Materials, solar energy conversion

As an example, GulnSe2 is a known low band-gap material (1.0 eV) that shows promise for use in solar energy conversion [106]. We can imagine preparing rare-earth based materials using the formulation shown in Table 14.5. 

As this volume attests, a wide range of chemistry occurs at interfacial boundaries. Examples range from biological and medicinal interfacial problems, such as the chemistry of anesthesia, to solar energy conversion and electrode processes in batteries, to industrial-scale separations of metal ores across interfaces, to investigations into self-assembled monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett films for nanoelectronics and nonlinear optical materials. These problems are based not only on structure and composition of the interface but also on kinetic processes that occur at interfaces. As such, there is considerable motivation to explore chemical dynamics at interfaces. 

Until a recent x-ray diffraction study (17) provided direct evidence of the arrangement of the pigment species in the reaction center of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas Viridis, a considerable amount of all evidence pertaining to the internal molecular architecture of plant or bacterial reaction centers was inferred from the results of in vitro spectroscopic experiments and from work on model systems (5, 18, 19). Aside from their use as indirect probes of the structure and function of plant and bacterial reaction centers, model studies have also provided insights into the development of potential biomimetic solar energy conversion systems. In this regard, the work of Netzel and co-workers (20-22) is particularly noteworthy, and in addition, is quite relevant to the material discussed at this conference. 

J. Phys. Chem. C (8) Boschloo, G. Edvinsson, T. Hagfeldt, A. Dye-sensitized nanostructured ZnO electrodes for solar cell applications. In Nanostructured Materials for Solar Energy Conversion Soga, T., Ed. Elsevier Amsterdam, 2007 pp 227-254. ... 

Nonlinear optics, lithography, conductors, semiconductors, piezoelectronic, pyroelectronic, solar energy conversion, electrodes, computer chip circuitry UV absorption, smart materials, nanocomposites, laser, sealants, paints, caulks, lubricants, gaskets... 

As described above, polymeric materials provide specific microenvironment in solution which contributes much to construct solar energy conversion systems. Macrohetero-geneous systems constructed from polymers are of great value especially from the practical point of view. 

Polymers are attracting much attention as functional materials to construct photochemical solar energy conversion systems. Polymers and molecular assemblies are of great value for a conversion system to realize the necessary one-directional electron flow. Colloids of polymer supported metal and polynuclear metal complex are especially effective as catalysts for water photolysis. Fixation and reduction of N2 or C02 are also attractive in solar energy utilization, although they were not described in this article. If the reduction products such as alcohols, hydrocarbons, and ammonia are to be used as fuels, water should be the electron source for the economical reduction. This is why water photolysis has to be studied first. 

The construction of solar energy conversion systems requires the combination of molecularly designed functional materials. Functional polymers play deciding roles for this purpose. 

---