Scalable Large-Area 2D-MoS/Silicon-Nanowire Heterostructures for Enhancing Energy Storage Applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides have shown great potential for energy storage applications owing to their interlayer spacing, large surface area-to-volume ratio, superior electrical properties, and chemical compatibility. Further, increasing the surface area of such materials can lead to enhanced electrical, chemical, and optical response for energy storage and generation applications. Vertical silicon nanowires (SiNWs), also known as black-Si, are an ideal substrate for 2D material growth to produce high surface-area heterostructures, owing to their ultrahigh aspect ratio.

Characterising the broadband, wide-angle reflectance properties of black silicon surfaces for photovoltaic applications.

Black silicon nanotextures offer significant optical performance improvements when applied to crystalline silicon solar cells. Coupled with conventional pyramidal textures, to create so-called hybrid black silicon, these benefits are shown to be further enhanced. Presented here is a comprehensive analysis of different variations of this texture, coupled with typical anti-reflectance schemes such as coated pyramids, with a view to the significance of this on subsequent, real-world, solar energy generation.

Efficient light harvesting in hybrid quantum dot-interdigitated back contact solar cells via resonant energy transfer and luminescent downshifting.

In this paper, we propose a hybrid quantum dot (QD)/solar cell configuration to improve performance of interdigitated back contact (IBC) silicon solar cells, resulting in 39.5% relative boost in the short-circuit current (J) through efficient utilisation of resonant energy transfer (RET) and luminescent downshifting (LDS). A uniform layer of CdSeS/ZnS quantum dots is deposited onto the AlO surface passivation layer of the IBC solar cell.

High density micro-pyramids with silicon nanowire array for photovoltaic applications.

We use a metal assisted chemical etch process to fabricate silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWAs) onto a dense periodic array of pyramids that are formed using an alkaline etch masked with an oxide layer. The hybrid micro-nano structure acts as an anti-reflective coating with experimental reflectivity below 1% over the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. This represents an improvement of up to 11 and 14 times compared to the pyramid array and SiNWAs on bulk, respectively.