Photovoltaic aspects

See also Alumina hydroxides classification, 2 422 Aluminum particle size, 10 22-23 Aluminum perchlorate, 18 278 Aluminum phosphide, 2 284 19 58 Aluminum-polyphenylenevinylene-ITO, in photovoltaic devices, 22 221 Aluminum production, 9 639-640 Aluminum recycling, 2 305 21 371-372 economic aspects of, 21 402 remelting, 2 333-334 Aluminum reduction, of ferrovanadium, 25 518... 

We will not discuss here aspects related to the use of Ti02 nano-structured films for dye-sensitivized photovoltaic cells, even though this is a major field of use of these materials, because we will focus the discussion on catalysis and related aspects. However, several of the aspects discussed, particularly for photo-reactivity applications, are common also to this field. 

Having worked (it is hoped) through these compulsory chapters, most readers will want more detail on specific aspects that are important to them. How can films of X be made How are the various experimental parameters expected to affect the properties of this film Why is CD so useful for photovoltaic cells How can nanocrystaUine films of Y be made with a specific crystal size Such questions will be answered in subsequent chapters (or, if not answered, at least information will be given to allow the reader to plan experiments in order to find the answers). 

Although photovoltaic conversion is nonpolluting, environmental, health, and safety aspects must be considered, especially with regard to harmful emission and waste products resulting from the production of the solar cell modules. It has been shown that, with proper encapsulation and a proactive recycling program, it should be possible to minimize environmental concerns. 

This volume, based on the symposium Photoeffects at Semiconductor-Electrolyte Interfaces, consists of 25 invited and contributed papers. Although the emphasis of the symposium was on the more basic aspects of research in photoelectrochemistry, the covered topics included applied research on photoelectrochemical cells. This is natural since it is clear that the driving force for the intense current interest and activity in photoelectrochemistry is the potential development of photoelectrochemical cells for solar energy conversion. These versatile cells can be designed either to produce electricity (electrochemical photovoltaic cells) or to produce fuels and chemicals (photoelectrosynthetic cells). 

There are, however, several fields of current research in which a corresponding level of understanding would be of interest also for large molecular adsorbates. For example, adsorbate-substrate interactions are relevant in the general areas of biocompatibility [51] and chemical sensors [52]. The requirement of dye-sensitization of metal oxide semiconductors also makes this an important aspect of many molecular photovoltaic devices. In fact, a good interfacial contact between dye and substrate, characterized by long-term stability and intimate electric contact, is vital for the efficiency of e.g. the dye-sensitized solar cells which have been at the center of our attention for the last five years. 

R. Whisnant, S. Johnston, and J. Hutchby, Economic analysis and environmental aspects of photovoltaic systems, Ch. 21, Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Ed. by A. Luque and S. Hegedus, John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., 2003. 

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