Nanocrystal-electrode interfaces for cost-effective solar power
The need for clean, renewable energy to make a meaningful contribution to the world’s energy supply has never been more apparent. For photovoltaic solar power to have a large scale and long term impact, the cost of solar panels must be reduced without sacrificing much in the way of performance. Semiconductor nanocrystals, which are synthesized and processed at low temperature and in solution, offer a potential solution. Their optical properties have been demonstrated to be better even than thin film or crystalline silicon solar cell materials and the challenge is now to integrate them into films and into photovoltaic devices. We have an on-going project to develop the synthesis of new nanocrystals for solar cells and to integrate them into solar cell structures.
This summer’s intern will focus on the interface between nanocrystal thin films and the electrodes used to collect charge carriers generated by the solar cell. Applying different chemical conditions used for the deposition of nanocrystal thin films onto electrodes, the intern will apply fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize the resulting properties of the interface. Other materials characterization techniques, such as AFM and FTIR, will be used to understand the physical and chemical nature of the interface. Along the way, the intern will become acquainted with the synthesis and characterization of these advanced nanocrystal materials.