A two-storey structured photoanode of a 3D Cu2ZnSnS4/CdS/ZnO@steel composite nanostructure for efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation
- 19 August 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in Nanoscale
- Vol. 7 (37), 15291-15299
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c5nr04107d
Abstract
A two-storey structured photoanode of a 3D Cu2ZnSnS4(CZTS)/CdS/ZnO@steel composite nanostructure has been fabricated by using the solution method and demonstrated highly efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation due to its contraption in the structure for sufficient light absorption as well as the three step-down band alignments for efficient charge separation and transport. This composite structure is composed of two storeys: the upper storey is the CZTS/CdS/ZnO hetero-nanorods (NRs) covered on the stainless steel mesh; the bottom storey is the CZTS/CdS/ZnO hetero-NRs grown on the FTO glass. The CZTS/CdS/ZnO hetero-NRs have cascade band gaps decreasing from 3.15 to 1.82 eV, which gives them efficient charge transfer and broad photoresponse in the UV to near-IR region, resulting in 47% IPCE in a wide light region from 400 to 500 nm; and the stainless steel mesh serves not only as a conductor for charge transport, but also as a skeleton of the grid structure for absorbing more light. The related mechanism has been investigated, which demonstrates that the two-storey CZTS/CdS/ZnO@steel composite nanostructure would have great potential as a promising photoelectrode with high efficiency and low cost for PEC hydrogen generation.Keywords
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Photoelectrochemical Tandem Cells for Solar Water SplittingThe Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2013
- XPS depth profile study of CZTS thin films prepared by spray pyrolysisphysica status solidi (c), 2013
- Visible Light-Driven α-Fe2O3 Nanorod/Graphene/BiV1–xMoxO4 Core/Shell Heterojunction Array for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water SplittingNano Letters, 2012
- Quantum Dot Based Heterostructures for Unassisted Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen GenerationAdvanced Energy Materials, 2012
- Evaluation of carrier transport and recombinations in cadmium selenide quantum-dot-sensitized solar cellsSolar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2012
- Investigating the Role of Grain Boundaries in CZTS and CZTSSe Thin Film Solar Cells with Scanning Probe MicroscopyAdvanced Materials, 2012
- Fabrication of CuO–ZnO nanowires on a stainless steel mesh for highly efficient photocatalytic applicationsChemical Communications, 2011
- Highly efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation using a ZnO nanowire array and a CdSe/CdS co-sensitizerElectrochemistry Communications, 2010
- Synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanocrystal Ink and Its Use for Solar CellsJournal of the American Chemical Society, 2009
- Theoretical analysis of the effect of conduction band offset of window/CIS layers on performance of CIS solar cells using device simulationSolar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2001