Query: Solar energy conversion: solid-state physics aspects

Candidate papers:

abstract: Spectrally selective surfaces and their impact on photothermal solar energy conversion. Spectral selectivity of composite materials. Solar photoelectrolysis with semiconductor electrodes. Carrier lifetime in silicon and its impact on solar cell characteristics. Problems of the Cu2S/CdS Cell. Heterojunction phenomena and interfacial defects in photovoltaic converters.
author_names: Bernhard O Seraphin

Julio A Aranovich
title: Solar energy conversion solid state physics aspects
year: 1979

abstract: Solar Energy will contribute to future needs provided that existing devices can be improved in performance, and lowered in cost. Problem areas involve materials, and processes of manufacture. In its search for better solutions, solar energy technology must engage the various aspects of material science more effectively. This may involve parts of the field presently unconnected to the mainstream of solar research, and outside the recognized solutions and approaches.
author_names: Bernhard O Seraphin
title: Solid State Physics Aspects of Solar Energy Conversion
year: 1977

abstract: Organic dye cells are presently largely investigated aiming at the development of efficient and cheap devices for environmentally friendly energy generation. Among the different oxides used in such cells, titanium dioxide plays a prominent role due to the high electron collection efficiency. As a consequence, the number of scientific articles reporting investigation of titanium dioxide preparation, characterization, and application is presently quite expressive. But the spectrum of TiO2 applications is much broader. In this context, it is nice to see a book written by a single author, in which this knowledge is systematically organized and the different scientific and technological aspects of TiO2 preparation, characterization, and applications are covered. "Oxide Semiconductors for Solar Energy Conversion Titanium Dioxide," authored by Janusz Nowotny, is just such a case. The author covers several basic aspects of oxide physics and chemistry and treats specific aspects on basic properties of TiO2 paying special attention to defects, which in such oxides are highly responsible for oxide physical behavior. Moving to its final target, the author discusses the role of interfaces and applications, including hydrogen generation, water purification, and solar energy conversion. In my opinion, this book will be very useful for researchers working in one or more of the above cited subjects. It will allow them to contextualize their works and look for subject interrelationships that provide a broader understanding of their field and the real importance of each of the single given contributions. Also, for young people just entering the field, the organized exposition of the most important results necessary to the understanding of TiO2 science and technology will pave an easier way in their own research work development.
author_names: Ivo A Hummelgen
title: "Oxide semiconductors for solar energy conversion titanium dioxide" Author: Janusz Nowotny
venue: Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry
year: 2012

abstract: The paper briefly discusses the current situation in the field of traditional and unconventional photovoltaic materials and solar cells. It emphasizes the fact that the main basic achievements in the field of solid state solar photovoltaics were gained at least two decades ago and the further progress focused on the improvement of cell parameters and technological aspects. Finally, the article concludes that this scientific area has nearly fulfilled its historical task. Indeed, the last decade has brought many new achievements in the field of the alternative, molecular based materials. The future of solar energy conversion seems to be mainly connected with chemistry, chemical physics and chemical engineering but not with solid state physics as in the twentieth century. The paper gives also a short over view of some promising organic semiconductors, fullerenes and TiO2 nanocrystalline structures used now in a new generation of molecular solar cells.
author_names: Oleg Chevaleevski

Lioudmila Larina
title: New trends in solar photovoltaics: From physics to chemistry
year: 2001

abstract: Solar energy conversion devices composed of highly crystalline gel polymers with disk WO3 nanostructure and plate WO3 microstructures (D WO3 and P WO3, respectively) exhibited higher power conversion efficiency than those with a gel electrolyte. In this study, D WO3 and P WO3 were prepared using a hydrothermal process and their structural and morphological features were investigated for application in solar energy conversion devices. The P WO3 solid state electrolyte significantly enhanced the cell performance owing to its charge transportation and light scattering characteristics. The P WO3 solid state electrolyte showed a power conversion efficiency of 6.3% which is higher than those of the gel (4.2% and D WO3 solid state (5.5% electrolytes. The electro chemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) intensity modulated voltage spectroscopy (IMVS) diffuse reflectance, and incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) analysis results showed that the P WO3 solid state electrolyte showed improved charge transportation and light scattering, and hence enhanced the cell performance.
author_names: Juyoung Moon

Woojun Shin

Jung Tae Park

Hongje Jang
title: Solid State Solar Energy Conversion from WO3 Nano and Microstructures with Charge Transportation and Light Scattering Characteristics
venue: Nanomaterials
year: 2019

abstract: In this work, we prepared a novel kind of Yb3+,Er3+/Ho3+ co doped CsGd(MoO4)2 phosphors with a different structure from the reported ALn(MoO4)2 (A Li, Na or K; Ln La, Gd or Y) compounds using a high temperature solid state reaction method. X ray diffraction showed that the as prepared samples had a pure phase. Based on the efficient energy transfer from Yb3+ to Er3+/Ho3+ the up conversion (UC) luminescence of the optimal CsGd(MoO4)2:0.30Yb3+,0.02Er3+ sample showed intensely green light with dominant emission peaks at 528 and 550 nm corresponding to Er3+ transitions 2H11/2 4I15/2 and 4S3/2 4I15/2, respectively, as well as a weak emission peak originating from 4F9/2 4I15/2 at 671 nm, under 975 nm laser excitation. The CsGd(MoO4)2:Yb3+,Ho3+ samples mainly displayed two emission bands around 540 and 660 nm together with a negligible one at 755 nm, which corresponded to Ho3+ transitions 4F4,5F2 5I8, 5F5 5I8 and 4F4,5F2 5I7, respectively, under 975 nm laser excitation. With increasing Yb3+ concentration in CsGd(MoO4)2:Yb3+,Ho3+ phosphors, the emission color could be tuned from orange red to light yellow due to the large energy gap between levels 4F4,5F2 and 5F5. In addition, the CsGd(MoO4)2:Yb3+,Er3+ showed green light under 376 nm UV irradiation similar to that upon 975 nm laser excitation. However, the emissions for CsGd(MoO4)2:Yb3+,Ho3+ samples under 358 nm UV or 449 nm blue excitation showed dominant emission peaks at 540 nm and weak 660 nm and 752 nm peaks, which were a bit different from those under 975 nm excitation. Interestingly, we observed efficient energy transfer phenomena (possible quantum cutting) from Er3+/Ho3+ to Yb3+ and a Yb3+ O2 charge transfer (CT) transition in the molybdates, which was deduced from the visible and near infrared emission spectra and the decrease of the Er3+/Ho3+ luminescent lifetimes with increasing Yb3+ concentration in the CsGd(MoO4)2:Yb3+,Er3+/Ho3+ samples. The luminescence properties of these phosphors suggest their potential possibility for applications in solid state lighting and displays as well as in c Si solar energy conversion systems.
author_names: Kai Li

Rik Van Deun
title: Mutual energy transfer luminescent properties in novel CsGd(MoO4)2:Yb3+,Er3+/Ho3+ phosphors for solid state lighting and solar cells.
venue: Physical chemistry chemical physics PCCP
year: 2019

abstract: Earth abundant first row transition metal complexes are important for the development of large scale photocatalytic and solar energy conversion applications. Coordination compounds based on iron are especially interesting, as iron is the most common transition metal element in the Earth's crust. Unfortunately, iron polypyridyl and related traditional iron based complexes generally suffer from poor excited state properties, including short excited state lifetimes, that make them unsuitable for most light driven applications. Iron carbene complexes have emerged in the last decade as a new class of coordination compounds with significantly improved photophysical and photochemical properties, that make them attractive candidates for a range of light driven applications. Specific aspects of the photophysics and photochemistry of these iron carbenes discussed here include long lived excited state lifetimes of charge transfer excited states, capabilities to act as photosensitizers in solar energy conversion applications like dye sensitized solar cells, as well as recent demonstrations of promising progress towards driving photoredox and photocatalytic processes. Complementary advances towards photofunctional systems with both Fe(II) complexes featuring metal to ligand charge transfer excited states, and Fe(III) complexes displaying ligand to metal charge transfer excited states are discussed. Finally, we outline emerging opportunities to utilize the improved photochemical properties of iron carbenes and related complexes for photovoltaic, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic applications. (Less)
author_names: Linnea Lindh

Pavel Chabera

Nils W Rosemann

Jens Uhlig

Kenneth Warnmark

Arkady Yartsev

Villy Sundstrom

Petter Persson
title: Photophysics and Photochemistry of Iron Carbene Complexes for Solar Energy Conversion and Photocatalysis
year: 2020

abstract: Abstract In this paper a novel polymer based platform is applied for the fabrication of an innovative two electrodes self powered device integrating energy harvesting and storage sections. A multifunctional polymeric layer, made of two poly(ethylene glycol) based sections separated by a perfluorinated barrier, is obtained by oxygen inhibited UV light crosslinking procedure. For the energy harvesting section, one side of the polymeric layer is adapted to enable iodide/triiodide diffusion in a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) while the other side empowers sodium/chloride ions diffusion and is used for on board charge storage in an electrochemical double layer capacitor (EDLC) The resulting photocapacitor has a planar architecture appreciably simplified with respect to other recently proposed solutions and more easily exploitable in low power electronics. The measured photo electrical conversion and storage total efficiency is 3.72% during photo charge, which is a remarkable value for DSSC EDLC harvesting storage devices literature. The obtained high frequency discharge capability enlightens promising prospects for practical applications in low power portable electronics.
author_names: Alberto Scalia

Federico Bella

Andrea Lamberti

Claudio Gerbaldi

Elena Tresso
title: Innovative multipolymer electrolyte membrane designed by oxygen inhibited UV crosslinking enables solid state in plane integration of energy conversion and storage devices
year: 2019

abstract: Novel Photosystem I (PSI) based solid state solar cells were prepared by directly electropolymerizing polyaniline (PAni) in the presence of solubilized PSI on a TiO2 anode. These devices feature a unique bio derived, photoactive composite layer for efficient charge separation and charge transfer from protein to electrode. This work introduces a new artificial photosynthesis platform for scalable and sustainable solar energy conversion.
author_names: Evan A Gizzie

J Scott Niezgoda

Maxwell T Robinson

Andrew G Harris

G Kane Jennings

Sandra J Rosenthal

David E Cliffel
title: Photosystem I polyaniline/TiO2 solid state solar cells: simple devices for biohybrid solar energy conversion
year: 2015

abstract: Abstract Isolated photosystem I (PSI) has been integrated into numerous technologies for solar energy conversion. Interest in PSI is a consequence of its high internal quantum efficiency, thermal stability, ease of extraction, and adaptability. While there has been success in improving performance to elevate PSI biohybrid technologies toward a practical realm, the stability of PSI bioelectrodes is also of critical importance. Commercial solar energy conversion technologies are expected to achieve lifetimes of the order of ten years; however, many research scale PSI bioelectrodes have only been tested for tens of days. Key areas affecting PSI bioelectrode stability include the effects of reactive oxygen species, immobilization strategies, and the environment within solid state PSI biohybrid photovoltaics. At the current state, further investigation of long term stability is necessary in enabling the development of PSI bioelectrodes for both photoelectrochemical cells and solid state biohybrid photovoltaics.
author_names: Kody D Wolfe

Dilek Dervishogullari

Joshua M Passantino

Christopher D Stachurski

G Kane Jennings

David E Cliffel
title: Improving the stability of photosystem I based bioelectrodes for solar energy conversion
year: 2020