Ab Initio Calculations for the Electronic, Interfacial and Optical Properties of Two-Dimensional AlN/Zr2CO2 Heterostructure

Recently, expanding the applications of two-dimensional (2D) materials by constructing van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures has become very popular. In this work, the structural, electronic and optical absorption performances of the heterostructure based on AlN and Zr2CO2 monolayers are studied by first-principles simulation. It is found that AlN/Zr2CO2 heterostructure is a semiconductor with a band gap of 1.790 eV. In the meanwhile, a type-I band structure is constructed in AlN/Zr2CO2 heterostructure, which can provide a potential application of light emitting devices. The electron transfer between AlN and Zr2CO2 monolayer is calculated as 0.1603 |e| in the heterostructure, and the potential of AlN/Zr2CO2 heterostructure decreased by 0.663 eV from AlN layer to Zr2CO2 layer. Beisdes, the AlN/Zr2CO2 vdW heterostructure possesses excellent light absorption ability of in visible light region. Our research provides a theoretical guidance for the designing of advanced functional heterostructures.

Synthesis of Cu2O and Cu2O-C3N4 nanomaterials for the photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light irradiation

These experiment fabricated C3N4 powdermaterials by the calcinational method and fabricated Cu2O, Cu2O-3%C3N4, Cu2O-5%C3N4 nanomaterials by the hydrothermal method. The powdermaterials characteristics were studied by methods such as: X-ray diffraction (XRD); raman shift; scanning electron microscope (SEM); UV-vis solid absorption spectra. The photocatalytic activity of samples was studied by decomposition of methylene blue dye under visible light radiation. The results showed that the fabricated C3N4 sample was single phase with high porosity cotton structure. The Cu2O, Cu2O-3%C3N4 andCu2O-5%C3N4 samples had octahedral crystal structure with the crystal particle size was about 200-300 nm. The C3N4 doped Cu2O samples had octahedral crystal particles arranged more closely than that of Cu2O and filled in gaps by cotton, porous clusters of C3N4. The materials all had the absorption spectra expanded in the visible light region (l» 450-900 nm). The C3N4 doped Cu2O samples achieved the better photocatalytic efficiency than Cu2O and C3N4 samples in visible light region. The highest photocatalytic efficiency achieved 100% was of the Cu2O-3%C3N4 sample in the photodegradation of methylene blue dye after 30 minutes under visible light irradiation.

The Characteristics of Aluminum-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide Ultraviolet Phototransistors by Co-Sputtering Method

In this thesis, Aluminum-Gallium-Zinc oxide (AGZO) photo thin film transistors (PTFTs) fabricated by the co-sputtered method are investigated. The transmittance and absorption show that AGZO is highly transparent across the visible light region, and the bandgap of AGZO can be tuned by varying the co-sputtering power. The AGZO TFT demonstrates high performance with a threshold voltage (VT) of 0.96 V, on/off current ratio of 1.01 × 107, and subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.33 V/dec. Besides, AGZO has potential for solar-blind applications because of its wide bandgap. The AGZO PTFT of this research can achieve a rejection ratio of 4.31 × 104 with proper sputtering power and a rising and falling time of 35.5 s and 51.5 s.

Application of Plasmonic Metal Nanoparticles in TiO2-SiO2 Composite as an Efficient Solar-Activated Photocatalyst: A Review Paper

Over the last decade, interest in the utilization of solar energy for photocatalysis treatment processes has taken centre-stage. Researchers had focused on doping TiO2 with SiO2 to obtain an efficient degradation rate of various types of target pollutants both under UV and visible-light irradiation. In order to further improve this degradation effect, some researchers resorted to incorporate plasmonic metal nanoparticles such as silver and gold into the combined TiO2-SiO2 to fully optimize the TiO2-SiO2’s potential in the visible-light region. This article focuses on the challenges in utilizing TiO2 in the visible-light region, the contribution of SiO2 in enhancing photocatalytic activities of the TiO2-SiO2 photocatalyst, and the ability of plasmonic metal nanoparticles (Ag and Au) to edge the TiO2-SiO2 photocatalyst toward an efficient solar photocatalyst.

Low-reflective wire-grid polariser sheet in the visible region fabricated by a nanoprinting process

For the construction of next-generation optical products and systems, the evolution of polariser sheets is a necessary requirement. To this end, a low-reflective wire-grid polariser (WGP) sheet for the visible light region is demonstrated, the nanowires of which consist of a sintered body of silver nanoparticle ink. The nanowires are formed by a nanoprinting process using a thermal nanoimprint method and ink filling. This process makes it easier to achieve multiple wafer-scale productions without using sophisticated equipment compared to conventional WGP nanofabrication techniques, which typically employ lithography and elaborate etching processes. The optical characteristics are controlled by the shape of the printed nanowires. A WGP sheet with a luminous degree of polarisation of 99.0%, a total luminous transmittance of 13.6%, and a luminous reflectance of 3.6% is produced. Its low reflectance is achieved through the uneven surface derived from the sintered body of the nanoparticle ink, and the shape of the bottom of the nanowire is derived from the tip shape of the mould structure. Furthermore, the printed WGP sheet has the durability required for the manufacturing of curved products, including sunglasses. The optical structures made of nanoparticle ink using this nanoprinting process have the potential to significantly contribute to the development of fine-structured optical elements with unprecedented functionality.