K. Tennakone, M. Kahanda, C. Kasige
Jul 1, 1984
Citations
1
Influential Citations
36
Citations
Journal
Journal of The Electrochemical Society
Abstract
Cuprous thiocyanate (p-type semiconductor) is found to adsorb thiocyanated cationic dyes to yield high photoresponses in aqueous KCNS. The method of preparation and the performance of dye-sensitized CuCNS photocathodes are discussed. Electrolytic photocells with semiconductor electrodes are attracting attention as economical devices for the conversion of solar energy. The additional advantage of these systems is the possibility of extending the spectral response by sensitization with dyes. It is also known that the dye-sensitized (DS) photocurrent is rather insensitive to impurities and defects in the semiconductor; polycrystalline and amorphous materials with large bandgaps when sensitized yield high photocurrents. The sensitization is effective only if the dye is absorbed at the semiconductor surface. Thus, to produce practically useful DS cells, it is necessary to search for systems where the dye adsorption is optimized. The authors have found that cuprous thiocyanate (a p-type semiconductor) readily adsorbs cationic dyes when CNS- is the anionic ligand. In this paper, they describe observations on DS CuCNS electrodes in aqueous KCNS.