Enhanced charge carrier generation in dye sensitized solar cells by nanoparticle plasmons

An interesting possibility to improve the conversion and cost efficiencies of photovoltaic solar cells is to exploit the large optical cross sections of localized (nanoparticle) surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). We have investigated this prospect for dye sensitized solar cells. Photoconductivity measurements were performed on flat TiO2 films, sensitized by a combination of dye molecules and arrays of nanofabricated elliptical gold disks. An enhanced dye charge carrier generation rate was found and shown to derive from the LSPR contribution by means of the polarization dependent resonance frequency in the anisotropic, aligned gold disks.

[1]  Thomas A. Klar,et al.  Surface-Plasmon Resonances in Single Metallic Nanoparticles , 1998 .

[2]  Tetsu Tatsuma,et al.  Mechanisms and applications of plasmon-induced charge separation at TiO2 films loaded with gold nanoparticles. , 2005, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[3]  E. Yu,et al.  Enhanced semiconductor optical absorption via surface plasmon excitation in metal nanoparticles , 2005 .

[4]  M. Green,et al.  Surface plasmon enhanced silicon solar cells , 2007 .

[5]  Carl Hägglund,et al.  Nanoscience and nanotechnology for advanced energy systems , 2006 .

[6]  Dennis G. Hall,et al.  Enhanced Dipole-Dipole Interaction between Elementary Radiators Near a Surface , 1998 .

[7]  N. Lewis.  Toward Cost-Effective Solar Energy Use , 2007, Science.

[8]  Michael Vollmer,et al.  Optical properties of metal clusters , 1995 .

[9]  V. Zhdanov,et al.  Relaxation of plasmons in nm-sized metal particles located on or embedded in an amorphous semiconductor , 2005 .

[10]  H. Pettersson,et al.  Dye-sensitized solar cells. , 2010, Chemical Reviews.

[11]  Claudia Barolo,et al.  Design, synthesis, and application of amphiphilic ruthenium polypyridyl photosensitizers in solar cells based on nanocrystalline TiO2 films , 2002 .

[12]  V. Zhdanov,et al.  Nanometer-sized antenna for enhancement of absorption of light by dye molecules , 2004 .

[13]  T. Yoko,et al.  Effects of the incorporation of silver and gold nanoparticles on the photoanodic properties of rose bengal sensitized TiO2 film electrodes prepared by sol-gel method , 1997 .

[14]  H. Queisser.  Photovoltaic conversion at reduced dimensions , 2002 .

[15]  Charge distribution on and near Schottky nanocontacts , 2006 .

[16]  Stephen R. Forrest,et al.  Long-range absorption enhancement in organic tandem thin-film solar cells containing silver nanoclusters , 2004 .

[17]  A. Alivisatos,et al.  Hybrid Nanorod-Polymer Solar Cells , 2002, Science.

[18]  Koichi Yamada,et al.  Effects of silver particles on the photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized TiO2 thin films , 2000 .

[19]  F. Träger,et al.  Ultrafast dephasing of surface plasmon excitation in silver nanoparticles: influence of particle size, shape, and chemical surrounding. , 2002, Physical review letters.

[20]  P. Tien.  Light waves in thin films and integrated optics. , 1971, Applied optics.

[21]  Luc Patthey,et al.  Experimental evidence for sub-3-fs charge transfer from an aromatic adsorbate to a semiconductor , 2002, Nature.

[22]  Dieter Meissner,et al.  Metal cluster enhanced organic solar cells , 2000 .

[23]  G. Wiederrecht,et al.  Surface plasmon characteristics of tunable photoluminescence in single gold nanorods. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[24]  M. Grätzel,et al.  A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films , 1991, Nature.

[25]  J. Herrmann,et al.  Platinum/titanium dioxide catalysts. A photoconductivity study of electron transfer from the ultraviolet-illuminated support to the metal and of the influence of hydrogen , 1983 .