This project aims to realize the proof of concept and then the demonstration of product on a new design of solar cell. The technology used for this project is based upon the use of tunable organic bi-layer photovoltaic (OPV) nanoparticles as a low-cost means to convert photons from the sun to useable electrons. The proposed work involves fabrication of aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods, decoration of the nanorods with functional OPV nanoparticles, testing of solar cell performance, and the demonstration of products. The new design will align functional bilayer nanoparticles with vertically aligned ZnO nanorods to realize efficient transport of carriers (electrons and holes) that are generated through photon-electron conversion.
Sustainable energy supply is an issue impacting day-to-day life, the environment and many other areas. If successfully completed, this project may lead to sustainable and more economic energy supply through solar power. Zinc oxide nanostructures have demonstrated high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and long-term stability. Both the OPV nanoparticle and the ZnO nanorod offer low-cost scalability utilizing low-cost materials and inexpensive widely used processing techniques.
Through this project, the team of investigators has explored the transition from nanofabrication research to commercialization of solar cells. The exploration has demonstrated that the concept is technically sound and feasible, as originally expected. More importantly, the exploration has revealed that the market does NOT accept a technology even if it is technically advanced and it is cheaper. The short lifetime of our technology has been proven to be the show stopper of commercialization. This show stopper has triggered further innovation. A major reason of the short lifetime is the leakage of sealing in solar cells. The sealing is usually polymer glue, and it degrades under sunshine. The degradation is followed by leakage of oxygen and moisture that cause the core of solar cell to have short lifetime. In a DoE funded project, we have realized the smallest well-separated metallic nanorods for the first time, as reported in Physical Review Letters 110 (2013) 136102. Based on this discovery, we have realized the metallic sealing at room temperature, in ambient environment (no vacuum needed), and under low pressure of a few MPa. Such metallic sealing has excellent leakage resistance and does not degrade under the sunshine. Our metallic sealing technology (provisional patent # 61/837,814) offers the means of removing the show stopper of commercialization, and paves the way for an SBIR.
