- Introduction
There is a need of the society to make use of novel designs and concepts of solar cells that would fulfil except stringent criteria of efficiency, stability, and low prize other requirements, such as flexibility, transparency, tunable cell size, yet having some esthetic features.
Therefore, the research of various solar cell technologies for diversified applications, such as for the building integrated photovoltaics, or powering mobile devices, has recently significantly moved forward all scientific and technological innovations in the photovoltaics. Even though there is still continuous research in the field of classical silicon solar cells (with their traditional field use), much more attention is given to alternative photovoltaic technologies that have the potential to boost the use of abundant solar-to-electricity conversion to power several years ago unpowerable devices and objects.
Herein, the research focus is given to a new concept of a solar cell that explores the best suitable materials from different fields of materials chemistry and physics that have not been put together so far. What is more, the solar cells is completely solid-state, rather inorganic with a small contribution of organic materials, so issues regarding stability are not necessarily raised here.
The new solar cell concept is based on the rational design, where:
1) the anode consist of based on highly ordered titania nanotube arrays - almost ideal material for the solar light absorption owing to its high surface and architecture, carried by either a glass or a polymer foil.
2) chalcogenide crystalline materials or push-pull organic materials represent suitable chromophores for absorbing visibile and near-IR light.
3) the circuit is closed by a conducting mesh covering carrier transferring layer and light-scattering agents.
The research topics proposed here are very important and cover high priority ?hot? research areas, but in the same time they are very complex and thus very multidisciplinary.
Therefore, the research of various solar cell technologies for diversified applications, such as for the building integrated photovoltaics, or powering mobile devices, has recently significantly moved forward all scientific and technological innovations in the photovoltaics. Even though there is still continuous research in the field of classical silicon solar cells (with their traditional field use), much more attention is given to alternative photovoltaic technologies that have the potential to boost the use of abundant solar-to-electricity conversion to power several years ago unpowerable devices and objects.
Herein, the research focus is given to a new concept of a solar cell that explores the best suitable materials from different fields of materials chemistry and physics that have not been put together so far. What is more, the solar cells is completely solid-state, rather inorganic with a small contribution of organic materials, so issues regarding stability are not necessarily raised here.
The new solar cell concept is based on the rational design, where:
1) the anode consist of based on highly ordered titania nanotube arrays - almost ideal material for the solar light absorption owing to its high surface and architecture, carried by either a glass or a polymer foil.
2) chalcogenide crystalline materials or push-pull organic materials represent suitable chromophores for absorbing visibile and near-IR light.
3) the circuit is closed by a conducting mesh covering carrier transferring layer and light-scattering agents.
The research topics proposed here are very important and cover high priority ?hot? research areas, but in the same time they are very complex and thus very multidisciplinary.
