A reflection on ‘Self-assembly of aligned rutile@anatase TiO2 nanorod@CdS quantum dots ternary core–shell heterostructure: cascade electron transfer by interfacial design’

Abstract

Interface design plays a pivotal role in optimizing the carrier separation and migration kinetics in artificial photosystems by meticulously aligning energy levels to facilitate the smooth flow of photogenerated charge carriers. In 2014, Liu et al., reported a facile and efficient layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly strategy for the preparation of a rutile@anatase TiO₂ NRs@CdS QDs ternary core–shell heterostructure, in which an in situ formed monodispersed anatase TiO₂ layer is intimately sandwiched in-between rutile TiO₂ nanorods (NRs) and CdS quantum dots (QDs), achieving efficient charge separation (F.-X. Xiao, J. Miao and B. Liu, Mater. Horiz., 2014, 1, 259–263, https://doi.org/10.1039/C3MH00097D). Here, we briefly review the subsequent research on LbL assembly mediated interface design, triggered by this work, aiming to explore in depth the key role of the interface engineering afforded by this booming strategy in finely regulating the charge transport and separation for solar energy conversion.