Layered double hydroxides as carriers for quantum dots@silica nanospheres.

Quantum dot-hydrotalcite layered nanoplatforms were successfully prepared following a one-pot synthesis. The process is very fast and a priori delamination of hydrotalcite is not a prerequisite for the intercalation of quantum dots. The novel materials were extensively characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, true color fluorescence microscopy, photoluminescence, and nitrogen adsorption.

Novel ZnO nanostructured electrodes for higher power conversion efficiencies in polymeric solar cells.

1-Dimensional nanostructured ZnO electrodes have been demonstrated to be potentially interesting for their application in solar cells. Herein, we present a novel procedure to control the ZnO nanowire optoelectronic properties by means of surface modification. The nanowire surface is functionalized with ZnO nanoparticles in order to provide an improved contact to the photoactive P3HT:PCBM film that enhances the overall power conversion efficiency of the resulting solar cell.

The effect of selective contact electrodes on the interfacial charge recombination kinetics and device efficiency of organic polymer solar cells.

Organic polymer solar cells (OPSCs) have been prepared using TiO(x) metal oxides as selective electrodes for electron collection. The interfacial charge transfer reactions, under working conditions, that limit the energy conversion efficiency of these devices have been measured and compared to the standard OPSC geometry which collects the electrons through a low work function metal contact.

Photo-induced electron recombination dynamics in CdSe/P3HT hybrid heterojunctions.

Since the demonstration of efficient hybrid photovoltaic devices using CdSe/P3HT, a number of different QD/polymer molecular solar cells have been investigated. However, considerably less attention has been paid to the photo-induced processes occurring in these devices, in particular the strong dependence that device efficiencies show upon QD concentration. This study aims to shed more light on this dependence by monitoring these processes occurring at the QD/polymer interface, namely, exciton formation, charge separation and undesired charge recombination.

Combined electrochromic and plasmonic optical responses in conducting polymer/metal nanoparticle films.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxithiophene)/poly(styrene sulphonate) (PEDOT/PSS) aqueous dispersions were mixed with aqueous gold nanoparticle and aqueous silver nanoparticle colloids. PEDOT/gold nanoparticles (Au NP) and PEDOT/silver nanoparticles (Ag NP) films were obtained by solvent casting the corresponding aqueous solutions. The nanocomposite films showed the optical characteristics associated with both the surface plasmon absorption resonance of the metal nanoparticles and the excitation of the bipolaron band of the conducting polymer.