Fabrication of photo-thermoelectric energy generator using gold nanoparticle-decorated zinc oxide nanorods | |
| Author | Poudel, Vivek Sharma |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.ISE-20-13 |
| Subject(s) | Photothermoelectric Photoelectricity Nanoparticles--Surfaces Zinc oxide--Surfaces |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Nanotechnology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | In this study, photo-thermoelectric capability of gold nanoparticles coated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods was investigated. ZnO nanorods were grown hydrothermally on transparent conductive oxide (TCO) glass substrate, followed by in-situ deposition of gold nanoparticles on the ZnO nanorods surface by using a photo-reduction process. The gold nanoparticle coated ZnO nanorods structure was characterized for their morphology and optical properties. It is well-known that upon resonant excitation of gold nanoparticles significant amount of heat is generated at the nanoparticle surface due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Photo-thermoelectric efficiency (PTE) of the structure was studied by fabricating a device composed of the gold nanoparticle coated ZnO nanorods sandwiched between two electrodes using 532 nm laser as illumination source. Factors like gold deposition amount and length of nanorods were optimized to achieve best result. It was found that ZnO nanorod of length 2.4 μm and gold deposition of around 62nm resulted in highest PTE power when 532nm laser was used for excitation. ZnO nanorods doped with aluminum (Al) was also investigated to further improve the PTE efficiency. Maximum PTE power was observed for 0.5% Al doped ZnO nanorod incorporated with gold nanoparticle. |
| Year | 2020 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Industrial Systems Engineering (DISE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Industrial Systems Engineering (ISE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Bora, Tanujjal |
| Examination Committee(s) | Singh, Jai Govind;Chanchana Thanachayanont |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | His Majesty the King’s Scholarships (Thailand) |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) -- Asian Institute of Technology, 2020 |