Hot-electron transfer in quantum-dot heterojunction films

Grimaldi G, Crisp R, Ten Brinck S, Zapata F, Van Ouwendorp M, Renaud N, Kirkwood N, Evers WH, Kinge S, Infante I, Siebbeles LDA, Houtepen AJ (2018)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

Book Volume: 9

Article Number: ARTN 2310

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04623-9

Abstract

Thermalization losses limit the photon-to-power conversion of solar cells at the high-energy side of the solar spectrum, as electrons quickly lose their energy relaxing to the band edge. Hot-electron transfer could reduce these losses. Here, we demonstrate fast and efficient hot-electron transfer between lead selenide and cadmium selenide quantum dots assembled in a quantum-dot heterojunction solid. In this system, the energy structure of the absorber material and of the electron extracting material can be easily tuned via a variation of quantum-dot size, allowing us to tailor the energetics of the transfer process for device applications. The efficiency of the transfer process increases with excitation energy as a result of the more favorable competition between hot-electron transfer and electron cooling. The experimental picture is supported by time-domain density functional theory calculations, showing that electron density is transferred from lead selenide to cadmium selenide quantum dots on the sub-picosecond timescale.

Authors with CRIS profile

Ryan Crisp Lehrstuhl für Chemistry of thin film materials

Involved external institutions

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam NL Netherlands (NL) Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) NL Netherlands (NL) Toyota US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Grimaldi, G., Crisp, R., Ten Brinck, S., Zapata, F., Van Ouwendorp, M., Renaud, N.,... Houtepen, A.J. (2018). Hot-electron transfer in quantum-dot heterojunction films. Nature Communications, 9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04623-9

MLA:

Grimaldi, Gianluca, et al. "Hot-electron transfer in quantum-dot heterojunction films." Nature Communications 9 (2018).

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