SBIR Phase II: Dye Co-Sensitizer Combinations for Increasing the Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Titania Nanoparticles in Solar Cells

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目旨在商业化轻质，灵活，负担得起的太阳能电池和模块，有效地从阳光或室内光线发电。这些电池基于染料敏化的二氧化钛，其在连续涂布、层压过程中以高速涂布在柔性基底上。第二阶段的总体目标是将电池效率从目前的7%提高到10%或更高，从而将组件效率从5%提高到8%以上。 为了实现这一点，必须提高敏化染料收集大量可用光子并将其转化为电子的能力。 在该计划的第一阶段，发现了一类新的增感染料，其覆盖了太阳光谱的更大部分，具有比目前使用的铕基染料更大的吸收率。此外，具有与新的增感染料的分子结构相似的分子结构的材料，并且通过促进从染料到二氧化钛的电子注入而充当共增感染料，与二氧化钛表面上的染料共吸附。 预计这些材料的组合将使电池和模块性能达到所需水平。 在商业上，该项目将产生一种廉价，高效，灵活的光伏（PV）技术，可以集成到消费产品中。 因此，可再生能源可用于为产品供电，最大限度地减少电池容量和处理要求，并最终为建筑结构提供电力，避免与化石燃料相关的排放。 安全性是两个层面上的广泛益处。 首先，2003年大面积停电所表现出的电网不稳定性强调了我们国家电网对分布式电源的需求。 其次，日益增长的国土安全问题强调了传感器、摄像头和其他监控系统的无线网络对建筑和边境安全的重要性。 光催化剂是唯一适合服务于这些分布式应用程序。

This Small Business Innovation Research(SBIR) Phase II project aims to commercialize lightweight, flexible, affordable solar cells and modules that efficiently generate electricity from sunlight or indoor room light. These cells are based on dye-sensitized titania which is coated on a flexible substrate at high speed in a continuous coating, laminating process. The overall objective of Phase II is to raise the cell efficiency from its current 7% to 10% or higher, thereby raising the module efficiency from 5% to over 8%. To accomplish this, the ability of the sensitizing dyes to harvest a much larger number of available photons and convert them into electrons must be increased. In Phase I of this program, a new class of sensitizing dyes that cover a larger portion of the solar spectrum, have larger absorptivity than the currently used ruthenium-based dyes was discovered. In addition, materials that have similar molecular structures to those of the new sensitizing dyes, and act as co-sensitizers by boosting electron injection from the dye to the titania, are co-adsorbed with the dyes on the surface of the titania. It is anticipated that the combination of these materials will bring the cell and modules performance to the desired level. Commercially, the project will result in an inexpensive, efficient, flexible photovoltaic (PV) technology that can be integrated into consumer products. Therefore a renewable source of energy could be used to power products, minimizing the battery capacity and disposal requirements, and ultimately delivering power to building structures, avoiding emissions associated with fossil fuels. Security is a broad benefit on two levels. First, grid instability demonstrated by widespread blackouts in 2003 emphasizes the need for distributed power in our national grid. Secondly, growing homeland security concerns underscore the importance of wireless networks of sensors, cameras, and other monitoring systems for building and border security. Photovoltaics are uniquely suited to serve these distributed applications.