A benzothiadiazole-cyclopentadithiophene [corrected] bridged D-A-π-A sensitizer with enhanced light absorption for high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells.

We demonstrate an efficient D-A-π-A sensitizer with a benzothiadiazole-cyclopentadithiophene [corrected] moiety as the spacer in a triphenylamine organic dye for dye-sensitized solar cells. The dye has a broad visible light absorption range up to 800 nm. A power conversion efficiency >9% has been achieved using a [Co(bpy)3](2+/3+)-based electrolyte.

PbS quantum dots embedded in a ZnS dielectric matrix for bulk heterojunction solar cell applications.

We demonstrate a novel bulk heterojunction structure based on a mesoporous TiO2 substrate, PbS quantum dots (QDs), and a ZnS dielectric medium. The galena PbS QD arrays embedded in an amorphous ZnS matrix are adopted to fill up the mesoporous TiO2 electrode with an in situ approach, i.e.

Scalable synthesis of urchin- and flowerlike hierarchical NiO microspheres and their electrochemical property for lithium storage.

A nickel salt-urea-H2O ternary system has been developed for the large-scale synthesis of hierarchical α-Ni(OH)2 microspheres, the solid precursor for the subsequent topotactic transition to NiO upon calcination. In this facile synthetic system, hierarchical structure is self-assembled under the cooperative direction of urea and anions in nickel salts. Thus, simply tuning the Ni salts leads to the selective construction of urchin and flowerlike hierarchical α-Ni(OH)2 and NiO microspheres consisting of radial 1D nanowires and 2D nanoplates, respectively.

PbS/CdS-sensitized mesoscopic SnO2 solar cells for enhanced infrared light harnessing.

Metal oxide semiconductors with lower lying conduction band minimum and superior electron mobility are essential for efficient charge separation and collection in PbS-sensitized solar cells. In the present study, mesoscopic SnO(2) was investigated as an alternative photoanode to the commonly used TiO(2) and examined comprehensively in PbS-sensitized liquid junction solar cells. To exploit the capability of PbS in an optimized structure, cascaded nPbS/nCdS and alternate n(PbS/CdS) layers deposited by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method were systematically scrutinized.

Carrier generation and collection in CdS/CdSe-sensitized SnO2 solar cells exhibiting unprecedented photocurrent densities.

CdS/CdSe-sensitized nanostructured SnO(2) solar cells exhibiting record short-circuit photocurrent densities have been fabricated. Under simulated AM 1.5, 100 mW cm(-2) illumination, photocurrents of up to 17.