NTAs. The current density–time curves, recorded during anodization processes, can be used to determine the optimum anodization time. It is found that the growth rate of TiO_2 NTAs is improved significantly under high field, which is nearly 8 times faster than that under low fields(40–60 V). The length and growth rate of the nanotubes are further increased with the increase of fluoride content in the electrolyte.

Preparation and optical properties of composite thin films with embedded InP nanoparticles

InP nanoparticles embedded in SiO2 thin films were prepared by radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtering. We analyzed the structure and growth behavior of the composite films under different preparation conditions. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analyses indicate that InP nanoparticles have a polycrystalline structure. The average size of InP nanoparticles is in the range of 3-10 nm. The broadening and red shift of the Raman peaks were observed, which can be interpreted by the phonon confinement model. Optical transmission spectra indicate that the opticalabsorption edges of the films can be modulated in the visible light range. The marked blue shift of the absorption edge with respect to that of bulk InP is explained by the quantum confinement effect. The theoretical values of the blue shift predicted by the effective mass approximation model are different from the experimental results for the InP-SiO2 system. Analyses indicate that the exciton effective mass of the InP nanoparticles is not