Demystifying nanocrystal solar cells Date: January 28, 2015 Source: ETH Zurich Summary: Researchers have developed a comprehensive model to explain how electrons flow inside new types of solar ...

Ultrathin solar cells made from colloidal silver bismuth sulfide nanocrystal inks have set a new performance record.

Unlike plastic solar cells, whose performance deteriorates over time, aging seems to improve the performance of these inorganic nanocrystal solar cells.

It is hoped that the solar cells manufactured using this nanocrystal technology will efficiently convert sunlight into electrical power and provide virtually all of our electricity needs.

When the solar cell is illuminated, electrons generate a current as they move through the nanocrystal layers to the aluminum contact. Conventional silicon solar cells convert between 10 and 15 ...

Researchers from the ICFO have created a post-deposition in situ passivation technique to minimize surface imperfections in environmentally friendly solution-processed nanocrystal ultrathin solar ...

And the cells themselves should be easy to mass produce. Grätzel and others have developed methods for 'printing' arrays of nanocrystal solar cells onto glass panels and metal foils.

By tailoring carrier multiplication by means of nanocrystal proximity, nanocrystal–nanocrystal interaction can therefore be used to overcome the current solar cell limitations, opening a new ...

However, the development of nanocrystal-based solar cells is challenging: "These solar cells contain layers of many individual nano-sized crystals, bound together by a molecular glue.

Researchers with Berkeley Lab and the University of California, Berkeley, have developed the first ultra-thin solar cells comprised entirely of inorganic nanocrystals and spin-cast from solution ...

Researchers have developed a comprehensive model to explain how electrons flow inside new types of solar cells made of tiny crystals. The model allows for a better understanding of such cells and may ...