CdSe Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells Exceeding Efficiency 1% at Full-Sun Intensity

Abstract

Colloidal cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) have been prepared and exploited as inorganic dyes to sensitize a large-band-gap TiO2 layer for QD-sensitized solar cells. The optimized QD-sensitized solar cells exhibited an unprecedented incident photon-to-charge carrier generation efficiency of 36% and an overall conversion efficiency of over 1.7% at 0.1 sun and 1% at full sun intensity with a cobalt(II/III)-based redox system. The photovoltaic characteristics of CdSe QD-sensitized cells are compared with standard dye-sensitized solar cells, in which the former exhibited about half of the efficiency of the latter. From the kinetics of charge transfer monitored using transient spectroscopic and voltage decay measurements in the CdSe QD-sensitized cell, the regeneration yield of oxidized QDs was found to be close to almost unity, and the electron lifetime was longer in the CdSe QD-sensitized cell than in the dye-sensitized solar cell.

Quantum Dot–Sensitized Solar Cells Featuring CuS/CoS Electrodes Provide 4.1% Efficiency

“…[ 5 ] Despite these advantages, however, the photovoltaic performance of most QDSSCs remains much lower than those (up to 11%) obtained from dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). [7][8][9][10][11] This low photovoltaic performance may be ascribed to electron loss occurring through charge recombination at TiO 2 -electrolyte [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and QD-electrolyte [ 11,12 ] interfaces, and inner energy loss at electrolyte-counter electrode interfaces. [ 13 ] Relative to many common electrodes (e.g., carbonaceous materials), platinum counter electrodes have low resistance and a high electrocatalytic activity for the iodide/triiodide redox couple in DSSCs.…”

Cadmium Doped with Selenides and Telluride for Photovoltaic Applications: A Review

“…The whole module is 30 × 30 cm 2 in size [12]. TiO 2 nanoparticle layer was used here according to the literature in lower temperature [13] shown in Figure 1a and 1b.…”

“…Highly porous TiO 2 electrodes in a sol-gel process gives the high light to current conversion efficiency. The sensitized photoelectron chemical solar cell based on organic dye sensitized titanium oxide sintered from small particles onto transparent conductive oxide (TCO) glasses is assumed to be very promising because the production costs are expected to be low become the large scale commercial application of photo electrochemical solar energy conversion [13]. But new scientific results were reported on the possible utilization of energy transfer to improve sensitization processes from the Dutch organic solar cells, i.e photosynthesis excitation energy should be transported through organic molecules towards a kind of "reaction center" where in the classical photovoltaic process it is finally used for charge generation, separation and transport shown in Figure 3.…”

Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Mesoporous TiO₂ Thin Films

“…본 론 (Fig. 3(a)) 15) CdSe 양자점의 크기에 따른 밴드갭 조절이 파장별 광전 변 환 범위에 정확히 반영됨을 시연하였고 (Fig. 3(b)), 지금까지 가능성은 매우 높았으나 안정적인 테스트가 불가능하였던 양자점 감응제의 광물리학적 분석이 가 능함을 처음으로 보고하였다.…”