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Nano Research 2022, 15(8): 7614-7621 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4334-2
Research Article | Issue | Published: 31 May 2022

Rational design of eco-friendly Mn-doped nonstoichiometric CuInSe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots for boosted photoelectrochemical efficiency

Show Author's Information Rui Wang1,  Xin Tong1,2( ),  Zhihang Long1,  Ali Imran Channa1,4,  Hongyang Zhao1,  Xin Li1,  Mengke Cai1,  Yimin You1,  Xuping Sun1( ),  Zhiming Wang1,2,3( )
Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou 313001, China
Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Republic of Korea
Keywords:
transition metal doping, eco-friendly, photoelectrochemical cell, colloidal quantum dot, optoelectronic engineering
Topics:
Semiconductor quantum dots
Cite this article:
Wang R, Tong X, Long Z, et al. Rational design of eco-friendly Mn-doped nonstoichiometric CuInSe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots for boosted photoelectrochemical efficiency. Nano Research, 2022, 15(8): 7614-7621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4334-2
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Colloidal core/shell quantum dots (QDs) with environment-friendly feature and controllable optoelectronic properties are promising building blocks in emerging solar technologies. In this work, we rationally design and tailor the eco-friendly CuInSe (CISe)/ZnSe core/shell QDs by Mn doping and stoichiometric optimization (i.e., molar ratios of Cu/In). It is demonstrated that Mn doping in In-rich CISe/ZnSe core/shell QDs can effectively engineer the charge kinetics inside the QDs, enabling efficient photogenerated electrons transfer into the shell for retarded charge recombination. As a result, a solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) device fabricated using the optimized Mn-doped In-rich CISe/ZnSe core/shell QDs (Cu/In ratio of 1/2) exhibits improved charge extraction and injection, showing a ~ 3.5-fold higher photocurrent density than that of the pristine CISe/ZnSe core/shell QDs under 1 sun AM 1.5G illumination. The findings indicate that transition metal doping in “green” nonstoichiometric core/shell QDs may offer a new strategy for achieving high-efficiency solar energy conversion applications.


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Electronic supplementary material
About this article

Rational design of eco-friendly Mn-doped nonstoichiometric CuInSe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots for boosted photoelectrochemical efficiency

Show Author's information Rui Wang1, Xin Tong1,2( ), Zhihang Long1, Ali Imran Channa1,4, Hongyang Zhao1, Xin Li1, Mengke Cai1, Yimin You1, Xuping Sun1( ), Zhiming Wang1,2,3( )
Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou 313001, China
Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Republic of Korea

Abstract

Colloidal core/shell quantum dots (QDs) with environment-friendly feature and controllable optoelectronic properties are promising building blocks in emerging solar technologies. In this work, we rationally design and tailor the eco-friendly CuInSe (CISe)/ZnSe core/shell QDs by Mn doping and stoichiometric optimization (i.e., molar ratios of Cu/In). It is demonstrated that Mn doping in In-rich CISe/ZnSe core/shell QDs can effectively engineer the charge kinetics inside the QDs, enabling efficient photogenerated electrons transfer into the shell for retarded charge recombination. As a result, a solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) device fabricated using the optimized Mn-doped In-rich CISe/ZnSe core/shell QDs (Cu/In ratio of 1/2) exhibits improved charge extraction and injection, showing a ~ 3.5-fold higher photocurrent density than that of the pristine CISe/ZnSe core/shell QDs under 1 sun AM 1.5G illumination. The findings indicate that transition metal doping in “green” nonstoichiometric core/shell QDs may offer a new strategy for achieving high-efficiency solar energy conversion applications.

Keywords: transition metal doping, eco-friendly, photoelectrochemical cell, colloidal quantum dot, optoelectronic engineering

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Publication history
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Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 18 February 2022
Revised: 09 March 2022
Accepted: 15 March 2022
Published: 31 May 2022
Issue date: August 2022

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press 2022

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

X. T. acknowledges the support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2019YFE0121600), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22105031 and 62011530131), Sichuan Science and Technology Program (No. 2021YFH0054) and Innovation Group Project of Sichuan Province (No. 20CXTD0090). Z. M. W. acknowledges the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2019YFB2203400) and the “111 Project” (No. B20030).

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