Fuel shortage and energy crisis are two challenging issues of this century [1]. Photon-to-electron conversion is a promising scientific route for solving these energy-related problems [2]. In this route, using sunlight and a proper semiconductor-based device, the energy of photons is directlyconverted into electricity or solar fuels [3–5]. In these photonic devices, by irradiation of photons, the electrons are pumped from the valence band (VB) to conduction band (CB) of the semiconductor material; see Fig.1. The resultof this photo-excitation process is the generation of excess mobile electrons and holes in CB and VB, respectively. From chemical viewpoint, these photo-generated electrons and holes can be employed as potential reducing and oxidizing agents for redox reactions of electroactive species present at the semiconductor | electrolyte interface (Fig. 1). In the fabrication of photonic devices, depending on the type of semiconductor material being applied, its role (reductive or oxidative) becomes determined; e.g. TiO2 is an n-type semiconductor
Fuel shortage and energy crisis are two challenging issues of this century [1]. Photon-to-electron conversion is a promising scientific route for solving these energy-related problems [2]. In this route, using sunlight and a proper semiconductor-based device, the energy of photons is directlyconverted into electricity or solar fuels [3–5]. In these photonic devices, by irradiation of photons, the electrons are pumped from the valence band (VB) to conduction band (CB) of the semiconductor material; see Fig.1. The resultof this photo-excitation process is the generation of excess mobile electrons and holes in CB and VB, respectively. From chemical viewpoint, these photo-generated electrons and holes can be employed as potential reducing and oxidizing agents for redox reactions of electroactive species present at the semiconductor | electrolyte interface (Fig. 1). In the fabrication of photonic devices, depending on the type of semiconductor material being applied, its role (reductive or oxidative) becomes determined; e.g. TiO2 is an n-type semiconductor
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