Pulsed laser deposition based synthesis of nanohybrid materials for photoactive device applications

Description

The KrF-pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) is a powerful and versatile technique either for the synthesis of a variety of nanomaterials or nanohybrid (NH) structures. We will first briefly highlight our work on the synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) with a particular focus on the effect of the growth temperature on their structural and optoelectronic properties.1 The PLD grown nanotubes were integrated into SWCNT/n-Si hybrid photovoltaic (PV) devices, which were shown to exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) in excess of 6%.2,3,4 Secondly, we will show that the PLD can also be used to deposit highly-crystalline PbS nanoparticles (NPs) onto various substrates with the latitude to tailor their size, and hence their photoluminescence properties over the (850-1650) nm range.5 Finally, by using the PLD approach we were able to fabricate novel NH materials consisting of 1D-nanowires (SWCNT or TiO2-NRs) controllably decorated with PbS-NPs. Two examples will be given, namely (i) the achievement of SWCNT/PbS-NPs nanohybrids based photoconductive (PC) devices exhibiting very high photoresponses (~700 % and ~1400 % at 633 and 405 nm, respectively),6 and (ii) the PLD decoration of TiO2–NRs/SWCNTs nanostructures by PbS-NPs for the successful fabrication of nano-heterojunction PV devices of which PCE was as high as 5.3%.7 The highly efficient charge transfer between PbS-NPs and SWCNTs is thought to be a key factor for the impressive PC/PV properties of these PLD grown nanohybrids.

REFERENCES:

[1] V. Le Borgne, B. Aïssa, M. Mohamedi, Y. Ahm Kim, M. Endo, M. A. El Khakani, J. Nanopart. Res., 13 (2011) 5759.

[2] V. Le Borgne, P. Castrucci, S. DelGobbo, M. Scarselli, M. De Crescenzi, M. Mohamedi, M. A. El Khakani,Appl. Phys. Lett., 97 (2010) 193105.

[3] V. Le Borgne, L.A. Gautier, P. Castrucci, S. DelGobbo, M. De Crescenzi, and M. A. El Khakani,Nanotechnology, 23 (2012) 215206.

[4] V. Le Borgne, L.A. Gautier, and M.A. El Khakani, Appl. Phys. Lett., 103 (7), (2013) 073103.

[5] I. ka, D. Ma and M. A. El Khakani, J. Nanopart. Res., 13 (2011) 2269.

[6] I. Ka, V. Le Borgne, D. Ma, and M. A. El Khakani, Adv. Mater., 24 (2012) 6289.

[7] I. Ka, B. Gonfa, V. Le Borgne, D. Ma, and M. A. El Khakani, Adv. Funct. Mater., 24 (2014) 4042.

 

Brief Biography of Professor My Ali EL KHAKANI :

Professor My Ali El Khakani is the leader of the “NanoMat” Group, he founded in 1998 at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Energie, Materiaux et Telecommunications, Varennes, Qc, Canada). His R&D activities cover the inter-related fields of laser/plasma based synthesis, modification, nanoassembly and characterizations of nanostructured materials (including nanotubes, nanoparticles and ultrathin films) and their applications for advanced photo/electronic devices, functional coatings, and electro-photo-catalysis. He has published more than 170 refereed publications in prestigious journals, and he is co-inventor of 5 patents. His research contributions are well cited with a current H-index of 29 (Google Scholar) or 26 (Web of Science). The results of his R&D work have been disseminated in more than 150 national and international conferences. So far, more than 44 highly qualified personnel (at MSc, PhD and PDF levels) have been trained and graduated under his supervision. The expertise and R&D contributions of Professor El Khakani are well recognized at both national and international levels, as testified by his numerous invited talks, appointments as a scientific reviewer for various public and private R&D funding agencies, as a board member of steering committees of R&D Canadian organizations, and as a member of International scientific advisory boards and/or session chair at international conferences. He has served on the editorial board of sensors letters, and he is currently member of the editorial board of the ISRN-Nanotechnology and Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) journals. He is also a regular reviewer for more than 25 refereed scientific journals.

Organised by Simona Boninelli