Hybrid Photovoltaic Cells and Related Methods
First Claim
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1. A photovoltaic cell comprising:
- a. first and second electrodes;
b. a plurality of aligned semiconducting nanorods disposed between the electrodes, each nanorod being electrically connected to the first electrode and electrically insulated from the second;
c. a plurality of photoresponsive nanocrystals surrounding and bound to the nanorods; and
d. a semiconductor polymer surrounding the nanorods and bound to the nanocrystals and to at least the second electrode, whereby the nanocrystals act as heterojunctions channeling a first charge carrier into the nanorods and a second charge carrier into the polymer.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention involve photovoltaic (PV) cells comprising a semiconducting nanorod-nanocrystal-polymer hybrid layer, as well as methods for fabricating the same. In PV cells according to this invention, the nanocrystals may serve both as the light-absorbing material and as the heterojunctions at which excited electron-hole pairs split.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic cell comprising:
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a. first and second electrodes; b. a plurality of aligned semiconducting nanorods disposed between the electrodes, each nanorod being electrically connected to the first electrode and electrically insulated from the second; c. a plurality of photoresponsive nanocrystals surrounding and bound to the nanorods; and d. a semiconductor polymer surrounding the nanorods and bound to the nanocrystals and to at least the second electrode, whereby the nanocrystals act as heterojunctions channeling a first charge carrier into the nanorods and a second charge carrier into the polymer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure comprising heterojunctions and being suitable for use in a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a plurality of nanorods and a plurality of photoresponsive nanocrystals capped with a first capping agent; b. exposing the nanorods or the nanocrystals to a second, bifunctional capping agent; c. thereafter combining the nanocrystals with the nanorods, whereby the nanocrystals bind to the nanorods via the bifunctional capping agent; d. combining the bound nanorods and nanocrystals with a functionalized monomer having a binding group, the binding group (i) exhibiting a stronger affinity for the nanocrystals than the first capping agent and (ii) exhibiting a weaker affinity for the nanorods than the bifunctional capping agent, whereby the monomer preferentially displaces the first capping agent so as to bind to the nanocrystals but not to the nanorods; and e. polymerizing the monomer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification