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Direct and Indirect Interfacial Electron Transfer at a Plasmonic p-Cu7S4/CdS Heterojunction
Zhicheng Yang1, Nandan Ghorai1, Shengxiang Wu1
1Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States.
ACS Nano
|January 2, 2025
Summary
Plasmonic semiconductors enable near-infrared solar energy harvesting. This study reveals ultrafast hot electron transfer in p-Cu7S4/CdS heterojunctions, offering insights for improved solar energy conversion.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Photovoltaics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Plasmonic semiconductors show promise for near-infrared solar energy harvesting.
- Understanding plasmon-induced hot electron transfer (HET) mechanisms is crucial but limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate plasmon-induced HET in p-Cu7S4/CdS type II heterojunctions.
- To elucidate the mechanisms governing HET for enhanced solar energy applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilized transient absorption spectroscopy to study HET dynamics.
- Employed near-infrared excitation at ~1400 nm to probe the p-Cu7S4 plasmon band.
Main Results:
- Observed ultrafast HET into CdS conduction band (<150 fs) with ~0.054% quantum efficiency.
- Injected hot electrons exhibited a significantly longer lifetime (1.9 ± 0.5 ns) in CdS compared to Au/CdS.
- Plasmon decay did not couple to interfacial charge transfer due to energy mismatch.
Conclusions:
- Plasmonic semiconductors can potentially reduce charge recombination due to their bandgap.
- Detailed mechanistic understanding of plasmonic HET in heterojunctions was achieved.
- Findings provide directions for optimizing plasmonic semiconductor-based solar energy technologies.
