RUI: Application of Plasmonic-Metal Nanoparticles to Increase the Efficiency and Photostability of Luminescent Solar Concentrators

题目：RUI：等离子体-金属纳米颗粒在提高太阳能聚光器效率和光稳定性方面的应用。项目负责人：Wittmershaus， Bruce P.，宾夕法尼亚州立大学公园研究目标和方法：本研究的目标是设计和制造高效和光稳定的太阳能聚光器，其使用寿命至少为10年。该方法是利用金属纳米颗粒引起有机染料的金属增强荧光，从而提高荧光产率和光稳定性。不同形状和大小的纳米粒子将在单染料和多染料的发光浓缩器中进行测试。知识价值：光降解是一个主要的和经常被忽视的问题，阻碍了发光聚光器的商业化。金属增强荧光是一种独特的解决方案，通过增加染料来大大提高光稳定性。S辐射率。它也增加了荧光产率。产率较低的红外染料可作为选矿厂可行的原料。这提高了聚光器的效率，扩大了被转换的太阳光的范围，超出了可见光范围。提高荧光材料的光稳定性和产量将有利于染料敏化太阳能电池、生物荧光标签和发光二极管等其他重要应用。更广泛的影响：经济实惠的太阳能转换的潜在发展将通过减少对化石燃料的依赖使我们的社会受益。为本科生提供必要的培训，让他们在纳米技术和太阳能等关键目标领域进行和展示跨学科研究。面向初高中学生的外展计划向公众介绍我们的工作，并使学生对太阳能和纳米技术研究感到兴奋。我们对学生组织的研究报告和参与大学指导计划鼓励代表性不足的学生考虑在STEM领域学习，表明他们作为本科生可以进入STEM领域。

Title: RUI: Application of Plasmonic-Metal Nanoparticles to Increase the Efficiency and Photostability of Luminescent Solar ConcentratorsPrincipal Investigator: Wittmershaus, Bruce P. , Pennsylvania State Univ. University ParkResearch Objectives and Approaches: The objective of this research is to design and fabricate highly efficient and photostable luminescent solar concentrators with usable lifetimes of at least 10 years. The approach is to use metal nanoparticles to cause metal-enhanced fluorescence from organic dyes thereby increasing fluorescence yield and photostability. Different shapes and sizes of nanoparticles will be tested in single and multiple-dye luminescent concentrators. Intellectual Merit: Photodegradation is a major and often overlooked problem of luminescent concentrators preventing their commercialization. Metal-enhanced fluorescence is a unique solution greatly improving photostability by increasing a dye?s radiative rate. It also increases fluorescence yield. Infra-red dyes with poor yield can be made into viable materials for concentrators. This improves concentrator efficiency by extending the range of converted sunlight beyond the visible. Improving both the photostability and yield of fluorescent materials will benefit other important applications such as dye-sensitized solar cells, biological fluorescent labels, and light-emitting diodes. Broader Impacts: The potential development of affordable solar energy conversion will benefit our society through less reliance on fossil fuels. Necessary training is provided to undergraduates on performing and presenting interdisciplinary research in the critical target areas of nanotechnology and solar energy. Outreach programs for middle and high school students inform the public about our work and get students excited about solar and nanotechnology research. Our research presentations to student organizations and participation in college mentoring programs encourage underrepresented students to consider study in STEM fields by showing that it is accessible to them as undergraduates.