Co-sensitizers for dye sensitized solar cells
AssigneeKonarka Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRussell Gaudiana, Savvas Hadjikyriacou, Jin-An He, David Waller, Zhengguo Zhu
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Abstract
Co-sensitizers that co-adsorb with a sensitizing dye to the surface of an interconnected semiconductor oxide nanoparticle material increase the efficiency of photovoltaic cells by improving their charge transfer efficiency and reducing the back transfer of electrons from the interconnected semiconductor oxide nanoparticle material to the sensitizing dye.
Claims78
A photosensitizing agent for a photovoltaic cell, the photosensitizing agent comprising:
- a sensitizing dye for receiving electromagnetic energy;
- and
- a co-sensitizer comprising a coordinating group for co-adsorbing with the sensitizing dye on a surface.
A photosensitized nanoparticle layer in a photovoltaic cell, the layer comprising:
- a sensitizing dye for receiving electromagnetic energy;
- a co-sensitizer including a coordinating group;
- and
- an interconnected nanoparticle material comprising a surface for co-absorbing the sensitizing dye and the co-sensitizer to form a photosensitized nanoparticle layer.
A method of forming a photosensitized nanoparticle layer in a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a sensitizing dye for receiving electromagnetic energy;
- co-adsorbing a co-sensitizer including a coordinating group on a surface of an interconnected nanoparticle material to form a photosensitized nanoparticle layer.
A flexible photovoltaic cell comprising:
- a photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprising (i) a sensitizing dye for receiving electromagnetic energy and (ii) a co-sensitizer including a coordinating group, both adsorbed on a surface of an interconnected nanoparticle material;
- first and second flexible, significantly light transmitting substrates;
- and
- a charge carrier material, the charge carrier material and the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material both being disposed between the first and second flexible, significantly light transmitting substrates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.