ZnO/ZnSxSe1-x/ZnSe double-shelled coaxial heterostructure: Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance and its optical properties study

Coaxial core/shell nanostructures with type II band alignment have attracted considerable attention due to their advantages in significant enhancement of visible light absorption, effective charge separation, and improved photoelectrochemical performance. In our study, ZnO/ZnSxSe1-x/ZnSe core/shell/shell nanowires have been synthesized via an effective chemical vapor deposition method. The photocurrent is significantly enhanced step-by-step from pristine ZnO, ZnO/ZnSxSe1-x core/shell, to ZnO/ZnSxSe1-x/ZnSe double-shelled nanowire photoelectrodes. The optical properties of this double-shelled nanowires are systematically studied by photoluminescence and time resolved photoluminescence. Our findings not only open an avenue for synthesis sophisticated core/shell nanowires but also pave a way towards improving photoelectrochemical properties in nanostructures. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4772943]