Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
09:32
Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping
Published on: July 2, 2012
Plasmon enhanced solar-to-fuel energy conversion
Isabell Thomann1, Blaise A Pinaud, Zhebo Chen
1Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, California 94305-4045, United States. ithomann@stanford.edu
Nano Letters
|July 14, 2011
Summary
Future photoelectrodes need earth-abundant materials for solar fuel. Plasmonics and interference concentrate sunlight, boosting efficiency by minimizing carrier recombination for clean energy.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Solar fuel generation requires earth-abundant photoelectrode materials.
- These materials often have poor charge transport and short carrier diffusion lengths.
- This limits efficiency as photoexcited carriers recombine before reaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance solar fuel generation using inexpensive materials.
- To overcome limitations of poor charge transport and short carrier diffusion lengths.
- To investigate the use of plasmonics and multilayer interference for light concentration.
Main Methods:
- Engineering plasmonic resonances in metallic nanostructures.
- Utilizing multilayer interference effects for light concentration.
- Comparing experimental photocurrent spectra with electromagnetic simulations.
Main Results:
- Sunlight was concentrated near the electrode/liquid interface.
- Surface plasmon excitations were verified as a key mechanism.
- Enhanced photocurrent spectra indicated improved carrier utilization.
Conclusions:
- Plasmonics and interference can overcome material limitations in solar fuel generation.
- This approach enables efficient use of light in photoelectrochemical processes.
- Advances in plasmonics can optimize diverse photochemical applications.
More Related Videos
11:26Integrating a Triplet-triplet Annihilation Up-conversion System to Enhance Dye-sensitized Solar Cell Response to Sub-bandgap Light
Published on: September 12, 2014
12:08Fabrication of High Contrast Gratings for the Spectrum Splitting Dispersive Element in a Concentrated Photovoltaic System
Published on: July 18, 2015
Related Concept Videos
01:34The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis
The light reactions of photosynthesis assume a linear flow of electrons from water to NADP+. During this process, light energy drives the splitting of water molecules to produce oxygen. However, oxidation of water molecules is a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction and requires a strong oxidizing agent. This is accomplished by the first product of light reactions: oxidized P680 (or P680+), the most powerful oxidizing agent known in biology. The oxidized P680 that acquires an electron from the...
01:11P-N junction
A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
01:27Photosystem I
Although structurally similar to photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI) is has a different electron supplier and electron acceptor.
Both these photosystems work in concert. An excited electron from PSII is relayed to PSI via an electron transport chain in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, which is comprised of the carrier molecule plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As electrons move between PSII and PSI, they lose energy and must be re-energized...
Both these photosystems work in concert. An excited electron from PSII is relayed to PSI via an electron transport chain in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, which is comprised of the carrier molecule plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As electrons move between PSII and PSI, they lose energy and must be re-energized...
01:22Photosystem II
The multi-protein complex photosystem II (PS II) harvests photons and transfers their energy through its bound pigments to its reaction center, and ultimately to photosystem I (PSI) through the electron transport chain. The pigments responsible for caputirng the light energy in photosystems include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids.
The pigment molecules are arranged across two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
The pigment molecules are arranged across two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
01:26Oxygenic Photosynthesis
Oxygenic photosynthesis is a fundamental process in which light energy is harnessed to drive the oxidation of water, leading to the production of molecular oxygen (O₂), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). This process is essential for sustaining aerobic life on Earth and is primarily carried out by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The core of oxygenic photosynthesis lies in the thylakoid membranes, where chlorophyll pigments facilitate light...
01:23Microbial Fuel Cells
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical devices that generate electricity by exploiting the metabolic processes of electrogenic bacteria. These systems provide a renewable energy source and serve as an innovative method for treating organic waste, such as wastewater.A typical MFC consists of two chambers: an anoxic (oxygen-free) compartment that houses the bacteria and an oxic (oxygen-rich) compartment that contains oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. Many MFCs use proton...