Investigation on semiconductor quantum dots as sensitizer for solar cell applications

Abstract

The demand for electric energy is rapidly increasing due to increasing world population along with rising environmental issues resulting from burning of fossil fuels Hence there is urging need to develop an alternate technology for generating electric energy using an ecofriendly and clean renewable sources Photovoltaic PV technology is an efficient technology photoelectric effect which is based on converting light to electricity Silicon dominates the PV industries since more than 85 of the solar cells are made from Si Highly expensive and complicated fabrication techniques deprived PV technology and led to development of simple less expensive nanotechnology based novel solar cells like sensitized solar cells Quantum dot sensitized solar cells are most prominent and attractive technology using semiconductor Quantum Dots QDs as sensitizers Unique properties exhibited by QDs such as size dependent electronic structure large extinction coefficients and multiple exciton generation render them attractive candidates as photon harvesters A strategy to effectively harvest solar energy using QDSSC is to do a state of art research focussing on novel QDs and advanced photoelectrode design with proper band alignment of each layers of QDSSC Recognition and development of QDSSC using new QD material and optimized cell components is a new platform to the researchers in order to develop an efficient solar cell newline