X-rays from synchrotron radiation enable incisive spectroscopic techniques which speed up the discovery of new materials for photovoltaics and photoelectrochemistry. A particularly useful method is X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), which probes empty electronic states. XAS is element- and bond-specific, with the additional capability of determining the bond orientation. Close feedback from density functional calculations makes it possible to discover and exploit systematic trends in the electronic properties. Case studies are presented, such as solar cells that combine an absorber with an electron donor and an acceptor in one molecular complex and nanowire arrays serving as photoanodes for water splitting. In addition to the energy levels the lifetimes of the charge carriers play an essential role in device performance. A new generation of laser-like X-ray sources will make it possible to follow the fate of excited charge carriers traveling across a molecular complex or through a device structure in real time.
The use of pulsed laser deposition as a fabrication technique for metal oxide semiconductor photoelectrodes for solar-driven
production of hydrogen from aqueous solutions is examined. The physical mechanisms of pulsed laser-material
interactions facilitate the deposition of a wide variety of semiconductor materials quickly and controllably. Films
prepared by this technique have proven to possess desirable characteristics for many applications, including highly
sensitive electronic and optical devices. However, pulsed laser deposition of materials for photoelectrode films is
relatively unexplored. Effectively utilizing this technique as a research tool for photoelectrode fabrication involves
exploiting the physical phenomena associated with laser-material interactions and the characteristic ablation plume.
Through control of process parameters one can engineer and study the composition and structural properties of
photoelectrodes simultaneously, which is known to be required for high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies.
Characteristics of photoanodes deposited by pulsed laser deposition are presented when illustrative of the fabrication
technique discussed.
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