title: Photocatalytic synthesis and photovoltaic application of Ag-TiO2 nanorod composites.
abstract: A photocatalytic strategy has been developed to synthesize colloidal Ag-TiO2 nanorod composites in which each TiO2 nanorod contains a single Ag nanoparticle on its surface. In this rational synthesis, photoexcitation of TiO2 nanorods under UV illumination produces electrons that reduce Ag(I) precursor and deposit multiple small Ag nanoparticles on the surface of TiO2 nanorods. Prolonged UV irradiation induces an interesting ripening process, which dissolves the smaller nanoparticles by photogenerated oxidative species and then redeposits Ag onto one larger and more stable particle attached to each TiO2 nanorod through the reduction of photoexcited electrons. The size of the Ag nanoparticles can be precisely controlled by varying the irradiation time and the amount of alcohol additive. The Ag-TiO2 nanorod composites were used as electron transport layers in the fabrication of organic solar cells and showed notable enhancement in power conversion efficiency (6.92%) than pure TiO2 nanorods (5.81%), as well as higher external quantum efficiency due to improved charge separation and transfer by the presence of Ag nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States.
authors.forename: Qipeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Zhenda
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yunzhang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Longfeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yanbing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yadong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D008027:Light; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C009495:titanium dioxide; D012834:Silver; D014025:Titanium