Physico-Chemical nanomaterials science

Effect of chemo-electronic energy conversion in nanopowder ZrO2 - based systems
A.S. Doroshkevich1,2*, E.B. Askerov1,3, A.Kh. Islamov1, V.A. Turchenko1,2, T.Yu. Zelenyak4, A.I. Madadzada1,3, A.I. Lyubchyk6 A.V. Shylo2, V.I. Bodnarchuk1,  V.R. Gashimova4, Kh.T. Kholmurodov1,4 M. Lakusta2, S.A. Synyakina2, V. Almasan6, D. Lazar6Yu.Yu. Bacherikov7 A.I. Logunov4, O. Pestov4, A.A. Loginov4

1Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, str. Joliot-Curie, 6, 141980, Dubna, Russia, 
Email.of. corresponding_author: doroh@jinr.ru

2Donetsk Institute for Physical and engineering NASU, Nauki, 46, Kyiv, Ukraine. 
3National Nuclear Research Center CJSC, Baku, Azerbaijan.
4Dubna International University for Nature, Society and Man, 141980, Moscow region, Dubna, st. Universitetskay, 19 Russia.
5i3N/CENIMAT, Department of Materials Science, New University of Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal. 
6 National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Cluj-Napoca, România.
7V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

It was found that exothermic chemical reaction on the semiconductor structure surface lead to the excitons generation. Collected by heterojunction excitons create an electric current in external circuit. This effect is similar to the photovoltaic mechanism of charge carriers generation was named “chemovoltaic”. An attempt increase the specific effectiveness of chemovoltaic converter by changing the planar function of heterojunction on three-dimensional structure with high chemical activity of the surface was given in this work. .
Atmospheric humidity was used as the adsorbate and wide band gap ZrO2 – based dielectric nanoparticle of 7.5 nm as the adsorbent (converter – source of heterojunction). Experimental results shows that “test device” with specific surface area of heterojunction SBET = 128 m2/g and on the electrical load of 1 MOhm produced over 20mkW/m2 power density at relative humidity of 90%. On the base of the concept of Contact phenomena in semiconductors and Electronic theory of catalysis on semiconductor surfaces was developed empirical model of  observed effects. 
The work was supported through the project H2020 /MSCA/ RISE /HUNTER /691010 and JINR-Romania Cooperation Programme 2018: Order №. 323 / 65.