International Collaboration on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor LM Peter
Chemistry
University of Bath

Standard

EPSRC

12 December 2006

11 December 2007

12 months

£19,180

Energy

South West

Engineering science: components -- Materials, Mechanical and Medical Eng

Professor LM Peter, Chemistry, University of Bath

Conventional solar cells use silicon to absorb sunlight, generating electricity. A new generation of solar cells is being developed which is based on imitating the way that the green leaf uses sunlight to drive the biochemical process that lead to the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide to sugar and starches. These so-called dye-sensitized solar cells use dye molecules adsorbed in a thin porous film of high surface area titanium dioxide particles to absorb sunlight. When the dye molecules absorb light, they eject electron into the titanium dioxide, giving rise to a voltage and a current. Several groups round the world are working on these new solar cells, and the objective of the current proposal is to allow the applicant to visit three internationally leading laboratories for discussions and joint measurements in order to advance scientific understanding and ultimately technological progres

23/03/07