Bioinspired solar water splitting, sensitized solar cells, and ultraviolet sensor based on semiconductor nanocrystal antenna/graphene nanoassemblies

Graphene, two-dimensional carbon crystal with only one atom thickness, provides a general platform for nanoscale even atomic scale optoelectronics and photonics. Graphene has many advantages for optoelectronics such as high conductivity, high electronic mobility, flexibility and transparency. However, graphene also has disadvantages such as low light absorption which are unfavorable for optoelectronic devices. On the other hand, many natural photonic systems provide wonderful solution to enhance light absorption for solar energy harvesting and conversion, such as chlorophyll in green plants. Herein, learning from nature, we described bioinspired photocatalytic solar-driven water splitting, sensitized solar cells and ultraviolet optoelectronic sensors enabled by introducing photosensitive semiconductor nanocrystal antenna to graphene for constructing a series of graphene/nanocrystal nanoassemblies. We have demonstrated that high performance optoelectronic devices can come true with the introducing of photosensitive nanocrystal antenna elements.