Aqueous Chemical Growth of α-Fe2O3–α-Cr2O3 Nanocomposite Thin Films
We are reporting here on the inexpensive fabrication and optical properties of an iron(III) oxide–chromium(III) oxide nanocomposite thin film of corundum crystal structure. Its novel and unique-designed architecture consists of uniformed, well-defined and oriented nanorods of Hematite (α-Fe2O3) of 50 nm in diameter and 500 nm in length and homogeneously distributed nonaggregated monodisperse spherical nanoparticles of Eskolaite (α-Cr2O3) of 250 nm in diameter. This α-Fe2O3–α-Cr2O3 nanocomposite thin film is obtained by growing, directly onto transparent polycrystalline conducting substrate, an oriented layer of hematite nanorods and growing subsequently, the eskolaite layer. The synthesis is carried out by a template-free, low-temperature, multilayer thin film coating process using aqueous solution of metal salts as precursors. Almost 100% of the light is absorbed by the composite film between 300 and 525 nm and 40% at 800 nm which yields great expectations as photoanode materials for photovoltaic cells and photocatalytic devices.
Keywords: AQUEOUS PROCESSING; CHROMIUM OXIDE; ESKOLAITE; HEMATITE; IRON OXIDE; NANOCOMPOSITE; NANOROD; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHOTOANODE; THIN FILM
Document Type: Communications
Affiliations: Department of Physics, Uppsala University, Box 530, SE-75121 Uppsala, Sweden
Publication date: 01 December 2001
- Journal for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (JNN) is an international and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal with a wide-ranging coverage, consolidating research activities in all areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology into a single and unique reference source. JNN is the first cross-disciplinary journal to publish original full research articles, rapid communications of important new scientific and technological findings, timely state-of-the-art reviews with author's photo and short biography, and current research news encompassing the fundamental and applied research in all disciplines of science, engineering and medicine.
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