Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Dye-Sensitized SnO2 Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors

Electron transfer from excited dye molecules (chlorophyll or fluorescein) to a semiconductor is demonstrated by photoaction and photoluminescence spectra on field‐effect transistors consisting of dye‐sensitized individual SnO2 nanowires. The photoaction spectrum shows a much better resolution for nanowires non‐covalently functionalized with dye molecules than for dyes deposited on SnO2 nanoparticle‐films. Possible reasons for the deviation between the photoaction spectra and ordinary optical absorption spectra as well as for the current‐tail appearing along the falling edge are addressed. In dye‐sensitized nanowires, electron transfer from photo‐excited dyes to nanowires is analyzed by comparing gate‐voltage dependences in photoaction and photoluminescence spectra. The importance of this study is in the understanding of electron injection and recombination provided, as well as the performance optimization of nanowire‐based dye‐sensitized solar cells. Photoaction and photoluminescence spectra of dye‐sensitized SnO2 nanowire field‐effect transistors (dye/SnO2‐NW FET) have been employed to study electron transfer from photoexcited dyes (chlorophyll or fluorescein) to the SnO2‐NW FET via a photoinduced electron transfer cycle. This study provides an understanding of electron injection and electron–hole recombination as well as optimizing the performance of nanowire‐based dye‐sensitized solar cells.