Photophysical and photochemical aspects of coupled semiconductors: charge-transfer processes in colloidal cadmium sulfide-titania and cadmium sulfide-silver(I) iodide systems

Abstract

The mechanistic and kinetic details of the charge injection from excited CdS into a large bandgap semiconductor such as AgI and TiO{sub 2} have been investigated by coupling the two semiconductor systems in the colloidal form. The interaction between the two colloids led to the quenching of CdS emission. The rate constants for the charge injection from excited CdS into the conduction band of AgI and TiO{sub 2} colloids were determined to be 2.2 {times} 10{sup 7} and >5 {times} 10{sup 10} s{sup {minus}1}, respectively. Transmission electron microscopic analysis indicated the possibility of several CdS colloidal particles interacting with a single particle of TiO{sub 2} and participating in the charge injection process. Primary photochemical events in the CdS-TiO{sub 2} system were investigated by picosecond laser flash photolysis. The charge injected into the TiO{sub 2} colloid and trapped at the Ti{sup 4+} site was characterized from its broad absorption in the region of 500-760 nm. The extended lifetime of these trapped charge carriers indicated an improved charge separation in the coupled semiconductor system.