Structural evaluations and temperature dependent photoluminescence characterizations of Eu(3+)-activated SrZrO3 hollow spheres for luminescence thermometry applications.

This research is focused on the temperature sensing ability of perovskite SrZrO3:Eu(3+) hollow spheres synthesized via the sol-gel method followed by heating. The Rietveld refinement indicated that the precursors annealed at 1100 °C were crystallized to form orthorhombic SrZrO3. SrZrO3 particles exhibited non-agglomerated hollow spherical morphology with an average particle size of 300 nm. The UV-excited photoluminescence spectrum of SrZrO3:Eu(3+) consisted of two regions. One region was associated with SrZrO3 trap emission, and the other one was related to the emission of Eu(3+) ions. The intensity ratio of the emission of Eu(3+) ions to the host emission (FIR) and the emission lifetime of Eu(3+) ions were measured in the temperature range of 300-550 K. The sensitivity obtained via the lifetime method was 7.3× lower than that measured via the FIR. Within the optimum temperature range of 300-460 K, the as-estimated sensor sensitivity was increased from 0.0013 to 0.028 K(-1). With a further increase in temperatures, the sensitivity started to decline. A maximum relative sensitivity was estimated to be 2.22%K(-1) at 460 K. The resolutions in both methods were below 1K in the above temperature range. The results indicated the suitability of SrZrO3:Eu(3+) for the distinct high temperature sensing applications.

Electrodeposition of antimony selenide thin films and application in semiconductor sensitized solar cells.

Sb2Se3 thin films are proposed as an alternative light harvester for semiconductor sensitized solar cells. An innovative electrodeposition route, based on aqueous alkaline electrolytes, is presented to obtain amorphous Sb2Se3. The amorphous to crystalline phase transition takes place during a soft thermal annealing in Ar atmosphere. The potential of the Sb2Se3 electrodeposited thin films in semiconductor sensitized solar cells is evaluated by preparing TiO2/Sb2Se3/CuSCN planar heterojunction solar cells. The resulting devices generate electricity from the visible and NIR photons, exhibiting the external quantum efficiency onset close to 1050 nm. Although planar architecture is not optimized in terms of charge carrier collection, photocurrent as high as 18 mA/cm(2), under simulated (AM1.5G) solar light, is achieved. Furthermore, the effect of the Sb2Se3 thickness and microstructural properties on the photocurrent is analyzed, suggesting the hole transport is the main limiting mechanism. The present findings provide significant insights to design efficient semiconductor sensitized solar cells based on advanced architectures (e.g., nanostructured and tandem), opening wide possibilities for progresses in this emerging photovoltaics technology.