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Mn-doped quantum dot sensitized solar cells: a strategy to boost efficiency over 5%
Pralay K Santra1, Prashant V Kamat
1Radiation Laboratory, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|January 28, 2012
Summary
Manganese doping of cadmium sulfide significantly enhances Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells (QDSC). This advancement boosts QDSC power conversion efficiency to 5.4%, making them more competitive with other solar technologies.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells (QDSC) require improved power conversion efficiencies to compete with emerging solar technologies.
- Cadmium sulfide (CdS) is a common material in QDSC, but its performance can be enhanced.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve the performance of QDSC by employing manganese (Mn2+) doping of CdS.
- To achieve competitive power conversion efficiencies for QDSC.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized Mn(2+)-doped CdS nanoparticles.
- Fabricated QDSC using a photoanode of Mn-doped-CdS/Cadmium Selenide (CdSe) on mesoscopic Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) film.
- Utilized a Copper Sulfide (Cu2S)/Graphene Oxide composite electrode and a sulfide/polysulfide electrolyte.
Main Results:
- Achieved a power conversion efficiency of 5.4% for the fabricated QDSC.
- Demonstrated significant improvement in QDSC performance through Mn(2+) doping of CdS.
Conclusions:
- Mn(2+) doping of CdS is an effective strategy to enhance QDSC performance.
- The developed QDSC architecture shows promise for efficient solar energy conversion.
