10 - Multifunctional properties of hybrid semiconducting nanomaterials and their applications

Abstract

This chapter deals with the multifunctional properties of the semiconducting nanomaterials including their optical, electronic, sensory, and catalytic functionalities for the multiple uses in advanced material sciences and nanotechnologies. In recent years, functionalized semiconductors have been recognized as an essential tool with enhanced processing because of its controlled morphology and different chemical compositions. The new generation of semiconductors such as SiO2, WO3, TiO2, ZnO, CuO, Y2O3, and ZrO2 have been emerged as modified metal oxides by the doping with a numbers of elements. The structural transformation in semiconductors are been architected by the doping (codoping) of metals and ions in order to adjust their work functions and performances. In this regard, we have mostly described an overview of selective transitional and rare earth element doped semiconducting materials in order to encourage their remarkable characteristics as future materials. In addition, a brief synthesis approach of hybrid semiconductors along with materials characterization, distinctive chemical findings have been claimed by following recent publications. In this article, we have addressed a range of selective metal-doped semiconducting nanostructures and its defects chemistry to alter the optical, luminescence, physicochemical and electronic properties for the recent development in efficient solar cells, light-emitting diodes, biomedical, and photocatalytic applications.