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Crystals
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Optical Properties of Crystalline Semiconductors and Nanomaterials
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Optical Properties of Crystalline Semiconductors and Nanomaterials

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1686

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mithun Bhowmick

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Miami University Regionals, Middletown, OH 45042, USA
Interests: nanomaterials; optical properties of solids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among the many interesting and technologically attractive materials, semiconductors have always held a special position in research. For the past century, researchers have been working rigorously on many fronts to report the uses and possible application pathways stemming from carriers created by photons. The semiconductor industry is not just a minor subset of the electronics industry, and it continues to grow. Elements and compound semiconductors have not only been researched academically but also commercialized into vast industries. Many band-gap engineering methods have led to novel uses of these materials.

Meanwhile, new classes of materials at lower dimensions are becoming inevitable routes to novel optoelectronic applications. Again, semiconductor nanoparticles such as metal selenides, perovskites, or lead halides have been predominant in this class due to their tuneability and broad range of photoelectric and optoelectronic properties. With quantum sensing applications progressing rapidly, these materials’ uses will continue to grow. Theoretical works and experiments are being conducted to understand the mechanism of quantum confinement in novel materials, and the field is evolving very fast.

This Special Issue will bring together recently derived state-of-the-art semiconductor bulk and nanoscale properties. Contributions are encouraged from researchers writing papers on the synthesis, processing, band-gap engineering, and photoelectric and optoelectronic properties of crystalline semiconductors, as well as semiconductor nanoparticles. Papers will focus on various light–matter interactions in semiconductor materials, including, but not limited to, theories and experiments on photoconduction, photoluminescence, catalysis, defects, doping pathways, material growth for quantum technology, and quantum sensing applications. We invite full-length research papers, review articles, and communications with significant novel contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Materials.

Dr. Mithun Bhowmick
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. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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

  • semiconductors
  • optoelectronics
  • quantum dots
  • nanoparticles
  • nanostructures
  • quantum materials
  • photoluminescence
  • photoelectric

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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17 pages, 2724 KiB  
Article
A Dual Photoelectrode System for Solar-Driven Saltwater Electrolysis: Simultaneous Production of Chlorine and Hydrogen
by Yue Gao, Na Li, Xuan Qi, Fujiang Zhou, Hao Yan, Danfeng He, Wei Xia and Yu Zhang
Crystals 2025, 15(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15030233 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 421
Abstract
Chlorine plays an essential role in various industries, such as wastewater treatment, disinfection, plastics, and pharmaceuticals, contributing to a significant global demand. Traditional methods of chlorine production, including chemical reactions involving manganese dioxide, potassium chlorate, and potassium permanganate, as well as the electrolysis [...] Read more.
Chlorine plays an essential role in various industries, such as wastewater treatment, disinfection, plastics, and pharmaceuticals, contributing to a significant global demand. Traditional methods of chlorine production, including chemical reactions involving manganese dioxide, potassium chlorate, and potassium permanganate, as well as the electrolysis of saturated salt solutions, are associated with safety and efficiency concerns. This study introduces a novel approach for the photoelectrocatalytic production of chlorine gas through the oxidation of chloride ions in potassium chloride solutions using a dual semiconductor photoelectrode system composed of TiO2 and Cu2O. By harnessing solar energy, this system enables the concurrent, safe, and efficient production of both chlorine and hydrogen gases. The TiO2 photoelectrode is employed for chlorine production, while Cu2O is used for hydrogen generation. The dual photoelectrode system mimics the process of electrolytic seawater electrolysis, offering a promising alternative to conventional methods. Through linear sweep voltammetry, current–time tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, supported by a detailed analysis of the energy band structure. Additionally, the material’s characteristics were verified using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This work not only provides a safer and more efficient method for chlorine production but also highlights the potential of solar-powered photoelectrocatalysis in large-scale applications. These findings point toward a sustainable and environmentally friendly direction for chlorine production under simulated seawater conditions, with significant implications for renewable energy-driven industrial processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Properties of Crystalline Semiconductors and Nanomaterials)
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10 pages, 2857 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Properties of a Red Na5Zn2Gd1−x(MoO4)6: xEu3+ Phosphor
by Wa Gao, Ren Sha and Jun Ai
Crystals 2024, 14(11), 933; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14110933 - 29 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 861
Abstract
Novel Eu3+-doped Na5Zn2Gd(MoO4)6 triple molybdate phosphors were fabricated by the sol-gel method. The structure, morphology, and luminescent properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), [...] Read more.
Novel Eu3+-doped Na5Zn2Gd(MoO4)6 triple molybdate phosphors were fabricated by the sol-gel method. The structure, morphology, and luminescent properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR spectroscopy, and luminescence spectroscopy. The results indicated that the synthesized Na5Zn2Gd1−x(MoO4)6: xEu3+ phosphor consisted of a pure phase with monoclinic structure. Under excitation at 465 nm, the Na5Zn2Gd1−x(MoO4)6: xEu3+ phosphor exhibits an intensive red emission band around 610 nm corresponding to the transition of 5D0→7F2 which is much higher than that 5D0→7F1 at 594 nm, which was appropriate for a blue LED. According to the influence of the synthesis conditions, the phosphors showed the highest emission intensity when the doping concentration of Eu3+ was 25 mol.% and the molar ratio of citric acid to metal ions was 2:1. Na5Zn2Gd0.75(MoO4)6: 0.25 Eu3+ with the color coordinates (x = 0.658, y = 0.341) is a more stable red phosphor for blue-based white LEDs than the commercial Y2O2S: Eu3+ red phosphor (0.48, 0.50) due to its being closer to the NTSC standard values (0.670, 0.330). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Properties of Crystalline Semiconductors and Nanomaterials)
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