Plasmonic electrochemical cells

Abstract

The constantly growing global demand for clean energy forces the development of technologiesproducing efficient and renewable energy sources. One direction of development is thin-film photovoltaicsystems that allow for the efficient conversion of solar energy to electrical or chemical energy andtheir usage in production of hydrogen, which is one of the most promising elements for storing greenenergy. The efficiency of photovoltaic systems is determined, among others factors, by properties ofa semiconductor in which light is absorbed and electron-hole pairs are generated. The efficiency ofthis process can be increased by using surface plasmon resonance induced on metallic nanoparticleslocated on the surface or inside the active material. Collective oscillations of the electron plasma excitedin the nanoparticle lead to trapping and enhancement of the electromagnetic field, which, resonantlyscattered to the active layer, increases the absorption in the cell. The selection of the material, size andshape of the nanoparticles allows spectral tuning of the absorption in the system. This study aims toimprove the efficiency of electrochemical cells with copper oxide electrodes by incorporating silvernanoparticles doped with palladium. The nanoparticles were prepared using physical vapour deposition.The fabricated structures were optically characterised by spectrophotometry and SE M microscopy.The conducted research demonstrates an increase in cell efficiency depending on the shape and sizeof the applied nanoparticles. The best results were obtained for systems subjected to post-depositionannealing, resulting in improved chemical stability and optical response of nanoparticles.Keywords: plasmonics, photoelectrochemical cells, plasmonic nanoparticles

Keywords

• plasmonics
• photoelectrochemical cells
• plasmonic nanoparticles