Ding et al , Adv. Energy Mater. 1 , 415-421 (2011).

1. Localized Surface Plasmons and Photon-Electron Conversion in Dye Sensitized Solar CellsJung-Kun Lee, University of Pittsburgh. DMR 0847319 Surface plasmons are oscillations of charge density that can exist at the interface between two media with electric permittivities of opposite signs. Localized plasmons is a promising tool that can enhance the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices. In this study, we explore the influence of dielectric core - metallic nanoshell particles on solar energy conversion in dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The new core-shell particles were distributed in TiO2 films so that the entire photoelectrode was uniformly exposed to the plasmonic effect of the core-shell particles. Light absorption and scattering in the visible range is significantly enhanced in composite films containing the core-shell particles, leading to higher optical cross section of dyes adsorbed on the mesoporous mixed films. Embedded SiO2 core-Au shell particles SiO2 core Au shell Incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) curves of dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) using TiO2 film or mixture films containing plasmonic SiO2 core - Au shell particles, as photoanodes (SEM micrograph shows the cross-sectional view of mixture films embedded with core-shell particles). Ding et al, Adv. Energy Mater.1, 415-421 (2011).

2. Study on Extrinsic Properties of Nanoparticles on Electrical and Optical Properties of Photoelectroces Jung-Kun Lee, University of Pittsburgh. DMR 0847319 The interdisciplinary nature of this project has enabled the PI to attract the interests of undergraduates in different engineering and science programs and offer them research experiences on the renewable energy. Recently, the undergraduate student, David Palm with the major of chemical engineering, performed the research to understand the extrinsic effect of nanoparticles on the electrical and optical properties of dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Through a series of systematical tests of DSCs, the photoelectrode of the TiO2nanoparticles with a uniform size distribution improves the adsorption of dye sensitizers, promotes the transfer of photogenerated carriers, and decreases the ratio of reflected solar spectrum that is not harnessed . I-V characteristics of dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) that a sophomore student, David Palm, has fabricated in PI’s laboratory.