Noble Metal-Semiconductor Heterostructures via Epitaxial Growth
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for synthesizing noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures face challenges in achieving precise control over structures and interfaces due to large lattice mismatches and different chemical bonding, limiting their application in catalysis, photovoltaics, and sensors.
Innovation Solution
A novel wet-chemical method is developed to synthesize noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures through epitaxial growth, where noble metal seeds are formed and used as substrates for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor structures, achieving precise control over the heterostructures' architectures and interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional non-epitaxial strategies (chemical deposition, cation-exchange, phase transfer, photochemical deposition, chemical extraction, sol-gel method) are used to prepare noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures, then the heterostructures can be obtained, but precise control over their structures and interfaces is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the deposition process by using a specific deep eutectic solvent system (choline chloride-urea-water) with controlled water content (0-50 wt%). This parameter change enables the solvent to penetrate the semiconductor lattice and facilitate epitaxial growth of noble metal crystals with precise structural control, overcoming the interface control limitations of conventional methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a deep eutectic solvent as an intermediary medium between the noble metal precursor and the semiconductor substrate. This solvent acts as a mediator that facilitates the formation of well-defined interfaces by controlling the nucleation and growth process, enabling precise structural control that is difficult to achieve with direct conventional deposition methods
2Manufacturing precision
If seeded/templated epitaxial growth is used to prepare heterostructures, then precise control over hierarchical structures, interfaces, crystal phases, and spatial arrangements is achieved, but this method is mainly limited to components with similar lattice structures and chemical bonding (lattice mismatch smaller than 5%)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the solvent parameters by using a deep eutectic solvent system with adjustable water content to accommodate vastly different lattice structures. This parameter modification allows the epitaxial growth method to work with noble metal-semiconductor pairs having lattice mismatches larger than 20%, extending the versatility of epitaxial growth beyond the conventional 5% mismatch limit
Solution Approach 2:
The deep eutectic solvent serves as an intermediary that bridges the structural difference between noble metals and semiconductors. It enables the epitaxial growth interface to form successfully even when the two materials have vastly different lattice structures and chemical bonding characteristics, thus expanding adaptability to distinctly different material pairs
3Adaptability or versatility
If noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures are prepared with large lattice mismatch (larger than 20%), then the heterostructures can be formed, but conventional methods face great challenges in achieving precise structural control and well-defined interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the growth environment by using a deep eutectic solvent with controlled water content (0-50 wt%). This parameter change allows the system to accommodate large lattice mismatches (>20%) while maintaining precise control over the heterostructure architecture and interface quality, overcoming the fundamental limitation of conventional methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method enables the epitaxial growth of semiconductor nanomaterials on noble metals with specific phases, resulting in heterostructures with high quantum yield of plasmon-induced charge transfer and excellent stability, suitable for applications in photocatalytic systems for CO2 reduction.
Implementation Method 1
The reaction chamber containing the third solution is heated with a third heating process, such that the noble metal seeds are formed in the third solution
Implementation Method 2
noble metal seeds are formed
Implementation Method 3
the first solution is heated with a first heating process, so as to obtain a transparent solution
Implementation Method 4
the second solution is heated with a second heating process to grow a semiconductor structure containing the first metal on the noble metal seeds, thereby forming the noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures therein
Implementation Method 5
the second solution is heated with a second heating process to grow a semiconductor structure
Data Source
AI summary
A method for synthesizing noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures includes the following steps S1 to S6. Step S1: noble metal seeds are formed. Step S2: at least one metal precursors including a first metal and a first solvent are mixed in a first reactor chamber, so as to obtain a first solution comprising a first mixture. Step S3: the first solution is heated with a first heating process, so as to obtain a transparent solution. Step S4: the noble metal seeds, the transparent solution, and a second solvent are mixed, so as to obtain a second solution. Step S5: the second solution is heated with a second heating process to grow a semiconductor structure containing the first metal on the noble metal seeds, thereby forming the noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures therein. Also, a photocatalytic system including the aforesaid noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures is provided.