Date of Award
8-1-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Physics and Astronomy
First Advisor
Gregory Guisbiers
Abstract
Selenium is a semiconductor that has a bulk energy bandgap of 1.74 eV, is mainly used in sensors, rectifiers, and advanced photovoltaic solar cells. Selenium is very important for the energy applications and was declared as Energy Critical Element (ECE) by the American Physical Society (APS) and the Materials Research Society (MRS). The goal of this dissertation was to control the growth of selenium when being irradiated by a pulsed laser within a liquid environment. The method called “Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids” is a green synthesis technique that allows for ligand-free nanoparticles to be created. Laser repetition rates were varied to control the size and shape of the nanostructures. Characterization techniques, such as SEM, EDS, XRD, PL, and Raman spectroscopy were performed to determine the morphology, composition, crystallinity, and optical properties. Our findings suggest that the size and shape of the selenium nanostructures can be controlled by selecting the solvent and tuning the repetition rate.
Recommended Citation
Rahman, Atikur, "Synthesis of Selenium Nanostructures: Rods, Wires, and Fibers by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 1212.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/1212
