Publication date: 1st July 2014
Quantum dot sensitized solar cells represent one of the most promising types of semiconductor nanocrystals photovoltaics. They are based on a nanostructured material with a thin layer of deposited nanocrystals that efficiently absorb light. The resulting cell is simple and not expensive because it uses only low-cost materials and processing steps by accessible wet methods. In the proposed talk we alternatively use subtrates of TiO2 or arrays of ZnO nanowires as nanostructured electrodes. For the sensitization we use ternary nanocrystals attached to the semiconductor in a specific manner using bifunctional linkers.
Ternary nanocrystals such as for example CuInS2, CuInSe2 not only have an advantage of not containing toxic metals such as Cd or Pb, but also boast very high absorption coefficients, and good air stability.[1] Bifunctional linkers allow for grafting of nanocrystals onto the nanostructured semiconductors in a highly controlled and homogeneous manner compared to the methods of non-specific atachment such as CBD, SILAR or physisorption. Linker molecules, which are typically developed for the ubiquitous TiO2, are often not compatible with ZnO nanowires as they are very sensitive to pH and thus can be corroded under acidic or basic conditions. To circumvent this problem we have synthesized a new family of phosphonic acid based linkers capable of efficiently binding to ZnO without damaging it. In this talk we will discuss various aspects of self-assembly of different nanocrystals on TiO2 and ZnO. We will present their optical characterisation along with an XPS and structural studies. A special attention will be given to time-resolved photophysical investigation of the assemblies. More precisely, the influence of the size and nature of the linkers on the rate and efficiency of the charge transfer will be discussed. Also, various surface treatments of the nanocrystals such as ligand exchange, cationic exchange or passivating shell formation are studied.
Solar cells based on such ternary quantum dots assembled on TiO2 or ZnO were fabricated and characterized, the influence of the above mentioned attachment and surface-related parameters on their photovoltaic properties are studied, the best cells resulting so far in an efficiency of 1.3%.
[1] D. Aldakov et al., J. Mater. Chem C, 2013, 1, 3756.
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