The Golden Fig: A Plasmonic Effect Study of Organic-Based Solar Cells

Overview

Journal Nanomaterials (Basel)

Date 2022 Jan 21

PMID 35055282

Authors

Jessica Barichello

Paolo Mariani

Fabio Matteocci

Luigi Vesce

Andrea Reale

Aldo Di Carlo

Maurizio Lanza

Gaetano Di Marco

Stefano Polizzi

Giuseppe Calogero

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

An optimization work on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on both artificial and natural dyes was carried out by a fine synthesis work embedding gold nanoparticles in a TiO semiconductor and perfecting the TiO particle sizes of the scattering layer. Noble metal nanostructures are known for the surface plasmon resonance peculiarity that reveals unique properties and has been implemented in several fields such as sensing, photocatalysis, optical antennas and PV devices. By embedding gold nanoparticles in the mesoporous TiO layer and adding a scattering layer, we were able to boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 10.8%, using an organic ruthenium complex. The same implementation was carried out using a natural dye, betalains, extracted from Sicilian prickly pear. In this case, the conversion efficiency doubled from 1 to 2% (measured at 1 SUN illumination, 100 mW/cm under solar simulation irradiation). Moreover, we obtained (measured at 0.1 SUN, 10 mW/cm under blue light LED irradiation) a record efficiency of 15% with the betalain-based dye, paving the way for indoor applications in organic natural devices. Finally, an attempt to scale up the system is shown, and a betalain-based- dye-sensitized solar module (DSSM), with an active area of 43.2 cm and a PCE of 1.02%, was fabricated for the first time.

Citing Articles

Green Synthesis of Pristine and Ag-Doped TiO and Investigation of Their Performance as Photoanodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Sharif A, Ashrafuzzaman M, Kalam A, Al-Sehemi A, Yadav P, Tripathi B Materials (Basel). 2023; 16(17).

PMID: 37687423 PMC: 10488965. DOI: 10.3390/ma16175731.

Synthesis and Photophysics Characterization of Boronic Styril and Distyryl BODIPYs for Water-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Nastasi F, Mineo P, Barichello J, La Ganga G, Di Marco G, Calogero G Biomimetics (Basel). 2022; 7(3).

PMID: 35997430 PMC: 9397057. DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7030110.

Optically Transparent Gold Nanoparticles for DSSC Counter-Electrode: An Electrochemical Characterization.

Barichello J, Spadaro D, Gullace S, Sinopoli A, Calandra P, Irrera A Molecules. 2022; 27(13).

PMID: 35807425 PMC: 9268613. DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134178.

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