Issue 26, 2023

Band-structure tunability via the modulation of excitons in semiconductor nanostructures: manifestation in photocatalytic fuel generation

Abstract

Understanding the energetics of electron transfer at the semiconductor interface is crucial for the development of solar harvesting technologies, including photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and solar fuel systems. However, modern artificial photosynthetic materials are not efficient and limited by their fast charge recombination with high binding energy of excitons. Hence, reducing the exciton binding energy can increase the generation of charge carriers, which improve the photocatalytic activities. Extensive research has been dedicated to improving the exciton dissociation efficiency through rational semiconductor design via heteroatom doping, vacancy engineering, the construction of heterostructures, and donor–π–acceptor (D–π–A) interfaces to extend the charge carrier migration, promoting the dissociation of excitons. Consequently, functionalized photocatalysts have demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic performances for solar fuel production under visible light irradiation. This review provides the fundamental aspects of excitons in semiconductor nanostructures, having a high binding energy and ultrafast exciton formation together with promising photo-redox properties for solar to fuel conversion application. In particular, this review highlights the significant role of the excitonic effect in the photocatalytic activity of newly developed functional materials and the underlying mechanistic insight for tuning the performance of nanostructured semiconductor photocatalysts for water splitting, CO2 reduction, and N2 fixation reactions.

Graphical abstract: Band-structure tunability via the modulation of excitons in semiconductor nanostructures: manifestation in photocatalytic fuel generation

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
07 Maijs 2023
Accepted
31 Maijs 2023
First published
31 Maijs 2023

Nanoscale, 2023,15, 10939-10974

Band-structure tunability via the modulation of excitons in semiconductor nanostructures: manifestation in photocatalytic fuel generation

S. Ghosh, D. Sarkar, S. Bastia and Y. S. Chaudhary, Nanoscale, 2023, 15, 10939 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR02116E

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