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Crystals
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New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and...
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New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials for Energy Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2022) | Viewed by 19751

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Drialys Cardenas-Morcoso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
Interests: photocatalysis; water splitting; semiconductors materials; photoelectrochemistry; solar energy
Dr. Hung-Pin Hsu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mingchi Institute of Technology, Taipei 243303, Taiwan
Interests: semiconductor optical properties; optoelectronic semiconductor materials and devices
Dr. Franziska Simone Hegner

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Technical University of Munich (TUM), James-Franck-Str. 185748 Garching, Germany
Interests: energy materials; lattice dynamics; charge transport; solar energy conversion; complex semiconductors; computational chemistry; photoelectrochemistry; spectroscopy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanocrystalline semiconductor materials are of great interest in solar energy conversion and storage applications, owing to their outstanding and unique properties. Nanostructuring allows the tuning of optoelectronic, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties of materials, that can be further harnessed in several applications, including sensors, non-linear optics, LEDs, photovoltaics, photo-electrocatalysis, and energy storage. Particularly, the crystalline structure has a direct influence on the properties and functionalities of nanostructured materials and their further performance. Therefore, in the last years large attention has been paid to nanocrystalline systems that stand as hot materials in solar energy conversion and storage applications. Such systems involve, for example, photovoltaic cells for electrical power generation, photo(-electro) catalysts for solar fuels production, synthesis of added values products, and the degradation of organic pollutants, as well as batteries, capacitors, and supercapacitors for energy storage.

The Special Issue on New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage aims to provide a strong platform gathering the recent advances and challenges on colloidal and thin films nanocrystalline materials, with potential application in solar energy harvesting and storing systems. We invite researchers to contribute to the present issue with their original works on the field, in the form of full paper, communication, and review. The topics on this issue cover, but are not restricted to:

  • Emerging nanocrystalline systems with potential application in solar energy harnessing and storage.
  • Novel routes of synthesis of colloidal nanocrystals.
  • Controlled growth and deposition of nanocrystalline thin films.
  • Advanced characterization techniques, and theoretical investigations on fundamental properties of nanocrystalline semiconductors, to assess their possibilities on solar conversion systems.
  • Strategies for enhanced performance of nanocrystalline materials (surface functionalization, doping, heterostructures, etc.).

Any other topics of interest on the field, and not included herein, are welcome.

Dr. Drialys Cardenas-Morcoso
Dr. Hung-Pin Hsu
Dr. Franziska Simone Hegner
Guest Editors

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

  • Nanocrystals
  • Photocatalysis
  • Photoelectrochemistry
  • Semiconductors
  • Solar energy conversion
  • Energy storage

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 2597 KiB  
Article
Crystal Growth of RuS2 Using a Chemical Vapor Transport Technique and Its Properties
by Refka Sai, Ouri Gorochov, Eman A. Alghamdi and Hatem Ezzaouia
Crystals 2022, 12(7), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12070994 - 17 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2122
Abstract
In this work, we study the effect of increasing temperature on the structure parameters (lattice, sulfur–sulfur distance, and ruthenium–sulfur distance) and the energy gap of RuS2. However, it was very challenging to obtain a sample of RuS2 due to many [...] Read more.
In this work, we study the effect of increasing temperature on the structure parameters (lattice, sulfur–sulfur distance, and ruthenium–sulfur distance) and the energy gap of RuS2. However, it was very challenging to obtain a sample of RuS2 due to many factors, some of which are discussed in the introduction. To prepare the crystal growth of RuS2, we have used the chemical vapor transport technique. The crystals obtained show a pyrite structure, of which we studied its crystallographic structure, including the structure of crystals in surface (100). The sample was then characterized by X-ray diffraction and by microprobe analysis. We determine the relationship between the energy gap and the sulfur–sulfur distance. We analyzed the S-S bond compared with the S2 molecule. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage)
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18 pages, 6518 KiB  
Article
Growth and Characterization of Second and Third Order Acentric Studies of l-Phenylalanine l-Phenylalaninium Malonate Single Crystal
by P. Sangeetha, M. Nageshwari, C. Rathika Thaya Kumari, S. Srividhya, G. Vinitha, G. Mathubala, A. Manikandan, M. Lydia Caroline, Anish Khan, Hajer S. Alorfi, Mahmoud Ali Hussein and Madhu Puttegowda
Crystals 2022, 12(6), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12060869 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2515
Abstract
A single crystal of l-phenylalanine l-phenylalanininum malonate (LPPMA) was synthesized by slow evaporation and was subjected to nonlinear optical examination and physio-chemical characterization. Studies on single X-ray diffraction confirm the arrangement of monoclinic space group P21 which is a vital criterion [...] Read more.
A single crystal of l-phenylalanine l-phenylalanininum malonate (LPPMA) was synthesized by slow evaporation and was subjected to nonlinear optical examination and physio-chemical characterization. Studies on single X-ray diffraction confirm the arrangement of monoclinic space group P21 which is a vital criterion for the NLO phenomenon. The assessment of functional groups and diverse vibration modes responsible for the characteristics of the material was performed with an FTIR analysis. The UV-visible spectral examination found the wavelength of UV-cutoff at 233 nm and various optical parameters were evaluated. The mechanical strength and different criteria associated with it were assessed. The electric field response of the material was examined in terms of the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, ac conductivity and activation energy. The spectra of emission were detailed. The efficacy of second harmonic generation was studied. The parameters of nonlinearity were investigated to analyse the third-order acentric optical response in the LPPMA by Z-scan procedure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage)
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13 pages, 2726 KiB  
Article
The Potential Effect of Annealing Mesostructured Titanium Dioxide Electrode in a Closed Box Furnace on the Concentration of Lead (II) Iodide Solution Required for Optimal Performance of Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells
by Muhammad Talha Masood, Amna Safdar, Muhammad Aftab Akram, Sofia Javed and Syeda Qudsia
Crystals 2022, 12(6), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12060833 - 12 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1635
Abstract
Highly reproducible mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be fabricated using two-step sequential deposition of organo-lead halide (perovskite) active layer. However, differences in the processing conditions of individual layers which are subsequently assembled to construct the ultimate device can result in variations in [...] Read more.
Highly reproducible mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be fabricated using two-step sequential deposition of organo-lead halide (perovskite) active layer. However, differences in the processing conditions of individual layers which are subsequently assembled to construct the ultimate device can result in variations in the solar cell performance. For instance, here we report trends in the device performance as a function of PbI2 solution concentration, where the compact and mesoporous TiO2 layers were annealed in a closed box furnace (instead of doing it in open air). We observed that the devices prepared using 1.2 M PbI2 solution concentration performed better than those prepared from 0.8 M and 1 M PbI2 solutions. Generally, the researchers use the hot plate in an open-air environment or use a special hot plate where a continuous flow of air is ensured while annealing TiO2 electron selective layers (ESL) for perovskite solar cells. In this case, the highest possible device efficiencies are achieved using 1 M concentration of PbI2 solution. Although the influence of PbI2 solution concentration has been previously studied in detail, here our prime focus is to briefly comment on slight differences in the device performance trends which we observed in comparison to the previously reported results, where TiO2 layers were calcined in open air. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage)
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9 pages, 2808 KiB  
Article
Humidity Sensing and Photodetection Based on Tin Disulfide Nanosheets
by Der-Yuh Lin, Hung-Pin Hsu, Han-Sheng Hu, Yu-Cheng Yang, Chia-Feng Lin and Wei Zhou
Crystals 2021, 11(9), 1028; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11091028 - 26 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2624
Abstract
Tin disulfide has substantial importance for two-dimensional material-based optoelectronics and sensors due to its unique optoelectrical properties. In this report, we fabricate SnS2 nanosheets using the low-pressure thermal sulfurization process, whose crystal structure and surface morphology are confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) [...] Read more.
Tin disulfide has substantial importance for two-dimensional material-based optoelectronics and sensors due to its unique optoelectrical properties. In this report, we fabricate SnS2 nanosheets using the low-pressure thermal sulfurization process, whose crystal structure and surface morphology are confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements. From photoconductivity measurement and photocurrent mapping, we observe smaller electrode spacing of SnS2 thin films can enhance photodetection. Then, by the H2O2 oxidation processing, we transform SnS2 to SnO2 to detect humidity. The measured response and recovery time can be optimized to 5.6 and 1.0 s, respectively, shorter than those of commercial DHT11 humidity sensor of 32 and 34 s. At suitable bias, humidity sensor can detect human respiration properly at room temperature. Our results show that SnS2 nanosheets exhibit reasonable performance for emergent photodetector applications and humidity sensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage)
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9 pages, 2908 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Photoresponsivity of 2H-MoTe2 by Inserting 1T-MoTe2 Interlayer Contact for Photodetector Applications
by Der-Yuh Lin, Hung-Pin Hsu, Guang-Hsin Liu, Ting-Zhong Dai and Yu-Tai Shih
Crystals 2021, 11(8), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11080964 - 16 Aug 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4189
Abstract
The 2H molybdenum telluride (MoTe2) photodetector structures were made with inserting 1T-MoTe2 interlayer contacts. The optical response properties such as photoconductivity (PC) spectroscopy, illumination intensity dependent photoresponsivity, frequency dependent photocurrent, and time-resolved photoresponse were carried out in this study. In [...] Read more.
The 2H molybdenum telluride (MoTe2) photodetector structures were made with inserting 1T-MoTe2 interlayer contacts. The optical response properties such as photoconductivity (PC) spectroscopy, illumination intensity dependent photoresponsivity, frequency dependent photocurrent, and time-resolved photoresponse were carried out in this study. In PC spectra, a much higher photoresponsivity of 2H-MoTe2 were observed by inserting 1T-MoTe2 interlayer contact. The frequency dependent photocurrent and time-resolved photoresponse investigations explore the carrier kinetic decay process of MoTe2 with different electrode contact. The Schottky barrier heights (SBH) extracted by thermionic emission theory were also investigated by inserting 1T-MoTe2 interlayer contacts. The results show the potential applicability for photodetection devices based MoTe2 layered transition metal dichalcogenides semiconductors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage)
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Review

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29 pages, 7809 KiB  
Review
Pt-Based Multimetal Electrocatalysts and Potential Applications: Recent Advancements in the Synthesis of Nanoparticles by Modified Polyol Methods
by Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, Yong Yang, Nguyen Quang Thanh Nam, Masayuki Nogami, Le Hong Phuc and Nguyen Viet Long
Crystals 2022, 12(3), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12030375 - 10 Mar 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4949
Abstract
In our review, we have presented a summary of the research accomplishments of nanostructured multimetal-based electrocatalysts synthesized by modified polyol methods, especially the special case of Pt-based nanoparticles associated with increasing potential applications for batteries, capacitors, and fuel cells. To address the problems [...] Read more.
In our review, we have presented a summary of the research accomplishments of nanostructured multimetal-based electrocatalysts synthesized by modified polyol methods, especially the special case of Pt-based nanoparticles associated with increasing potential applications for batteries, capacitors, and fuel cells. To address the problems raised in serious environmental pollution, disease, health, and energy shortages, we discuss and present an improved polyol process used to synthesize nanoparticles from Pt metal to Pt-based bimetal, and Pt-based multimetal catalysts in the various forms of alloy and shell core nanostructures by practical experience, experimental skills, and the evidences from the designed polyol processes. In their prospects, there are the micro/nanostructured variants of hybrid Pt/nanomaterials, typically such as Pt/ABO3-type perovskite, Pt/AB2O4-type ferrite, Pt/CoFe2O4, Pt/oxide, or Pt/ceramic by modified polyol processes for the development of electrocatalysis and energy technology. In the future, we suggest that both the polyol and the sol-gel processes of diversity and originality, and with the use of various kinds of water, alcohols, polyols, other solvents, reducing agents, long-term capping and stabilizing agents, and structure- and property-controlling agents, are very effectively used in the controlled synthesis of micro/nanoparticles and micro/nanomaterials. It is understood that at the levels of controlling and modifying molecules, ions, atoms, and nano/microscales, the polyol or sol-gel processes, and their technologies are effectively combined in bottom-up and top-down approaches, as are the simplest synthetic methods of physics, chemistry, and biology from the most common aqueous solutions as well as possible experimental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons on Nanocrystalline Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage)
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