The Technology
Metal oxides are wide band gap semiconductors and tuning their band gap is essential for applications in electronics, photonics, acoustics, and sensing. Traditionally, this is done by doping at high temperatures through lengthy processes, which are not suitable for all materials, such as organics.
Band gap tuning of metal oxides and perovskites has been achieved by incorporating amino acids during the low-temperature crystallization process. The band gap can be controlled by varying the type and concentration of amino acids, which also help stabilize the crystals. Blueshift of up to 40% was achieved.
Quantum confinement depends on the spacing between amino acids in the crystal, rather than crystal size, allowing for larger crystals up to centimeters in size. The new crystals are produced at low temperatures, and have increased stability making them very appealing for quantum dots (QD) solar cells.
The new crystals also show photocatalytic capabilities.
Advantages
- Accurate band gap tuning
- Fast and cheap process
- Low temperature band gap tunability for thermo-sensitive materials
- Increased stability of hybrid perovskites
Applications and Opportunities
- Sensing
- Communication
- Electronic devices
- Solar cells
- Optoelectronics
- Photo catalysis
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