Exploring Interfacial Events in Gold-Nanocluster-Sensitized Solar Cells: Insights into the Effects of the Cluster Size and Electrolyte on Solar Cell Performance
Exploring Interfacial Events in Gold-Nanocluster-Sensitized Solar Cells: Insights into the Effects of the Cluster Size and Electrolyte on Solar Cell Performance
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DOI：
10.1021/jacs.5b11174
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发表时间：
2016-01-13
影响因子：
15
通讯作者：
Bang, Jin Ho
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Abbas, Muhammad A.;Kim, Tea-Yon;Bang, Jin Ho
具有类似分子行为的金纳米粉（Au NC）已成为各种能量转换系统中的新型光收集器。尽管最近取得了一些重要进展，但利用 NC 作为光采集器的努力主要局限于证明其效力和可行性。在太阳能电池应用中，最近报道了功率转换效率（PCE）超过2%的突破性研究。然而，由于缺乏金属团簇敏化太阳能电池（MCSSC）的完整表征，对界面事件和决定其性能的限制因素的全面理解仍然难以实现。在这方面，我们通过对 Au NC 进行深入的电化学阻抗谱（EIS）分析并结合物理表征和密度泛函理论（DFT）计算，首次对 MCSSC 进行了深入的了解。我们特别关注了 Au NC 和电解质的尺寸对 MCSSC 性能的影响，并揭示它们对重要的太阳能电池特性（如光吸收能力、电荷注入动力学、界面电荷复合和电荷传输）有显着影响。除了提供全面的见解外，这项工作还实现了 3.8% 的新 PCE 记录，成为 MCSSC 发展的重要垫脚石。
Gold nanodusters (Au NCs) with molecule-like behavior have emerged as a new light harvester in various energy conversion systems. Despite several important strides made recently, efforts toward the utilization of NCs as a light harvester have been primarily restricted to proving their potency and feasibility. In solar cell applications, ground-breaking research with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of more than 2% has recently been reported. Because of the lack of complete characterization of metal cluster-sensitized solar cells (MCSSCs), however, comprehensive understanding of the interfacial events and limiting factors which dictate their performance remains elusive. In this regard, we provide deep insight into MCSSCs for the first time by performing in-depth electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis combined with physical characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of Au NCs. In particular, we focused on the effect of the size of the Au NCs and electrolytes on the performance of MCSSCs and reveal that they are significantly influential on important solar cell characteristics such as the light absorption capability, charge injection kinetics, interfacial charge recombination, and charge transport. Besides offering comprehensive insights, this work represents an important stepping stone toward the development of MCSSCs by accomplishing a new PCE record of 3.8%.