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Photonic crystals for applications in photoelectrochemical processes: Photoelectrochemical solar cells with inverse opal topology

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Abstract

Photonic crystal structures, that present strong light localization effects near photonic band gap frequency regions, can be very useful to maximize chemical processes of phototoactive materials. One example is the use of photonic crystals to improve solar energy harvesting in photoelectrochemical solar cells. Here, we describe the optical monitoring synthesis of macroporous materials, with inverse opal topology, made of transition metal and rare-earth oxide nanoparticles. Through the optical properties we can obtain information concerning both infiltration and over layer growth. Finally, we report on the efficiency improvement of photoelectrochemical cells when titania inverse opal topology is used.

How to cite

Initials first

I. Rodriguez et al. Photonic crystals for applications in photoelectrochemical processes: Photoelectrochemical solar cells with inverse opal topology. Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005). DOI: 10.1016/j.photonics.2005.09.009

Family name first

Rodriguez, I. et al. Photonic crystals for applications in photoelectrochemical processes. Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005).

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Figures

Figure 1. SEM images of the cleft edge of a thin film (30 monolayers) opal made of 615 nm latex particles: (a) before; (b)–(d) after infiltration with ceria nanoparticles. Scale bars: (a) 10 μm; (c) 2 μm; (b) and (d) 5 μm.

Source: I. Rodriguez et al., Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005). © Elsevier B.V.

Figure 2. Optical reflectance of samples, along the (111) direction, during the spin-coating-mediated CeO2 infiltration process. The number of infiltration cycles increases from spectrum ‘a’ to ‘e’. The numbers of infiltration cycles for ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’, and ‘e’ are 0, 2, 6, 8, and 12, respectively. As loading progresses, the peak reflectance decreases, and a dip in the peak is observed when an overlayer forms on the surface (spectrum ‘e’).

Source: I. Rodriguez et al., Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005). © Elsevier B.V.

Figure 3. (a and b) SEM images of inverse ceria structure after the colloidal crystal template removal. (c) Inverse structure with an overlayer of CeO2 on the top surface. (d) Reflectance spectra of inverse structures with (spectrum ‘b’) and without (spectrum ‘a’) CeO2 overlayer. Scale bars: 2 μm (inset: 1 μm).

Source: I. Rodriguez et al., Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005). © Elsevier B.V.

Figure 4. (a) Optical reflectance spectra of opal templates before (spectrum ‘a’) and after 12 cycles of infiltration (spectrum ‘b’) with zirconia nanoparticles and after template removal (spectrum ‘c’). (b) Same as (a), but for yttria–opal composites: before infiltration (spectrum ‘a’), after 10 infiltration cycles (spectrum ‘b’), and inverse structure (spectrum ‘c’). (c and d) SEM images of the cleft edges of zirconia and yttria inverse opals with high-magnification image inset. Scale bars: (c) 5 μm (inset: 2 μm); (d) 2 μm.

Source: I. Rodriguez et al., Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005). © Elsevier B.V.

Figure 5. SEM image of a titania inverse opal 8 μm thick electrode used for a photoelectrochemical solar cell. The void size is 170 nm and the bar corresponds to 2 μm.

Source: I. Rodriguez et al., Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005). © Elsevier B.V.

Figure 6. (a) Current–voltage (I–V) characteristic curve for both the titania inverse opal solar cell (continuous curve) and the standard titania (broken curve) photoelectrochemical cells under one-sun illumination (AM1.5). (b) Spectral response of the photonic-crystal photoelectrochemical cell as a function of light wavelength.

Source: I. Rodriguez et al., Photonics Nanostruct. Fundam. Appl. 3, 148-154 (2005). © Elsevier B.V.

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