Speaker
Rostislav Smerdov
Description
See the full Abstract at http://ocs.ciemat.es/EPS2018ABS/pdf/P2.3009.pdf
Porous silicon and graphene-based structures for novel plasma energetic
systems
R.S. Smerdov1, A.S. Mustafaev1, Yu.M. Spivak2, V.A. Moshnikov2
1
Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2
Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Applying the effect of photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE) for solar concentrator
systems makes it possible to utilize both photovoltaic and thermionic effects for energy
conversion, leading to a significant increase in its efficiency [1, 2]. The possibility of
synthesizing PETE-based systems with semiconductor (GaN) electrodes was demonstrated in
[1], however, the number of incident photons with energies exceeding the band gap of GaN (E g
= 3.3 eV) is less than 1 % of their total amount. That is why further investigation of porous
silicon (PS), as well as PS-based composite structures for subsequent electrode manufacture is
promising, since band gap modification of such materials is possible in the wide range from 1 to
3 eV due to the presence of the quantum confinement effect [3] and significant capabilities for
surface functionalization [4]. The synthesis of anodes for thermionic plasma energy systems
requires the creation of highly specific materials with low electron work function (a). The
problem of a reduction is traditionally solved by the use of alkaline and alkaline-earth metal
coatings, in particular, cesium (Cs) [5]. Anodes based on cesium-coated tungsten are
traditionally used due to their high thermal stability and relatively low work function (1.7 eV).
The use of a nickel anode coated with graphene layers intercalated by cesium atoms made it
possible to obtain an unprecedented decrease in the electron work function (a<1 eV) from the
surface of the material and, as a consequence, a threefold increase in energy conversion
efficiency (up to 25%) [5].
References
1. Schwede J W, Bargatin I, Riley D C, Hardin B E, Rosenthal S J 2010 Photon-enhanced thermionic emission for
solar concentrator systems Nature Mater. 9 762
2. Mustafaev A, Smerdov R, Klimenkov B 2017 Semiconductor nanostructures for plasma energetic systems
BAPS 62
3. Nolan M, O’Callaghan S, Fagas G, Greer J C 2007 Silicon nanowire band gap modification Nano Lett. 7 34
4. Spivak Yu M, Mjakin S V, Moshnikov V A et al. 2016 Surface Functionality Features of Porous Silicon
Prepared and Treated in Different Conditions J. of Nanomaterials 8
5. Mustafaev A S, Polishchuk V A, Tsyganov A B, Yarygin V I, Petrov P A 2017 Russian Journal of Physical
Chemistry B 11 118
