Microfluidic Schottky-junction photovoltaics with superior efficiency stimulated by plasmonic nanoparticles and streaming potential.

A droplet energy harvester (DEH) composed of aqueous salt solution could generate electrical energy from light when placed on a metal-semiconductor Schottky-junction emulating the principles of electrochemical photovoltaics (ECPV). The maximum potential difference generated was ∼95 mV under sun, which was enhanced by ∼1.5 times after the addition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the droplet because of the generation of additional charge carriers from the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR).