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Harvesting multiple optical energies using ZnPc/CdS-QDs hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductors

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Abstract

The substitution of inorganic-based electronics by organic semiconducting materials is a current trend in science and technology for its economic and environmental benefits, but it is hardly progressing. The reason thereof is the lack of improved efficiency, which affects the organic semiconductors performance in many devices when compared with their inorganic-based counterparts. A recent peculiar idea of using heterostructures consisting of both organic and inorganic materials has become an auspicious solution. To this end, the ability to synthesize hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductors targeting different applications is of utmost importance. We hereby present a successful simple route to synthesize a stable homogenous hybrid organic/inorganic system consisting of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) oligomers as the organic base, and Cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs) as the inorganic part. The structural and optical characterizations of the prepared samples demonstrate new optical absorption transitions for the hybrids in the red region belonging to the ZnPc molecules, besides the original blue band absorption of the CdS QDs. This is combined with a reduced radiative emission of the whole system. Thus, the hybrid materials are capable of harvesting multiple frequencies within the visible spectra more efficiently than pure QDs, while relaxing non-radiatively rather than by emitting electrons or heat. These qualities favor the use of these hybrids as solar cell or thermal-power active materials.

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Acknowledgement

AE and IM are acknowledging the funding provided by the joint Russian Egyptian STDF Project No. 13756. AE is also grateful for the general administration of Missions at the Ministry of High Education in Egypt for funding the mission trip to Centro de Fisica de Materiales on 2016. CR and EO are grateful for funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant MAT2016-78293-C6-5-R, including FEDER funds) and the Interreg POCTEFA V-A Spain–France–Andorra Program (EFA 194/16/TNSI) partly financed by ERDF funds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11754, Egypt

    Afaf El-Sayed, Iman A. Mahdy, Fatma Ibraheem & Esmat A. Mahmoud

  2. Nanoscience Program, Zewail City of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology, 6th of October, Giza, 12578, Egypt

    Afaf El-Sayed

  3. Centro de Fisíca de Materiales CSIC/UPV-EHU-Materials Physics Center, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain

    Afaf El-Sayed, J. Enrique Ortega & Celia Rogero

  4. Donostia International Physics Center, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain

    J. Enrique Ortega & Celia Rogero

  5. Dpto. de Física Aplicada I, Universidad del Pais Vasco, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain

    J. Enrique Ortega

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  1. Afaf El-Sayed
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  2. Iman A. Mahdy
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Contributions

AES: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing-Original Draft, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration. IAM: Resources, Review & Editing, Supervision. FI: Formal Analysis, Investigation. EAM: Resources, Supervision. JEO: Review & Editing, Supervision. CR: Resources, Review & Editing, Supervision.

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Correspondence to Afaf El-Sayed.

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El-Sayed, A., Mahdy, I.A., Ibraheem, F. et al. Harvesting multiple optical energies using ZnPc/CdS-QDs hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductors. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 31, 12735–12742 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-03825-6

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