Optimization of the Growth Process of Co3O4 Films for Photovoltaic and Photocatalytic Applications

• Grant number: 17/18916-2
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: February 01, 2018 - January 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal researcher: Jose Humberto Dias da Silva
• Grantee: Jose Humberto Dias da Silva
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Antonio Ricardo Zanatta ; Douglas Marcel Gonçalves Leite ; Kleper de Oliveira Rocha ; Paulo Noronha Lisboa Filho

Abstract

The applications of transition metal oxides as photovoltaics and photocalytic materials are hindered by their high transparency to the infrared and visible radiations, resulting from the large bandgaps of these materials. The tricobalt tetraoxide Co3O4 is an exception due to the presence of the partially filled Co-3d levels in lower energies than the similar oxides, and considerably smaller bandgap (Eg ~ 1,6 eV). This makes the Co3O4 highly attractive for photovoltaic and photocatalitic applications. To develop the potentiality of this material to device applications, it is necessary to optimize its growth process. Our aim is to implement the reactive sputtering epitaxy (RSE) process to produce high quality Co3O4 films. A high purity Co target and a plasma containing different proportions of Ar and O2 will be used in the process. In situ measurements of the film surface temperature, optical emissions from the plasma and growth rate, along with computational simulations of the growth process will allow the modelling of the growth process. Besides the structural, optic and electronic characterizations of the films and nanostructures will allow the optimization of the film growth process. The RSE technique implementation has the potential to produce epitaxial Co3O4 films over large areas, suitable surface morphology, and relatively low cost, which are desired for the improvement of the applications. The optimized films produced by RSE will be tested in photocatalytic devices and all-oxide solar cells. (AU)

Scientific publications

(14)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

NETO, NILTON FRANCELOSI A.; STEGEMANN, CRISTIANE; AFFONCO, LUCAS J.; LEITE, DOUGLAS M. G.; DA SILVA, JOSE H. D. Role of oxygen flow rate on the structure and stoichiometry of cobalt oxide films deposited by reactive sputtering. JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A, v. 40, n. 1 JAN 2022. Web of Science Citations: 0.

ESCALIANTE, LUCAS CANIATI; DE JESUS PEREIRA, ANDRE LUIS; AFFONCO, LUCAS JORGE; DIAS DA SILVA, JOSE HUMBERTO. Multilayered TiO2/TiO2-x/TiO2 films deposited by reactive sputtering for photocatalytic applications. Journal of Materials Research, v. 36, n. 15, SI JUL 2021. Web of Science Citations: 0.

NETO, NILTON FRANCELOSI AZEVEDO; DE JESUS PEREIRA, ANDRE LUIZ; LEITE, DOUGLAS MARCEL GONCALVES; DA SILVA, JOSE HUMBERTO DIAS; DA SILVA PELISSARI, MARCELO RODRIGUES. Evaluation of ITO/TiO2/Co3O4 as a non-enzymatic heterojunction electrode to glucose electrooxidation. IONICS, v. 27, n. 4, p. 1597-1609, APR 2021. Web of Science Citations: 0.

NETO, NILTON FRANCELOSI AZEVEDO; DE JESUS PEREIRA, ANDRE LUIZ; LEITE, DOUGLAS MARCEL GONCALVES; DA SILVA, JOSE HUMBERTO DIAS; DA SILVA PELISSARI, MARCELO RODRIGUES. Evaluation of ITO/TiO2/Co3O4 as a non-enzymatic heterojunction electrode to glucose electrooxidation. IONICS, JAN 2021. Web of Science Citations: 0.

ESCALIANTE, LUCAS CANIATI; ROCHA, KLEPER DE OLIVEIRA; DIAS DA SILVA, JOSE HUMBERTO. Stability of the Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Deposited by Reactive Sputtering. MATERIALS RESEARCH-IBERO-AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MATERIALS, v. 24, n. 1 2021. Web of Science Citations: 0.

LUCAS CANIATI ESCALIANTE; KLEPER DE OLIVEIRA ROCHA; JOSE HUMBERTO DIAS DA SILVA. Stability of the Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Deposited by Reactive Sputtering. MATERIALS RESEARCH-IBERO-AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MATERIALS, v. 24, p. -, 2021.

BELINE, THAMARA; DE ALMEIDA, AMANDA B.; AZEVEDO NETO, NILTON F.; MATOS, ADAIAS O.; RICOMINI-FILHO, ANTONIO P.; SUKOTJO, CORTINO; SMEETS, PAUL J. M.; DA SILVA, JOSE H. D.; NOCIT, JR., FRANCISCO H.; BARAO, VALENTIM A. R. 0-Ta 2 O 5 thin film for implant surface modification triggers superior anti- corrosion performance and cytocompatibility of titanium. Applied Surface Science, v. 520, AUG 1 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

MACHADO, DIEGO H. O.; DA SILVA, JOSE H. D.; TABATA, AMERICO; SCALVI, LUIS V. A. Influence of thermal annealing on the properties of evaporated Er-doped SnO2. Materials Research Bulletin, v. 120, DEC 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

ANGELICO, JOAO C.; NETO, NILTON F. A.; DA SILVA, JOSE H. DIAS. Characterization of Aluminum Contacts on Cobalt Oxide Films Grown with Different Oxygen Concentrations. JOURNAL OF ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, v. 48, n. 11, SI NOV 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

FERNANDES, SILVIA L.; AFFONCO, LUCAS J.; JUNIOR, ROBERTO A. R.; DA SILVA, JOSE H. D.; LONGO, ELSON; GRAEFF, CARLOS F. DE O. Niobium Oxide Films Deposited by Reactive Sputtering: Effect of Oxygen Flow Rate. JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS, n. 151 SEP 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

BELINE, THAMARA; DA SILVA, JOSE H. D.; MATOS, ADAIAS O.; AZEVEDO NETO, NILTON F.; DE ALMEIDA, AMANDA B.; NOCITI JUNIOR, FRANCISCO H.; LEITE, DOUGLAS M. G.; RANGEL, ELIDIANE CIPRIANO; BARAO, VALENTIM A. R. Tailoring the synthesis of tantalum-based thin films for biomedical application: Characterization and biological response. Materials Science & Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications, v. 101, p. 111-119, AUG 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

FERNANDES, SILVIA LETICIA; SIMAO ALBANO, LUIZ GUSTAVO; AFFONCO, LUCAS JORGE; DIAS DA SILVA, JOSE HUMBERTO; LONGO, ELSON; DE OLIVEIRA GRAEFF, CARLOS FREDERICO. Exploring the Properties of Niobium Oxide Films for Electron Transport Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells. FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY, v. 7, FEB 6 2019. Web of Science Citations: 2.

AZEVEDO NETO, NILTON FRANCELOSI; LEITE, DOUGLAS M. G.; LISBOA-FILHO, PAULO N.; DA SILVA, JOSE H. D. Role of the reactive sputtering deposition power in the phase control of cobalt oxide films. JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A, v. 36, n. 6 NOV 2018. Web of Science Citations: 2.

BRANDT, IURI S.; PLA CID, CRISTIANI C.; AZEVEDO, CARLOS G. G.; PEREIRA, ANDRE L. J.; BENETTI, LUANA C.; FERLAUTO, ANDRE S.; DIAS DA SILVA, JOSE H.; PASA, ANDRE A. Influence of substrate on the structure of predominantly anatase TiO2 films grown by reactive sputtering. RSC ADVANCES, v. 8, n. 13, p. 7062-7071, 2018. Web of Science Citations: 4.