Quantum dot sensitized solar cells: Introduction

Abstract

Quantum Dots Sensitized Solar Cell (QDSSC) recently has become a potential source to provide an alternate way to harvest the solar light for the energy conservation. Since the quantum confinement effect of the QDs result in unique optoelectronic properties of the metamaterials, it is playing an important role in designing of smart photodetectors, light-emitting diodes and solar cell in the recent years. The semiconductor materials (chalcogenides) have gained a significant ground for the fabrication of QDSSC. The main advantage is their large industrial production with tunable band gap, which helps in fabrication of cost-effective, but, high performance QDSSC devices. The efficiency of QDSSCs depends upon the fabrication method of QDs, which refines the morphology and physicochemical properties of the desired material. Thus, it is important to engineer the QDs in such a way, so that after optimization of fabrication method, they can be used for the improvement of QDSSC performances. Although large variety of solar cell technologies are being developed, which also include dye sensitized nano crystalline solar cells, depleted heterojunction solar cells, hybrid organic-inorganic solar cells and bulk heterojuncion solar cells. However, the recent focus is on the fabrication of QDSSC, where the dye is replaced by nano sized inorganic particle that enhances the performance of QDSSC.

Keywords

• QDs
• QDSSC
• optoelectronics
• Quantum dots