Key Words:Iodine compounds;Absorption spectroscopy - Energy harvesting - Heterojunctions - Light absorption - Metal nanoparticles - Optical properties - Silver halides - Solar absorbers - Solar energy - Solar heating - Sulfur compounds - Suspensions (fluids)
Abstract:Heterostructures are emerging as efficient optical absorbers for photothermal therapy and solar thermal applications because of their excellent photothermal properties. In the current work, AgI–Ag<inf>2</inf>S heterostructures with enhanced and broadened optical absorption properties were prepared as photothermal materials. The synthesized AgI–Ag<inf>2</inf>S heterostructures are more efficient than the corresponding AgI and Ag<inf>2</inf>S nanopartilces and exhibit stronger absorption within the spectrum from 500 nm to 1100 nm. In comparison to the solar spectrum, the aqueous suspension containing 0.03 wt% AgI–Ag<inf>2</inf>S heterostructures delivers a solar weighted absorption (A<inf>m</inf>) value of 97.7% at a penetration distance of 1 cm, which means 97.7% solar energy has been absorbed. Under the illumination of an 808 nm laser at the power of 420 mW, the photothermal efficiency of the AgI–Ag<inf>2</inf>S heterostructures is determined to be 52%. For the solar simulation experiment, the solar thermal efficiency of the suspension is evaluated to be 97%. The results of the current work provide a solid evident that heterostructures without metal nanoparticles can also have superior photothermal properties than the corresponding single component nanoparticles. It is also evident that AgI–Ag<inf>2</inf>S heterostructures have potential applications in photothermal therapy and solar energy harvesting.<br/> © 2018 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers
Volume:95
Issue:wu
Translation or Not:no