Boosting the Photovoltage of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Thiolated Gold Nanoclusters.

Glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters (Aux-GSH NCs) are anchored along with a sensitizing squaraine dye on a TiO2 surface to evaluate the cosensitizing role of Au(x)-GSH NCs in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Photoelectrochemical measurements show an increase in the photoconversion efficiency of DSSCs when both sensitizers are present. The observed photoelectrochemical improvements in cosensitized DSSCs are more than additive effects as evident from the increase in photovoltage (ΔV as high as 0.

All solution-processed lead halide perovskite-BiVO4 tandem assembly for photolytic solar fuels production.

The quest for economic, large-scale hydrogen production has motivated the search for new materials and device designs capable of splitting water using only energy from the sun. Here we introduce an all solution-processed tandem water splitting assembly composed of a BiVO4 photoanode and a single-junction CH3NH3PbI3 hybrid perovskite solar cell. This unique configuration allows efficient solar photon management, with the metal oxide photoanode selectively harvesting high energy visible photons, and the underlying perovskite solar cell capturing lower energy visible-near IR wavelengths in a single-pass excitation.

Glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters as photosensitizers. Visible light-induced hydrogen generation in neutral water.

Glutathione-capped metal nanoclusters (Aux-GSH NCs) which exhibit molecular-like properties are employed as a photosensitizer for hydrogen generation in a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) and a photocatalytic slurry reactor. The reversible reduction (E(0) = -0.63 V vs RHE) and oxidation (E(0) = 0.

Metal-cluster-sensitized solar cells. A new class of thiolated gold sensitizers delivering efficiency greater than 2%.

A new class of metal-cluster sensitizers has been explored for designing high-efficiency solar cells. Thiol-protected gold clusters which exhibit molecular-like properties have been found to inject electrons into TiO2 nanostructures under visible excitation. Mesoscopic TiO2 films modified with gold clusters deliver stable photocurrent of 3.

Relating structural aspects of bimetallic Pt(3)Cr(1)/C nanoparticles to their electrocatalytic activity, stability, and selectivity in the oxygen reduction reaction.

Two methods were used to prepare bimetallic Pt(3)Cr(1)/C nanocatalysts with similar composition but different alloying extent (structure). We investigated how these differences in alloying extent affect the catalytic activity, stability and selectivity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). One method, based on slow thermal decomposition of the Cr precursor at a rate that matches that of chemical reduction of the Pt precursor, allows fine control of the composition of the Pt(3)Cr(1)/C alloy, whereas the second approach, using the ethylene glycol method, results in considerable deviation (>25 %) from the projected composition.