Type-II Nanorod Heterostructures for Solar Harvesting Applications

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。化学部支持德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的亚伯拉罕·沃尔科特作为美国化学竞争力研究员。沃尔科特博士将研究一维II型半导体纳米棒的制备、组装和性能，以及它们在光伏器件中的可能用途。沃尔科特博士将合成纳米棒，将它们垂直排列在衬底上，并使用超快光谱技术探测它们的光物理性质。最终，沃尔科特博士将使用这些材料来制造太阳能电池。沃尔科特博士将与劳伦斯·利弗莫尔国家实验室和国家可再生能源实验室的科学家合作。在扩大参与度的计划中，沃尔科特博士将与奥斯汀大都市区的初中生和高中生合作，开展旨在向学生传授太阳能知识的实践项目。沃尔科特博士这样的研究旨在开发更高效的太阳能生产方法。太阳能是一种可再生能源。沃尔科特博士正在进行的扩大参与的努力旨在增加来自代表性不足群体的年轻人对科学的参与。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The Division of Chemistry supports Abraham Wolcott of the University of Texas at Austin as an American Competitiveness in Chemistry Fellow. Dr. Wolcott will investigate the preparation, assembly and properties of one-dimensional type II CdSe/ZnTe semiconductor nanorods and their possible use in photovoltaic devices. Dr. Wolcott will synthesize the nanorods, align them vertically on a substrate and probe their photophysical properties with ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. Ultimately, Dr. Wolcott will use these materials to build solar cells. Dr. Wolcott will work in collaboration with scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In his plan for broadening participation, Dr. Wolcott will work with middle and high school students in the Austin metro area in hands-on projects designed to teach students about solar energy.Research like that of Dr. Wolcott is aimed at developing more efficient ways of producing solar energy -- a renewable energy source. The efforts at broadening participation being pursued by Dr. Wolcott are aimed at increasing the participation of young people from underrepresented groups in the sciences.