Molecular-based Optical Sensitization of Wide-Bandgap Materials

无机化学、生物无机化学和金属有机化学项目的这一奖项支持密歇根州立大学的James K.McCusker教授的研究，旨在了解光敏化材料的光转化过程中的第一步，这对未来的光伏电池设计非常重要，即反应性是否需要激发态热化，或者是否可以从敏化剂的Franck-Condon状态进行注入。这项研究包括三个阶段：i)用于太阳能电池开发的敏化剂候选溶液中的详细飞秒动力学研究；ii)在第一阶段中检测到的与氧化锆纳米颗粒相结合的络合物的研究；以及iii)在第一阶段中与二氧化钛纳米颗粒相结合作为功能性再生太阳能电池组件的复合体的研究。这项研究的成功将大大有助于降低有前景的太阳能电池系统的成本。这项研究还为研究生或博士后提供化学、物理和太阳能电池设备方面的跨学科培训。

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Professor James K. McCusker at Michigan State University geared toward understanding the first step, which is important for future photovoltaic cell design, in the photoconversion process of optically sensitized materials, i.e. does reactivity require excited-state thermalization, or can injection proceed from the Franck-Condon state of the sensitizer. The research involves three phases: I) detailed femtosecond dynamics studies, in solution, of sensitizer candidates for solar cell development; II) studies of the complexes examined in Phase I attached to zirconium oxide nanoparticles; and III) studies of the complexes examined in Phase I attached to titanium oxide nanoparticles as components of functional regenerative solar cells.Success in this research would contribute greatly toward reducing the cost of a promising solar cell system. This research also provides interdisciplinary training in chemistry, physics and solar cell devices for a graduate or postdoctoral student.