Enhanced photoresponse of CdS/CMK-3 composite as a candidate for light-harvesting assembly.

Two typical carbon materials (ordered mesoporous carbon and carbon nanotube) were chosen as scaffolds in combination with semiconductor quantum dots (SQDs) for making light-harvesting assemblies. The effects of interfacial morphology on photoelectric performance of the carbon-based heterostructures have been investigated in detail. The enhanced photoresponse shows a strong dependence on the interfacial morphology as a result of direct interfacial contacts between SQDs and carbon materials, which plays a major role in increasing charge generation at the interface and transport pathways for photoinduced electron transfer. The methodology to enhance the photoresponse through tuning interfacial morphology proves to be a potent alternative in fabricating photochemical energy conversion systems.