Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol.164, 165-174, 2017
Plasmon hybridisation of self-assembled 3d multiphase nano-titanium oxide towards broadband photon absorption
Nanomaterials with a broadband photon absorption capability are essential for better performing solar cells. Plasmonic nanostructures and Quantum Dots, often fabricated via complex time intensive methods, have a narrow absorption spectrum. In this paper, we report a plasmon hybridised self-assembled 3D nano network of multiphase titanium oxide, which was synthesised via a single step bottoms-up method, and is structurally both multi-layered and three dimensional in nature. The surface plasmonic effect was induced on the self-assembled nanomaterial through its hybridisation with Au and Au/palladium alloy that resulted in the achievement of an enhanced and broadened absorption spectrum extending over the entire visible as well as the near infrared region of the solar spectrum. Further studies were also dallied out to examine the impact of various factors like the size, composition and degree of hybridisation of the self-assembled 3D multiphase nano titanium oxide network on its photon absorption capability.