TITLE:
Ohmic Hetero-Junction of n-Type Silicon and Tungsten Trioxide for Visible-Light Sensitive Photocatalyst
AUTHORS:
Masaharu Yoshimizu, Yuki Hotori, Hiroshi Irie
KEYWORDS:
Ohmic Contact, Silicon, Tungsten Trioxide, Visible Light, Oxidative Decomposition, Two-Step Excitation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering,
Vol.5 No.8,
August
15,
2017
ABSTRACT: Visible light-sensitive photocatalyst was developed by combining n-type silicon (n-Si) and tungsten trioxide (WO3, n-Si/WO3), yielding an ohmic contact in between. In this system, the ohmic contact acted as an electron-and-hole mediator for the transfer of electrons and holes in the conduction band (CB) of WO3 and in the valence band (VB) of n-Si, respectively. Utilizing thus- constructed n-Si/WO3, the decomposition of 2-propanolto CO2 via acetone was achieved under visible light irradiation, by the contribution of holes in the VB of WO3 to decompose 2-propanol and the consumption of electrons in the CB of n-Si to reduce O2. The combination of p-type Si (p-Si) and WO3 (p-Si/ WO3), not the ohmic contact but the rectifying contact, was much less effective, compared to n-Si/WO3.