Energy Alignment of Quantum-Confined ZnO Particles with Copper Oxides for Heterojunctions with Improved Photocatalytic Performance.

ABSTRACT: The ability to control electronic states by utilizing quantum confinement of one of the material components in heterojunctions is a promising approach to perform energy-level matching. In this work, we report the possibility to achieve optimum energy alignment in heterojunctions made from size-controlled quantum dots (Q-dots) of ZnO in combination with three copper oxides: Cu₂O, Cu₄O₃, and CuO. Quantum confinement effects on the ZnO nanoparticles in the diameter range 2.6-7.4 nm showed that the direct optical band gap decreased from 3.99 to 3.41 eV, with a dominating shift occurring in the conduction band (CB) edge, and thus the possibility to obtain close to 0.6 eV CB edge shift by controlling the size of ZnO. The effect was utilized to align the electroni

SUBMITTER: Thyr J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10125148 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature