Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

This work reports cascade Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based n-type (ZnO) and p-type (NiO) dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), discussing approaches to enhance their overall performance. Although DSSCs suffer from poorer performance than other solar cells, the use of composites with carb...

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Main Authors: Mulugeta Tesema Efa, Jheng-Chang Huang, Toyoko Imae
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-11-01
Series:Nanomaterials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/12/22/4085
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author Mulugeta Tesema Efa
Jheng-Chang Huang
Toyoko Imae
author_facet Mulugeta Tesema Efa
Jheng-Chang Huang
Toyoko Imae
author_sort Mulugeta Tesema Efa
collection DOAJ
description This work reports cascade Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based n-type (ZnO) and p-type (NiO) dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), discussing approaches to enhance their overall performance. Although DSSCs suffer from poorer performance than other solar cells, the use of composites with carbon dot (Cdot) can enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs. However, further improvements are demanded through molecular design to stimulate DSSCs. Here, a photosensitized system based on a cascade FRET was induced alongside the conventional photosensitizer dye (N719). To N719 in a DSSC is transferred the energy cascaded through donor fluorescence materials (pyrene, 3-acetyl-7-<i>N,N</i>-diethyl-coumarin or coumarin and acridine orange), and this process enhances the light-harvesting properties of the sensitizers in the DSSC across a broad region of the solar spectrum. PCE values of 10.7 and 11.3% were achieved for ZnO/Cdot and NiO/Cdot DSSCs, respectively. These high PCE values result from the energy transfer among multi-photosensitizers (cascade FRET fluorophores, N719, and Cdot). Moreover, Cdot can play a role in intensifying the adsorption of dyes and discouraging charge recombination on the semiconductor. The present results raise expectations that a significant improvement in photovoltaic performance can be attained of DSSCs exploiting the cascade FRET photonics phenomenon.
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spelling doaj.art-b8519eeefcd0453ca9ad9c9ea72a68b62023-11-24T09:29:24ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912022-11-011222408510.3390/nano12224085Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar CellsMulugeta Tesema Efa0Jheng-Chang Huang1Toyoko Imae2Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, TaiwanDepartment of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, TaiwanGraduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, TaiwanThis work reports cascade Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based n-type (ZnO) and p-type (NiO) dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), discussing approaches to enhance their overall performance. Although DSSCs suffer from poorer performance than other solar cells, the use of composites with carbon dot (Cdot) can enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs. However, further improvements are demanded through molecular design to stimulate DSSCs. Here, a photosensitized system based on a cascade FRET was induced alongside the conventional photosensitizer dye (N719). To N719 in a DSSC is transferred the energy cascaded through donor fluorescence materials (pyrene, 3-acetyl-7-<i>N,N</i>-diethyl-coumarin or coumarin and acridine orange), and this process enhances the light-harvesting properties of the sensitizers in the DSSC across a broad region of the solar spectrum. PCE values of 10.7 and 11.3% were achieved for ZnO/Cdot and NiO/Cdot DSSCs, respectively. These high PCE values result from the energy transfer among multi-photosensitizers (cascade FRET fluorophores, N719, and Cdot). Moreover, Cdot can play a role in intensifying the adsorption of dyes and discouraging charge recombination on the semiconductor. The present results raise expectations that a significant improvement in photovoltaic performance can be attained of DSSCs exploiting the cascade FRET photonics phenomenon.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/12/22/4085cascade Förster resonance energy transferlight harvestingdye-sensitized solar cellzinc oxidecarbon dot
spellingShingle Mulugeta Tesema Efa
Jheng-Chang Huang
Toyoko Imae
Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Nanomaterials
cascade Förster resonance energy transfer
light harvesting
dye-sensitized solar cell
zinc oxide
carbon dot
title Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
title_full Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
title_fullStr Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
title_full_unstemmed Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
title_short Cascade Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies for Enhancement of Light Harvesting on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
title_sort cascade forster resonance energy transfer studies for enhancement of light harvesting on dye sensitized solar cells
topic cascade Förster resonance energy transfer
light harvesting
dye-sensitized solar cell
zinc oxide
carbon dot
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/12/22/4085
work_keys_str_mv AT mulugetatesemaefa cascadeforsterresonanceenergytransferstudiesforenhancementoflightharvestingondyesensitizedsolarcells
AT jhengchanghuang cascadeforsterresonanceenergytransferstudiesforenhancementoflightharvestingondyesensitizedsolarcells
AT toyokoimae cascadeforsterresonanceenergytransferstudiesforenhancementoflightharvestingondyesensitizedsolarcells