Air-Stable All-Inorganic Nanocrystal Solar Cells Processed from Solution

Abstract

We introduce an ultrathin donor-acceptor solar cell comprised entirely of inorganic nanocrystals spin-cast from solution. These devices are stable in air, and postfabrication processing allows for power conversion efficiencies approaching 3% in initial tests. This demonstration elucidates a new class of photovoltaic device with potential for stable, low cost power generation.Small molecule and polymer organic solar cells are promising candidates for affordable wide-scale solar energy conversion, but while organic materials offer strong potential for cost reduction vis-à-vis conventional solar cells, their spectrally limited absorption and low carrier mobilities impose limitations to achieving commercially viable device efficiencies (1). Colloidal inorganic nanocrystals share all of the primary advantages of organics -scalable and controlled synthesis, an ability to be processed in solution, and a decreased sensitivity to substitutional doping -while retaining the broadband absorption and superior transport properties of traditional photovoltaic semiconductors (2-4). Accordingly, utilizing inorganic nanocrystals for electron transport has been found to

In situ measurement of exciton energy in hybrid singlet-fission solar cells

“…Colloidal nanocrystals have generated broad interest for use in photovoltaic devices 30,31 . Alivisatos and co workers used nanocrystals in photovoltaics dispersed in polymer matrices 32 , and subsequent studies have investigated bilayer struc tures 33 and hybrid organic/inorganic junctions 34 . There has also been steady progress in lead chalcogenide nanocrystal solar cells in a variety of device architectures [5][6][7]35,36 .…”

Self-Assembly of Vertically Aligned Nanorod Supercrystals Using Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Finding methods to organise functional assemblies whose properties depend on the precise placement of anisotropic components remains a key challenge. Columnar 1D nanocrystals or nanorods primarily adopt assemblies parallel to substrates on deposition with nanorod aggregation influenced by dipolar attraction.…”

Janus Nanostructures Based on Au−TiO2 Heterodimers and Their Photocatalytic Activity in the Oxidation of Methanol

“…This was accounted for by the formation of electron-hole pairs upon photoexcitation by photons with energy larger than the material band gap, where the separation of the charges was exploited for the reduction and oxidation of water. This fundamental principle of photogenerated electrons and holes has now been extended to a wide array of applications, such as solar energy conversion (photovoltaics), degradation of organic pollutants, transformative production of organic functional compounds, fuel cell electrochemistry, and antibacterial protection (11)(12)(13)(14).…”