Plasmon-enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276309-B2
Application number	US-201314434098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2013
Priority date	Oct 8, 2012
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A dye-sensitized solar cell can include a plurality of a plasmon-forming nanostructures. The plasmon-forming nanostructures can include an oxide core, an inner metallic shell on a surface of the oxide core, and an outer oxide shell on a surface of the inner metallic shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dye-sensitized solar cell comprising a photoanode including a photoabsorber and a plurality of TiO 2 nanoparticles and a plurality of a plasmon-forming nanostructures, wherein each plasmon-forming nanostructure includes an oxide core, an inner metallic shell on a surface of the oxide core, and an outer oxide shell on a surface of the inner metallic shell,
wherein a localized surface plasmon resonance of the plurality of plasmon-forming nanostructures matches an absorption wavelength region of the photoabsorber to balance and optimize light harvesting in different wavelengths;
wherein the oxide core including TiO 2 has a diameter of no greater than 50 nm, the inner metallic shell has a thickness of no greater than 5 nm, and the outer oxide shell including TiO 2 has a thickness of less than about 2 nm.

2. The dye-sensitized solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the inner metallic shell includes Au, Ag, or a combination thereof.

3. The dye-sensitized solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasmon-forming nanostructures is interspersed with the plurality of TiO 2 nanoparticles.

4. The dye-sensitized solar cell of claim 3 , wherein the plasmon-forming nanostructures are 0.01 wt % to 2.5 wt % of the total nanoparticles in the photoanode.

5. A method of generating solar power, comprising illuminating a dye-sensitized solar cell including a photoabsorber and a plurality of TiO 2 nanoparticles and a plurality of a plasmon-forming nanostructures, wherein each plasmon-forming nanostructure includes an oxide core, an inner metallic shell on a surface of the oxide core, and an outer oxide shell on a surface of the inner metallic shell,
wherein a localized surface plasmon resonance of the plurality of plasmon-forming nanostructures matches an absorption wavelength region of the photoabsorber to balance and optimize light harvesting in different wavelengths;
wherein the oxide core including TiO 2 has a diameter of no greater than 50 nm, the inner metallic shell has a thickness of no greater than 5 nm, and the outer oxide shell including TiO 2 has a thickness of less than about 2 nm.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the inner metallic shell includes Au, Ag, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of a plasmon-forming nanostructures is interspersed with the plurality of TiO 2 nanoparticles.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plasmon-forming nanostructures are 0.01 wt % to 2.5 wt % of the total nanoparticles in a photoanode.

9. A method of making a dye-sensitized solar cell comprising forming a photoanode including a photoabsorber and a plurality of TiO 2 nanoparticles and a plurality of a plasmon-forming nanostructures, wherein each plasmon-forming nanostructure includes an oxide core, an inner metallic shell on a surface of the oxide core, and an outer oxide shell on a surface of the inner metallic shell,
wherein a localized surface plasmon resonance of the plurality of plasmon-forming nanostructures matches an absorption wavelength region of the photoabsorber to balance and optimize light harvesting in different wavelengths;
wherein the oxide core including TiO 2 has a diameter of no greater than 50 nm, the inner metallic shell has a thickness of no greater than 5 nm, and the outer oxide shell including TiO 2 has a thickness of less than about 2 nm.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the photoanode includes depositing the plurality of plasmon-forming nanostructures on a substrate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein forming the photoanode includes mixing the plurality of TiO 2 nanoparticles with the plurality of plasmon-forming nanostructures prior to depositing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the inner metallic shell includes Au, Ag, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of plasmon-forming nanostructures is interspersed with the plurality of TiO 2 nanoparticles.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plasmon-forming nanostructures are 0.01 wt % to 2.5 wt % of the total nanoparticles in the photoanode.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Qi Jifa
• Dang Xiangnan
• Belcher Angela M
• Hammond Paula T

Classifications

• H01G9/2031 Primary

  comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 (H01G9/2036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01G9/2027

  comprising an oxide semiconductor electrode · CPC title

• Y02P70/521

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• H01G9/2036

  comprising mixed oxides, e.g. ZnO covered TiO2 particles · CPC title