Abstract
Using semiconductor nanocrystals for light harvesting/emitting has brought noticeable attentions in the fields of solar-to-fuel generation, photovoltaics, and optoelectronics. My research interests aim to resolve questions in the area of energy conversion processes in semiconductor nanocrystals by incisive time-resolved laser spectroscopic approaches that guide the design of functional nanomaterials. This talk will focus on synthesis of hybrid semiconductor nanocrystals that share a common feature of large surface-to-volume ratio and their dynamics dictated by dimension, composition, and surface chemistry. Specifically, charge transfer, relaxation, and recombination in these photoactive systems are studied with an emphasis on understanding their structure-property relationships. In the second part of my talk, I will show you our recent investigation of carrier dynamics in nanocrystalline metal oxide, named (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx), which is an intriguing material for solar water splitting. The excited state relaxation has been explored on a broad timescale from 10-13 to 10-4 s. The origin and strength of visible absorption, implications between excited state dynamics and solar fuel generation will be discussed for this novel material.