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A Standard and Reliable Method to Fabricate Two-Dimensional Nanoelectronics
Published on: August 28, 2018
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Surface engineering of two-dimensional hexagonal boron-nitride for optoelectronic devices.
Gurpreet Singh Selopal1,2,3, Omar Abdelkarim3, Jasneet Kaur4,5
1Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China. zhmwang@uestc.edu.cn.
Nanoscale
|September 25, 2023
Summary
Surface-engineered hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanoflakes enhance optoelectronic devices. Functionalized h-BN improves photoelectrochemical performance by 46% and solar cell efficiency by 18% through reduced recombination and better carrier injection.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optoelectronics
Background:
- Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (2D h-BN) possesses unique electronic and photonic properties valuable for optoelectronic applications.
- Controlled optimization of h-BN's insulating characteristics is crucial for advancing energy conversion and storage technologies.
- Surface engineering of 2D materials offers a pathway to tune interfacial properties in optoelectronic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer the surface of h-BN nanoflakes for improved performance in optoelectronic devices.
- To investigate the impact of functionalized h-BN (F-h-BN) on the TiO2/quantum dots (QDs) interface.
- To enhance the efficiency of photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices and quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs).
Main Methods:
- One-step in situ chemical functionalization of h-BN nanoflakes using liquid-phase exfoliation.
- Dispersion of functionalized h-BN (F-h-BN) on TiO2 surfaces to modify the TiO2/QDs interface.
- Fabrication and characterization of PEC devices and QDSCs incorporating TiO2-CNTs/F-h-BN/QDs photoanodes.
Main Results:
- PEC devices utilizing TiO2/F-h-BN/QDs with optimized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and scattering layers showed a 46% performance improvement over control devices.
- The enhanced performance is attributed to reduced trap/carrier recombination and increased carrier injection rates in the TiO2-CNTs/F-h-BN/QDs photoanode.
- Optimized QDSCs with the novel photoanode achieved an 18% improvement in photoconversion efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Surface engineering of 2D h-BN via chemical functionalization is an effective strategy to optimize optoelectronic device performance.
- The developed TiO2-CNTs/F-h-BN/QDs photoanode significantly enhances charge dynamics, leading to improved PEC and solar cell efficiencies.
- This approach demonstrates the potential of surface-engineered 2D materials for advancing solar energy conversion and other optoelectronic applications.
