Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

A comprehensive overview of the development of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) is presented.

Preparation and biomedical applications of bright robust silica nanocapsules with multiple incorporated InP/ZnS quantum dots

InP/ZnS quantum dots incorporated in silica capsules are robust and bright, and can image cells clearly.

Improving the Power Conversion Efficiency of Carbon Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells by Growing the Dots on a TiO₂ Photoanode In Situ

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are highly promising since they can potentially solve global energy issues. The development of new photosensitizers is the key to fully realizing perspectives proposed to DSSCs. Being cheap and nontoxic, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as attractive candidates for this purpose. However, current methodologies to build up CQD-sensitized solar cells (CQDSCs) result in an imperfect apparatus with extremely low power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). Herein, we present a simple strategy of growing carbon quantum dots (CQDs) onto TiO₂ surfaces in situ. The CQDs/TiO₂ hybridized photoanode was then used to construct solar cell with an improved PCE of 0.87%, which is higher than all of the reported CQDSCs adopting the simple post-adsorption method. This result indicates that an in situ growing strategy has great advantages in terms of optimizing the performance of CQDSCs. In addition, we have also found that the mechanisms dominating the performance of CQDSCs are different from those behind the solar cells using inorganic semiconductor quantum dots (ISQDs) as the photosensitizers, which re-confirms the conclusion that the characteristics of CQDs differ from those of ISQDs.

Recent advances in counter electrodes of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

The recent progress in the development of counter electrodes (CEs) is reviewed, and the key issues for the materials, structures and performance evaluation of CEs are also addressed.

CdS sensitized TiO2 photoanodes for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells by hydrothermal assisted chemical bath deposition and post-annealing treatment

A hydrothermal assisted chemical bath deposition method was adopted to directly deposit CdS quantum dots on TiO₂ photoanodes in QDSCs for the first time. An efficiency of 1.78% is achieved with appropriate post-annealing treatment.