title: The role of Mott-Schottky heterojunctions in Ag-Ag8SnS6 as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: Well-defined uniform pyramidal Ag-Ag8SnS6 heterodimers are prepared via a one-pot method. A plausible formation mechanism for the unique structures based on a seed-growth process and an etching effect due to oleylamine is proposed. The formed metal-semiconductor Mott-Schottky heterojunction promotes electron transfer from semiconducting Ag8 SnS6 to metallic Ag, which catalyzes the reduction of I3 (-) to I(-). When used as counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells, the heterodimers show comparable performance to platinum.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240 (PR China).
authors.forename: Qingquan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shoushuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qiquan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wenlong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jiantao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zai
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D019281:Dimerization; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004566:Electrodes; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D018030:Silver Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D012993:Solar Energy; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry*; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D018030:Silver Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; D017971:Tin Compounds; D012834:Silver
keywords: catalysis; dye-sensitized solar cells; electron transfer; energy conversion; silver