Abstract
Metal oxide nanomaterials are versatile functional materials for various applications. Among these materials, zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) have been intensively investigated for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications due to their excellent electronic properties and photoactivities, and the distinctions in their properties have therefore led to different research focuses regarding the applications of ZnO and TiO2. In this seminar, the photocatalytic applications of ZnO nanostructures, as well as the rapidly developing perovskite photovoltaic devices which involve TiO2 as charge transporting layers will be discussed.
Regarding the photocatalytic applications of ZnO, the correlations between photocatalytic activities and material properties including native defects, surface adsorbates, and luminescence properties will be demonstrated. In addition, post-fabrication treatments can effectively manipulate the material properties resulting in alternated photocatalytic activities. Regarding the applications of metal oxide nanomaterials in perovskite solar cells, the stability issue of perovskite materials is of particular importance for practical applications. In a typical planar cell architecture, the TiO2 compact layer is considered causing photodecomposition of the perovskite films due to its high photoactivity. Based on this perspective, the stability of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films is investigated, as well as the role of TiO2 layer during degradation process. The detrimental effect of excess PbI2 on the intrinsic stability of perovskite films will be highlighted.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.