%0 Journal Article
%T [email protected]2 Core Shell Nanorod Arrays with Tailored Structural, Electrical, and Optical Properties for Photovoltaic Application
%J Molecules | An Open Access Journal from MDPI
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24213965
%X ZnO has prominent electron transport and optical properties, beneficial for photovoltaic application, but its surface is prone to the formation of defects. To overcome this problem, we deposited nanostructured TiO 2 thin film on ZnO nanorods to form a stable shell. ZnO nanorods synthesized by wet-chemistry are single crystals. Three different procedures for deposition of TiO 2 were applied. The influence of preparation methods and parameters on the structure, morphology, electrical and optical properties were studied. Nanostructured TiO 2 shells show different morphologies dependent on deposition methods: (1) separated nanoparticles (by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in Ar), (2) a layer with nonhomogeneous thickness (by PLD in vacuum or DC reactive magnetron sputtering), and (3) a homogenous thin layer along the nanorods (by chemical deposition). Based on the structural study, we chose the preparation parameters to obtain an anatase structure of the TiO 2 shell. Impedance spectroscopy shows pure electron conductivity that was considerably better in all the [email protected] 2 than in bare ZnO nanorods or TiO 2 layers. The best conductivity among the studied samples and the lowest activation energy was observed for the sample with a chemically deposited TiO 2 shell. Higher transparency in the visible part of spectrum was achieved for the sample with a homogenous TiO 2 layer along the nanorods, then in the samples with a layer of varying thickness. View Full-Tex
%U https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/21/3965