Nanocomposite solar cells

It has been shown that if nanostructuring enables the cells to achieve 100% quantum efficiency, then the current could be increased from 16 mA/cm up to 21.5 mA/cm, which increases the current and would significantly increase the open-circuit voltage as well, and such a device could achieve a power conversion efficiency as high as 15%. Thus the design and fabrication of a nanostructured solar cell leads to low-cost production techniques at efficiencies matching current thin-film devices. 

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C. Y. Kwong, A. B. DjuriSid, P. C. Chui, K. W. Cheng, W. K. Chan, Influence of Solvent on Film Morphology and Device Performance of Poly(3-Hexylthiophene) Ti02 Nanocomposite Solar Cells. Chemical Physics Letters 2004, 384, 372-375. 

T. Rath, M. Edler, W. Haas, A. Fischereder, S. Moscher, A. Schenk, R. Trattnig, M. Sezen, G. Mauthner, A. Pein, et al. A Direct Route towards Polymer/Copper Indium Sulfide Nanocomposite Solar Cells. Advanced Energy Materials 2011,1,1046-1050. 

X. Jiang, et al. Nanocomposite solar cells based on conjugated polymer/PbSe quantum dot. in Organic Photovoltaics VI. SPIE, 2005. 

Keywords Nanocomposites, polymer nanocomposites, plasmonics, ZnO-based nanocomposite films, nanosized fillers, nanocomposite solar cells, nonvolatile memory devices, magnetic fiuorescent nanocomposites... 

Successful commercialization of low cost, high efficiency solar cell fabrication is highly dependent on fabrication methods that employ continuous processing techniques. One major issue encountered in solar cell construction is the adhesion of thin film solar cells on polyimide substrates. Another involves the adhesion between polymer nanocomposite solar cell structures. The examination of the adhesion promotion potential of variable chemistry atmospheric plasma surface modifications against wet primer chemistry in solar cell construction has shown that APT is a viable continuous and environmentally friendly processing alternative to batch plasma and surfactant-based surface modification protocols. 

Jo, Y., et ah, Highly interconnected ordered mesoporous carbon-carbon nanotube nanocomposites Pt-free, highly efficient, and durable counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Chemical Communications, 2012. 48(65) p. 8057-8059. 

Figure 17.15 Photocurrent-voltage characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells in the presence of various nanocomposite gel electrolytes. The inset shows the viscous MWCNT gel at the bottom of a test tube. Reprinted from Ref. 51. Copyright 2004 with permission from Elsevier.

The number of organic materials is of great interest in microelectronic and optoelectronic devices [1], In particular, the conjugated polymers, such as ladder-type methyl substituted poly-para-phenylene (Me-LPPP) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-l,4-phenylene vinilene] (MEH-PPV) and their nanocomposites, have been widely investigated due to their perspectives in light-emitting diodes and solar cells [2—4]. 

Nanu M., Schoonman J. and Goossens A. (2005), Nanocomposite three-dimensional solar cells obtained by chemical spray deposition . Nano Letters 5, 1716-1719. 

Stathatos E., Lianos R., Zakeeruddin S. M., Liska P. and Gratzel M. (2003), A qnasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell based on a sol-gel nanocomposite electrolyte containing ionic hqnid , Chem. of Materials 15, 1825-1829. 

We have given an overview of the recent works on nanocomposites used for optoelectronic devices. From the review it is seen that a very rich publication has been issued regarding the nanostructured composites and nano-hybrid layers or heterojunctions which can be applied for different practical purposes. Among them there are organic light emitting diodes (OLED) and excitonic or organic solar cells (OSC). 

The past decades have seen a rapid expansion in the use of polymers in many new fields of applications where they play an essential role. Unfortunately, most polymers are not inherently stable to light, so the studies of their photochemical behavior remain a subject of constant interest. Among the various fields that were the object of interest in the last few years, one has observed some of them emerging as the domains of organic solar cells, of coatings, and of nanocomposites. 

Nanu, M., J. Schoonman, and A. Goossens, Nanocomposite three-dimensional solar cells obtained by chemical spray deposition. Nano Letters, 2005. 5(9) pp. 1716-1719 Pietron, J.J., R.M. Stroud, and D.R. Rolison, Using three dimensions in catalytic mesoporous nanoarchitectures. Nano Letters, 2002. 2(5) pp. 545-549... 

Additional reports [82] revealed that the volume concentrations of CB can be precisely determined using HAADF-STEM. In another study, the same authors reported that the filler distribution in polymer nanocomposite systems could be clearly determined [83]. They also observed the nanoscale organization in a photoactive layer of a polymer solar cell that could not be seen with CTEM [79]. 

Polymer-based nanocomposites reinforced with nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted much interest due to their homogeneity, relatively easy processability, and tunable physicochemical properties, such as mechanical, magnetic, electric, thermoelectric, and electronic properties [2,19-36], High particle loading is required for certain industrial applications, such as electromagnetic-wave absorbers [37,38], photovoltaic cells (solar cells) [39,40], photo detectors, and smart structures [41 3]. A nanoparticle core with a polymer shell renders many industrial applications possible, such as nanofluids and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 

Woo, S., Lee, S.-J., Kim, D.-H., Kim, H., Kim,Y, 2014. Conducting polymer/in-situ generated platinum nanoparticle nanocomposite electrodes for low-cost dye-sensitized solar cells. Electrochim. Acta 116,518-523. 

L. Zhao, Z. Lin, Crafting Semiconductor Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposites via Placing Conjugated Polymers in Intimate Contact with Nanocrystals for Hybrid Solar Cells. Adv. Mater. 2012,24,4353-4368. 

P. Boland, S. S. Sunkavalli, S. Chennuri, K. Foe, T. Abdel-Fattah, G. Namkoong, Investigation of Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Regioregular Poly(3-Hexylthiophene)/Fullerene Blend Nanocomposites for Organic Solar Cells. Thin Solid Films 2010,518,1728-1731. 

The combination of favorable properties of PANI and TiO opens the possibility for various applications of PANI/TiO nanocomposite materials, such as piezoresistivity devices [41], electrochromic devices [99,118], photoelectrochemical devices [43,76], photovoltaic devices/solar cells [44,50,60,61,93,119], optoelectronic devices/UV detectors [115], catalysts [80], photocatalysts [52,63,74,75,78,84,87,97,104,107,121,122,125], photoelectrocatalysts [122,123], sensors [56,61,65,69,85,86,95,120,124], photoelectrochemical [110] and microbial fuel cells [71], supercapacitors [90,92,100,109,111], anode materials for lithium-ion batteries [101,102], materials for corrosion protection [82,113], microwave absorption materials [77,87,89], and electrorheological fluids [105,106]. In comparison with PANI, the covalently bonded PANI/TiO hybrids showed significant enhancement in optical contrast and coloration efficiency [99]. It was observed that the TiO nanodomains covalently bonded to PANI can act as electron acceptors, reducing the oxidation potential and band gap of PANI, thus improving the long-term electrochromic stability [99]. Colloidal... 

Keywords Quantum confinement, quantum-confined nanomaterials (QCNs), quantum dots (QDs), tetrapods, nanocrystals, nanorods, carbon dots (C-dots), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), CdSe, CdS, CdTe, PbS, PbSe, blends, nanocomposites, in-situ polymerization, organic photovoltaics (OPVs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)... 

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