Carbon Nanotube Solar Cells and Sensors

目前，为了解决当前的世界能源危机，显然需要新形式的环境友好、清洁和可再生能源。传统的化石燃料是有限的，气候变化的负面影响越来越明显。纳米技术领域由于可以接触到许多新材料，因此具有提供解决方案的独特优势。该项目的主要目标是利用一种被称为单壁碳纳米管的纳米材料来制造新型光伏或太阳能电池设备。一种完全由碳组成的太阳能电池将被展示，碳是一种廉价、易得的材料。这种新设计的电池将是灵活的，适用于大规模印刷技术，并能够在高温下工作。该项目分为4个相关主题，即全碳有机太阳能电池的制造、光传感器器件、全碳染料敏化太阳能电池以及化学和生物光学传感器的制造。太阳能电池的制造将与手性分类碳纳米管相结合，以提供增强的阳光吸收和转换效率。用卟啉等有机金属染料对已分选的单壁碳纳米管进行化学改性后，其光吸收范围将进一步扩大，功率转换效率将进一步提高。单壁碳纳米管的分离将用于传感器阵列的开发。利用独特的纳米管分离，光传感器将直接应用于光谱设备。在一种互补的方法中，利用分离的碳纳米管的化学修饰，高灵敏度的生物和化学传感器（能够通过吸收阳光自供电）将被开发出来。

Currently there is a clear need for new forms of environmentally friendly, clean and renewable energy in order to address the current world energy crisis. Traditional fossil fuels are limited and the increasing negative side effects of climate change are becoming obvious. The field of nanotechnology, as a result of its access to many new materials is uniquely positioned to provide solutions. The primary objective of this project is to utilize one such nanomaterial known as a single-walled carbon nanotube to fabricate new forms of photovoltaic or solar cell devices. A solar cell consisting entirely of carbon, a cheap, readily available material will be demonstrated. Such a newly designed cell will be flexible, amenable to large-scale printing techniques and capable of operating at high temperature. The project is divided into 4 linked themes, namely the fabrication of all carbon organic solar cells, light sensor devices, all carbon dye-sensitized solar cells and the fabrication of chemical and biological optical sensors. The fabrication of solar cells will be integrated with chirality-sorted carbon nanotubes to provide enhanced sunlight absorption and conversion efficiency. Upon chemical modification of sorted single-walled carbon nanotubes with porphyrins and other organometallic dyes, the light absorption range will be further broadened and power conversion efficiency increased. Separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes will then be used in development of sensor arrays. Utilizing unique separations of nanotubes, light sensors will be developed with direct application to spectroscopic devices. In a complementary approach, utilizing chemical modification of separated carbon nanotubes, highly sensitive biological and chemical sensors (capable of self-powering through absorption of sunlight) will then be developed.