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Nanomaterials
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Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications
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Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanoelectronics, Nanosensors and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 19033

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Woo Kyoung Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si 38541, Gyeongbuk, Korea
Interests: compound semiconductor thin films and nanomaterials for photovoltaics; photocatalytic degradation; water splitting; sensor applications

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanoparticles are tiny particles with diameters ranging from 1 to 100 nm. Various solution techniques are used to fabricate a wide range of materials with particle sizes in the nanoscale range for various applications. However, they have very low electrical conductivity and a poor absorption coefficient. These optoelectronic characteristics can be enhanced by including an appropriate volume proportion of other nanomaterials into the host nanomaterial, which is referred to as nanocomposites (the product/mixtures of heterogeneous/hybrid nanoparticle materials). The structures of these materials are discovered to be more complex than those of micro composites. They are heavily impacted by an individual property's structure, composition, interfacial interactions, and components. In these fields, the potential for nanocomposites appears to be nearly limitless.

Nanocomposites have been explored for the most powerful computers, satellites, quicker automobiles and planes, and better microchips and batteries due to their superior mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, and thermal characteristics. Additionally, they can be utilized to create military armor, synthetic muscles, and medication delivery systems. The high anticipated demand for these stunning potentially advanced materials makes them extremely helpful in a wide range of sectors, from small-scale to large-scale production. As a result, the synthesis and assessment of nanocomposites are of increasing interest at the moment due to expanding technological needs. This Special Issue invites researchers to contribute their work in the form of full papers, communications, and reviews, particularly focusing on the  optoelectronic applications including but not limited to Photovoltaics, Photocatalytic degradation, Energy storage, Sensor, Water splitting and Hydrogen production.

Prof. Dr. Woo Kyoung Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Nanomaterials
  • Nanocomposites
  • Solution process
  • Photovoltaics
  • Photocatalytic degradation
  • Energy storage
  • Sensor
  • Water splitting
  • Hydrogen production
  • Emerging applications

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2872 KiB  
Article
NiO/Ni Nanowafer Aerogel Electrodes for High Performance Supercapacitors
by Ramya Ramkumar, Ganesh Dhakal, Jae-Jin Shim and Woo Kyoung Kim
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3813; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12213813 - 28 Oct 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1707
Abstract
Transition metal oxide aerogels are a fascinating class of compounds that have received considerable attention in the last decade owing to their unique and exceptional properties, including high porosity, large surface area, and ultralow density. In this study, α-Ni(OH)2 aerogels and annealed [...] Read more.
Transition metal oxide aerogels are a fascinating class of compounds that have received considerable attention in the last decade owing to their unique and exceptional properties, including high porosity, large surface area, and ultralow density. In this study, α-Ni(OH)2 aerogels and annealed NiO/Ni aerogels were used to design and fabricate a two-electrode supercapacitor device. The physicochemical properties of the as-synthesized aerogels were characterized through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies. The annealed NiO/Ni aerogels showed a (specific capacitance of 1060 F/g) specific capacity of 422 C/g at 1 A/g current density and with good cycling stability (up to 10,000 cycles). The supercapacitor also demonstrated an energy density of 32.4 Wh/kg and power density of 1800 W/kg at a current density of 2 A/g. The specific capacitance of NiO/Ni aerogels was more than twice that of the α-Ni(OH)2 aerogels. The practical applications of the aerogel were demonstrated by fabricating a two-electrode device. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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18 pages, 6026 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Al-Doped ZnO Sputter-Deposition Temperature on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cell Performance
by Hyeonwook Park, Salh Alhammadi, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam Reddy, Chinho Park and Woo Kyoung Kim
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(19), 3326; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12193326 - 24 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1773
Abstract
Heterojunction Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells comprise a substrate/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al. Here, Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were deposited by magnetron sputtering, and the substrate temperature was optimized for CIGS solar cells with two types of CIGS light absorbers with different material properties fabricated by [...] Read more.
Heterojunction Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells comprise a substrate/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al. Here, Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were deposited by magnetron sputtering, and the substrate temperature was optimized for CIGS solar cells with two types of CIGS light absorbers with different material properties fabricated by three-stage co-evaporation and two-step metallization followed by sulfurization after selenization (SAS). The microstructure and optoelectronic properties of the AZO thin films fabricated at different substrate temperatures (150–550 °C) were analyzed along with their effects on the CIGS solar cell performance. X-ray diffraction results confirmed that all the deposited AZO films have a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure regardless of substrate temperature. The optical and electrical properties of the AZO films improved significantly with increasing substrate temperature. Photovoltaic performances of the two types of CIGS solar cells were influenced by changes in the AZO substrate temperature. For the three-stage co-evaporated CIGS cell, as the sputter-deposition temperature of the AZO layer was raised from 150 °C to 550 °C, the efficiencies of CIGS devices decreased monotonically, which suggests the optimum AZO deposition temperature is 150 °C. In contrast, the cell efficiency of CIGS devices fabricated using the two-step SAS-processed CIGS absorbers improved with increasing the AZO deposition temperature from 150 to 350 °C. However, the rise in AZO deposition temperature to 550 °C decreased the cell efficiency, indicating that the optimum AZO deposition temperature was 350 °C. The findings of this study provide insights for the efficient fabrication of CIGS solar cells considering the correlation between CIGS absorber characteristics and AZO layer deposition temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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13 pages, 14612 KiB  
Article
The Growth of Extended Melem Units on g-C3N4 by Hydrothermal Treatment and Its Effect on Photocatalytic Activity of g-C3N4 for Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride under Visible Light Irradiation
by Thi Van Anh Hoang, Phuong Anh Nguyen, Won Mook Choi and Eun Woo Shin
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(17), 2945; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12172945 - 26 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1163
Abstract
In this work, the growth of extended tri-s-triazine units (melem units) on g-C3N4 (CN) by hydrothermal treatment and its effect on the photodegradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) is investigated. The CN-180-x and CN-200-6 samples were prepared using different hydrolysis [...] Read more.
In this work, the growth of extended tri-s-triazine units (melem units) on g-C3N4 (CN) by hydrothermal treatment and its effect on the photodegradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) is investigated. The CN-180-x and CN-200-6 samples were prepared using different hydrolysis times and temperatures, and they were characterized by multiple physicochemical techniques. In addition, their photodegradation performance was evaluated under visible light irradiation. Compared to the CN, CN-180-6 possesses remarkable photocatalytic degradation efficiency at 97.17% towards TC removal in an aqueous solution. The high visible-light-induced photo-reactivity of CN-180-6 directly correlates to charge transfer efficiency, numerous structural defects with a high specific surface area (75.0 m2 g−1), and sufficient O-functional groups over g-C3N4. However, hydrothermal treatment at a higher temperature or during a longer time additionally induces the growth of extended melem units on the surface of g-C3N4, resulting in the inhibition of the charge transfer. In addition, the superoxide radical is proven to be generated from photoexcited reaction and plays a key role in the TC degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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12 pages, 7326 KiB  
Article
Physical Mechanisms of Intermolecular Interactions and Cross-Space Charge Transfer in Two-Photon BDBT-TCNB Co-Crystals
by Chen Lu, Ning Li, Ying Jin, Ying Sun and Jingang Wang
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(16), 2757; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12162757 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1320
Abstract
Co-crystal materials formed by stacking different molecules with weak interactions are a hot research topic. In this work, we theoretically investigate the intermolecular interactions and charge transfer properties of the supramolecular BDBT-TCNB co-crystal (BTC). The π-π bonds, hydrogen bonds, and S-N bonds in [...] Read more.
Co-crystal materials formed by stacking different molecules with weak interactions are a hot research topic. In this work, we theoretically investigate the intermolecular interactions and charge transfer properties of the supramolecular BDBT-TCNB co-crystal (BTC). The π-π bonds, hydrogen bonds, and S-N bonds in the BTC bind the BDBT and TCNB molecules together to form a highly ordered co-crystal and lead to the co-crystal’s excellent two-photon absorption (TPA) properties. The intermolecular interactions of the BTC are discussed in detail by the independent gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition (IGMH), atoms in molecules (AIM), electrostatic overlay diagram, and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) energy decomposition; it is found that there is a strong interaction force along the stacking direction. The charge transfer properties of the one-photon absorption (OPA) and TPA of the BTC were investigated by charge density difference (CDD) and transition density matrix (TDM). It is found that the dominant charge transfer mode is the cross-space charge transfer along the stacking direction. Therefore, strong intermolecular interactions will promote intermolecular cross-space charge transfer. This work is of great significance for the design of organic optoelectronic supramolecular materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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15 pages, 2697 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of Cu2ZnSnSe4 by Non-Vacuum Method for Photovoltaic Applications
by Meenakshi Sahu, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam Reddy, Bharati Patro, Chinho Park, Woo Kyoung Kim and Pratibha Sharma
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(9), 1503; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12091503 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1756
Abstract
Wet ball milling was used for the synthesis of Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) nanoparticles with a kesterite structure. The prepared nanoparticles were used for ink formulation. Surfactants and binders were added to improve the ink stability, prevent agglomeration, and enhance ink adhesion. [...] Read more.
Wet ball milling was used for the synthesis of Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) nanoparticles with a kesterite structure. The prepared nanoparticles were used for ink formulation. Surfactants and binders were added to improve the ink stability, prevent agglomeration, and enhance ink adhesion. The films deposited via spin coating were annealed at different temperatures using a rapid thermal processing system in the presence of selenium powder in an inert environment. Analytical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, were used to confirm the formation of CZTSe nanoparticles with a single-phase, crystalline kesterite structure. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to study the surface morphology and chemical composition of the thin films before and after annealing, with and without the sodium solution. The optoelectrical properties were investigated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Hall measurements. All the prepared CZTSe thin films exhibited a p-type nature with an optical bandgap in the range of 0.82–1.02 eV. The open-circuit voltage and fill factor of the CZTSe-based devices increased from 266 to 335 mV and from 37.79% to 44.19%, respectively, indicating a decrease in the number of recombination centers after Na incorporation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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27 pages, 7907 KiB  
Article
Optical Characterization and Prediction with Neural Network Modeling of Various Stoichiometries of Perovskite Materials Using a Hyperregression Method
by Soo Min Kim, Syed Dildar Haider Naqvi, Min Gu Kang, Hee-eun Song and SeJin Ahn
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(6), 932; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12060932 - 11 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2219
Abstract
Quaternary perovskite solar cells are being extensively studied, with the goal of increasing solar cell efficiency and securing stability by changing the ratios of methylammonium, formamidinium, I3, and Br3. However, when the stoichiometric ratio is changed, the photoelectric properties [...] Read more.
Quaternary perovskite solar cells are being extensively studied, with the goal of increasing solar cell efficiency and securing stability by changing the ratios of methylammonium, formamidinium, I3, and Br3. However, when the stoichiometric ratio is changed, the photoelectric properties reflect those of different materials, making it difficult to study the physical properties of the quaternary perovskite. In this study, the optical properties of perovskite materials with various stoichiometric ratios were measured using ellipsometry, and the results were analyzed using an optical simulation model. Because it is difficult to analyze the spectral pattern according to composition using the existing method of statistical regression analysis, an artificial neural network (ANN) structure was constructed to enable the hyperregression analysis of n-dimensional variables. Finally, by inputting the stoichiometric ratios used in the fabrication and the wavelength range to the trained artificial intelligence model, it was confirmed that the optical properties were similar to those measured with an ellipsometer. The refractive index and extinction coefficient extracted through the ellipsometry analysis show a tendency consistent with the color change of the specimen, and have a similar shape to that reported in the literature. When the optical properties of the unmodified perovskite are predicted using the verified artificial intelligence model, a very complex change in pattern is observed, which is impossible to analyze with a general regression method. It can be seen that this change in optical properties is well maintained, even during rapid variations in the pattern according to the change in composition. In conclusion, hyperregression analysis with n-dimensional variables can be performed for the spectral patterns of thin-film materials using a simple big data construction method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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13 pages, 4657 KiB  
Article
SnS2 Nanoparticles and Thin Film for Application as an Adsorbent and Photovoltaic Buffer
by Sreedevi Gedi, Salh Alhammadi, Jihyeon Noh, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam Reddy, Hyeonwook Park, Abdelrahman Mohamed Rabie, Jae-Jin Shim, Dohyung Kang and Woo Kyoung Kim
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(2), 282; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12020282 - 17 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2570
Abstract
Energy consumption and environmental pollution are major issues faced by the world. The present study introduces a single solution using SnS2 for these two major global problems. SnS2 nanoparticles and thin films were explored as an adsorbent to remove organic toxic [...] Read more.
Energy consumption and environmental pollution are major issues faced by the world. The present study introduces a single solution using SnS2 for these two major global problems. SnS2 nanoparticles and thin films were explored as an adsorbent to remove organic toxic materials (Rhodamine B (RhB)) from water and an alternative to the toxic cadmium sulfide (CdS) buffer for thin-film solar cells, respectively. Primary characterization tools such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy were used to analyze the SnS2 nanoparticles and thin films. At a reaction time of 180 min, 0.4 g/L of SnS2 nanoparticles showed the highest adsorption capacity of 85% for RhB (10 ppm), indicating that SnS2 is an appropriate adsorbent. The fabricated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) device with SnS2 as a buffer showed a conversion efficiency (~5.1%) close to that (~7.5%) of a device fabricated with the conventional CdS buffer, suggesting that SnS2 has potential as an alternative buffer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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13 pages, 8345 KiB  
Article
Ethanol Solvothermal Treatment on Graphitic Carbon Nitride Materials for Enhancing Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Performance
by Phuong Anh Nguyen, Thi Kim Anh Nguyen, Duc Quang Dao and Eun Woo Shin
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(2), 179; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12020179 - 06 Jan 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2469
Abstract
Recently, Pt-loaded graphic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) materials have attracted great attention as a photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution from water. The simple surface modification of g-C3N4 by hydrothermal methods improves photocatalytic performance. In this study, ethanol is [...] Read more.
Recently, Pt-loaded graphic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) materials have attracted great attention as a photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution from water. The simple surface modification of g-C3N4 by hydrothermal methods improves photocatalytic performance. In this study, ethanol is used as a solvothermal solvent to modify the surface properties of g-C3N4 for the first time. The g-C3N4 is thermally treated in ethanol at different temperatures (T = 140 °C, 160 °C, 180 °C, and 220 °C), and the Pt co-catalyst is subsequently deposited on the g-C3N4 via a photodeposition method. Elemental analysis and XPS O 1s data confirm that the ethanol solvothermal treatment increased the contents of the oxygen-containing functional groups on the g-C3N4 and were proportional to the treatment temperatures. However, the XPS Pt 4f data show that the Pt2+/Pt0 value for the Pt/g-C3N4 treated at ethanol solvothermal temperature of 160 °C (Pt/CN-160) is the highest at 7.03, implying the highest hydrogen production rate of Pt/CN-160 is at 492.3 μmol g−1 h−1 because the PtO phase is favorable for the water adsorption and hydrogen desorption in the hydrogen evolution process. In addition, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data and the photoluminescence spectra emission peak intensify reflect that the Pt/CN-160 had a more efficient charge separation process that also enhanced the photocatalytic activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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17 pages, 36540 KiB  
Article
Bi-Functional Paraffin@Polyaniline/TiO2/PCN-222(Fe) Microcapsules for Solar Thermal Energy Storage and CO2 Photoreduction
by Wenchang Sun, Yueming Hou and Xu Zhang
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(1), 2; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12010002 - 21 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3253
Abstract
A novel type of bi-functional microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) microcapsules with thermal energy storage (TES) and carbon dioxide (CO2) photoreduction was designed and fabricated. The polyaniline (PANI)/titanium dioxide (TiO2)/PCN-222(Fe) hybrid shell encloses phase change material (PCM) paraffin by [...] Read more.
A novel type of bi-functional microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) microcapsules with thermal energy storage (TES) and carbon dioxide (CO2) photoreduction was designed and fabricated. The polyaniline (PANI)/titanium dioxide (TiO2)/PCN-222(Fe) hybrid shell encloses phase change material (PCM) paraffin by the facile and environment-friendly Pickering emulsion polymerization, in which TiO2 and PCN-222(Fe) nanoparticles (NPs) were used as Pickering stabilizer. Furthermore, a ternary heterojunction of PANI/(TiO2)/PCN-222(Fe) was constructed due to the tight contact of the three components on the hybrid shell. The results indicate that the maximum enthalpy of MEPCMs is 174.7 J·g−1 with encapsulation efficiency of 77.2%, and the thermal properties, chemical composition, and morphological structure were well maintained after 500 high–low temperature cycles test. Besides, the MEPCM was employed to reduce CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) under natural light irradiation. The CO evolution rate reached up to 45.16 μmol g−1 h−1 because of the suitable band gap and efficient charge migration efficiency, which is 5.4, 11, and 62 times higher than pure PCN-222(Fe), PANI, and TiO2, respectively. Moreover, the CO evolution rate decayed inapparently after five CO2 photoreduction cycles. The as-prepared bi-functional MEPCM as the temperature regulating building materials and air purification medium will stimulate a potential application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Nanocomposite for Optoelectronic Applications)
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