Nano-hybrid structured regioregular polyhexylthiophene (RRPHTh) blend films for production of photoelectrochemical energy
The novel photoelectrochemical nano-hybrid film fabricated by blending regioregular polyhexylthiophene (RRPHTh) with titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), Zinc oxide (ZnO) and nanodiamond (ND) nanoparticles on ITO coated glass plate, n-type silicon, and gold coated glass surfaces. The photoelectrochemical study reveals photoinduced electron transfer in nano-hybrid RRPHTh with donor and ND as acceptor providing a molecular approach to high-efficiency photoelectrochemical conversion properties. The ND-RRPHTh has shown promising morphological and photoelectrochemical properties than RRPHTh as well as TiO 2 -RRPHTh and ZnO-RRPHTh nano-hybrid films.
1. An electrolytic cell system used in photoelectrochemical applications, comprising:
a nano-hybrid film formed of a conducting regioregular polythiophene substantially uniformly blended with nanoparticles including nanodiamonds on a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode arranged in at least one electrolyte in order to form a blend formation of said nanodiamonds with said regioregular polythiophene, wherein said blend formation shows crystallinity due to diffusion of said nanoparticles to nucleation sites to form a hexagonal arrangement of said regioregular polythiophene with said nanodiamonds,
wherein said nanodiamonds synergistically enhance photoconductivity of said nano-hybrid film,
wherein said regioregular polythiophene is an electron donor and said nanodiamonds are an electron acceptor, such that electrons undergo a photoinduced transfer from said regioregular polythiophene to said nanodiamonds,
wherein said nano-hybrid film accepts said electrons from electron hole pairs.
2. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said regioregular polythiophene being a regioregular polyhexylthiophene.
3. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said nanoparticles further including zinc oxide.
4. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said nanoparticles further including titanium oxide.
5. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said working electrode being an indium tin oxide coated glass plate.
6. The electrolytic cell system of claim 5 , further comprising:
said counter electrode being an n-type silicon coated glass surface.
7. The electrolytic cell system of claim 6 , further comprising:
said reference electrode being a gold coated glass surface.
8. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said at least one electrolyte being tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate.
9. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said nano-hybrid film arranged in a photoelectrochemical cell.
10. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the nano-hybrid film having a thickness of about 500 nm to about 1 μm.
11. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said polythiophene blended with said nanoparticles has a particle diameter of about 20 nm to about 100 nm, whereby said nanodiamonds aggregated into a larger size prior to blending with said polythiophene.
12. The electrolytic cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
said regioregular polythiophene including a poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl).
13. An electrolytic cell system used in photoelectrochemical applications, comprising:
a nano-hybrid film formed of a conducting regioregular polythiophene, including a regioregular polyhexylthiophene and a poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl) polymer, substantially uniformly blended with nanoparticles including nanodiamonds, zinc oxide, and titanium oxide on an indium tin oxide coated glass plate acting as a working electrode, an n-type silicon coated glass surface acting as a counter electrode, and a gold coated glass surface acting as a reference electrode arranged in at least one electrolyte in order to form a blend formation of said nanodiamonds with said regioregular polythiophene, wherein said blend formation shows crystallinity due to diffusion of said nanoparticles to nucleation sites to form a hexagonal arrangement of said regioregular polythiophene with said nanodiamonds,
said at least one electrolyte including tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate, said nanodiamonds synergistically enhancing the photoconductivity of said nano-hybrid film,
wherein said regioregular polythiophene is an electron donor and said nanodiamonds are an electron acceptor, such that electrons undergo a photoinduced transfer from said regioregular polythiophene to said nanodiamonds;
said film arranged in a photoelectrochemical cell;
said nano-hybrid film having a thickness of about 500 nm to about 1 μm; and
said polyhexylthiophene blended with said nanoparticles has a particle size of about 20 nm to about 100 nm, whereby said nanodiamonds aggregated into a larger size prior to blending with said polythiophene,
wherein said nano-hybrid film accepts said electrons from electron hole pairs.
14. A method of fabricating a photoelectrochemical cell with enhanced photoconductivity, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a conducting regioregular polyhexylthiophene polymer;
blending nanoparticles into said polyhexylthiophene polymer, said nanoparticles including nanodiamonds in order to form a blend formation of said nanodiamonds with said regioregular polythiophene, wherein said blend formation shows crystallinity due to diffusion of said nanoparticles to nucleation sites to form a hexagonal arrangement of said regioregular polythiophene with said nanodiamonds,
wherein said regioregular polythiophene is an electron donor and said nanodiamonds are an electron acceptor, such that electrons undergo a photoinduced transfer from said regioregular polythiophene to said nanodiamonds,
wherein said nanodiamonds synergistically enhance photoconductivity of said nano-hybrid film;
disposing a mixture of said polyhexylthiophene polymer and said nanoparticles onto a substrate containing a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode arranged within at least one electrolyte,
wherein said nano-hybrid film accepts said electrons from electron hole pairs.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
blending zinc oxide into said mixture of said polyhexylthiophene polymer and said nanoparticles.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
blending titanium oxide into said mixture of said polyhexylthiophene polymer and said nanoparticles.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
said working electrode being an indium tin oxide coated glass plate;
said counter electrode being an n-type silicon coated glass surface; and
said reference electrode being a gold coated glass surface.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
said at least one electrolyte being tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
blending a poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl) polymer into said mixture of said polyhexylthiophene polymer and said nanoparticles.