Role of carbon quantum dots in titania based photoelectrodes: Upconversion or others?

Jing Zhou; Jiangchun Chen; Jinlong Zheng; Bingyi Yan; Yan Zhou; Bingdong Hou; Buyang Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2018.06.040

Role of carbon quantum dots in titania based photoelectrodes: Upconversion or others?

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2018 Nov 1:529:396-403. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.06.040. Epub 2018 Jun 19.

Authors

Jing Zhou¹, Jiangchun Chen², Jinlong Zheng³, Bingyi Yan², Yan Zhou¹, Bingdong Hou¹, Buyang Chen¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin 132012, PR China.
² School of Chemistry Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin 132012, PR China; School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
³ School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Center for Green Innovation, School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China. Electronic address: zhengjinlong@buaa.edu.cn.

PMID: 29940322
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.06.040

Abstract

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized by a facile and green pyrolysis method. The as-prepared CQDs show wide light absorption, tunable downconversion photoluminescence (PL) properties and excellent "upconversion" luminescence properties. CQDs were used to design the TiO₂/CdS/C photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution. The role of the CQDs was investigated based on the TiO₂/CdS/C photoelectrodes. The results reveal that CQDs can enhance light-harvesting efficiency and improve their charge separation and transfer properties when coupled with conventional QD-sensitized photoelectrodes. Nevertheless, the contribution of "upconversion" luminescence of CQDs to the enhanced photoelectrochemical performance is negligible.

Keywords: Carbon quantum dots; Hydrogen evolution; Photoelectrochemistry; Synergistic effect; Upconversion.