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Molecular Foundry

HIGHLIGHTSSingle-nanowire photoelectrochemistry
November 12, 2016

Scientific Achievement

A single-nanowire-based device has been developed for photoelectrochemistry (PEC).

Significance and Impact

Single-nanowire photoelectrochemistry: (a) SEM image of the single-nanowire devices (b) I-V characteristic of a representative single-nanowire device shows the photo-generated electron flux over the nanowire’s surface area.

Single-nanowire photoelectrodes show that the photovoltage output of ensemble arrays can be limited by poorly performing individual nanowires, and that the large surface area of nanowire can lower the overpotential incurred in PEC reactions.

Research Details

  • The photocurrent produced from single-nanowire photoelectrodes is characterized with pA sensitivity
  • The photogenerated electron flux over the nanowire’s surface area ranges from 7-30 electrons/s. nm2
  • The photovoltage of the nanowire array sample is comparable with that of the worst single nanowires.
Su, Y., Liu, C., Brittman, S., Tang, J., Fu, A., Kornienko, N., Kong, Q., Yang, P., Nature Nanotech. 11, 609-612 (2016)

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