Publication date: 10th April 2014
Up-conversion (UC) of infrared photons to visible radiation constitutes a promising strategy to optimize the spectral match between the incident solar radiation and the absorption properties of semiconductor materials employed for light harvesting systems.[1] Several works have been recently reported incorporating fluoride materials in energy conversion devices for application in photovoltaics,[2] photoelectrochemistry[3] and photocatalysis.[4] Among them, the most efficient hexagonal (β-) phase NaYF4 codoped with Ho3+, Er3+ or Tm3+/Yb3+ ions is known to be the most efficient converter due to its low phonon energy that suppresses nonradiative multiphonon relaxations.[5]Even so, fluorides present important drawbacks such as low thermal and chemical stability, high toxicity, high cost and complex synthetic procedures.
In the present study we demonstrate that up-converting Er3+,Yb3+-Y2O3 nanoparticles synthesized with a simple homogeneous co-precipitation method can be harnessed to produce photocurrent with sub-bandgap photons in heterostructured TiO2/CdS photoanodes for H2 generation. These up-converting nanoparticles present an exciting alternative because of their high stability and the ability of tune their structural, morphological and optical features through controlled synthetic pathways. The proof-of-concept device presented here shows promising features for large scale development of low-cost, stable and efficient photoelectrochemical devices for solar fuels production.
[1] W. van Sark, J. de Wild, J. K. Rath, A. Meijerink, R. E. I. Schropp, Nanoscale Res. Lett. 2013, 8, 81. M. Haase, H. Schafer, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 5808.
[2] X. Y. Huang, S. Y. Han, W. Huang, X. G. Liu, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2013, 42, 173
[3] M. Zhang, Y. J. Lin, T. J. Mullen, W. F. Lin, L. D. Sun, C. H. Yan, T. E. Patten, D. W. Wang, G. Y. Liu, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2012, 3, 3188
[4] Y. N. Tang, W. H. Di, X. S. Zhai, R. Y. Yang, W. P. Qin, ACS Catalysis 2013, 3, 405; D. X. Xu, Z. W. Lian, M. L. Fu, B. L. Yuan, J. W. Shi, H. J. Cui, App. Catal. B-Envir. 2013, 142, 377.
[5] K. W. Kramer, D. Biner, G. Frei, H. U. Gudel, M. P. Hehlen, S. R. Luthi, Chem. Mater. 2004, 16, 1244; F. Wang, X. G. Liu, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 5642.
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