Surprising Steps Forward in Solar Cells Thanks to Nano Chemistry

摘要

Papers #5 and #8 report on the benefits of nanomaterials-silicon and titanium dioxide (TiO_2), respectively-in boosting the performance of solar cells.rnMiniature solar cells could power microelectronic systems, and downsizing to this scale requires nano-electronic components, but so far such cells have low efficiency and poor stability. However, the coaxial nanowires of paper #5 overcome these drawbacks. They are the work of Charles Lieber's group at Harvard University and they consist of a p-type silicon nanowire core surrounded by an n-fype silicon sheath. Electrons and holes are generated by light in the layer of silicon between them and are swept into the n-shell and p-core, respectively, by a built-in electric field.