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Conformal coating of ZnO nanorods with CdTe nanoparticles using layer-by-layer (LbL) processing produces a quantum dot-sensitised solar cell. Filling of the semiconductor composite structure with CuSCN provides the solar cell with a p-type semiconductor to collect the photogenerated holes. Annealing the CdTe-polymer coated nanorods lowers the series resistance of the cell by removing the polymer component of the film. A cell annealed at 350°C has a Jsc of 0.12 mAcm−2, and a Voc of 49 mV under 0.25 mW/cm2 illumination.

The photocatalytic fixation of CO2 to hydrocarbons was performed using LiNbO3. 0.126 cm2 of powdered LiNbO3 was irradiated with 64.2 mW/cm2 light from a mercury lamp with 10ml of water under 30% CO2/air. The LiNbO3 was held on a platen above the water to give a gas-solid catalytic reaction. Formic acid and formaldehyde were detected in the water after irradiation for 6 hours and produced at rates of 7.7 mmol and 1.1 μmol /hour. The calculated efficiency of the catalyst was calculated to be ca 2% which compared to 0.17% for TiO2 under the same conditions. MgO doped LiNbO3 was also tested and found to have an energy conversion efficiency of 0.72%.

The growth and characterisation of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) (30/70) thin films on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass, synthesised using a sol-gel/spin coating processing route, have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmitted electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Perovskite crystallised in a random orientation, and all unseeded films showed characteristically large (similar to5-10 mum diameter) rosette formations. Studies involving the use of a thin seeding layer of titanium (IV) oxide on the ITO surface, have shown promising results in increasing the seeding density of the perovskite without sacrificing the film's electrical properties. Incorporation of a TiO2 seeded PZT film into a small hybrid liquid crystal display has been done, and bulk alignment of the liquid crystal adjacent to poled regions of the PZT layer has been demonstrated which remained after the poling voltages were removed.