Highly Efficient Nanocrystalline Photovoltaic Devices: Charge Transfer Sensitisers Based on Ruthenium and Osmium Achieve Outstanding performance

By Michal Grätzel

doi:10.1595/003214094X384151159

ISSN: 0032-1400

oa Highly Efficient Nanocrystalline Photovoltaic Devices

Charge Transfer Sensitisers Based on Ruthenium and Osmium Achieve Outstanding performance
By By Michal Grätzel¹
View Affiliations Hide Affiliations

Affiliations: ¹ Institute of Physical Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
Source: Platinum Metals Review, Volume 38, Issue 4, Oct 1994, p. 151 - 159
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1595/003214094X384151159
- Published online: 01 Jan 1994

Abstract

A new molecular photovoltaic system for solar light harvesting and conversion to electricity has been developed. It is based on the spectral sensitisation of a nanocrystalline semiconductor film by transition metal complexes. The film consists of nanometre-sized colloidal titanium dioxide particles sintered together to allow for charge carrier transport. Ruthenium and osmium based sensitisers have so far achieved the best performance both from the efficiency as well as the stability point of view. Carboxylated polypyridyl complexes of these two metals give extraordinary efficiencies for the conversion of incident photons into electric current, exceeding 90 per cent within the wavelength range of their absorption band. The outstanding performance of cis-di(thiocyanato) bis(2,2'-bipyridyl-4-4'-dicarboxylate)ruthenium(II)is unmatched by any other known sensitiser. The present paper discusses the underlying physical principles of these astonishing findings.Exploiting this discovery, we have developed a low-cost photovoltaic cell whose overall light to electric energy conversion yield is 10 per cent under direct (AM1.5) solar irradiation. For the first time a deuice based on a simple molecular light absorber is attaining a conversion efficiency commensurate with that of silicon baed photovoltaic cells, but at a much lower cost.

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1595/003214094X384151159

1994-01-01

2025-01-05

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/pmr/38/4/pmr0038-0151.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1595/003214094X384151159&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

A. Juris, V. Balzani, F. Barigiletti, S. Campagna, P. Beizer, A. v. Zelewski, Coord. Chem. Rev., 1988, 84, 85; (b) [Google Scholar]
K. Kalyanasundaram, Photochemistry of Polypyidine and Porphyrine Complexes”, Academic Press, London, 1992, and references cited therein [Google Scholar]
M. K. Nazeeruddin, A. Kay, J. Rodicio, R. Humphrey-Baker, E. Müller, P. Liska, N. Vlachopoulos, M. Grätzel, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993, 115, 6382 [Google Scholar]
B. O’Regan, M. Grätzel, Nature ( London), 1991, 335, 737 [Google Scholar]
R. Eichberger, F. Willig, Chem. Phys., 1990, 141, 159 [Google Scholar]
G. Hodes, I. D. J. Howell, L. M. Peter, J. Electrochem. Soc., 1992, 139, 3136 [Google Scholar]
A. Hagfeldt, U. Björksten, S. Lindquist, Sol. EnergyMater. Sol. Cells, 1992, 27, 293 [Google Scholar]
D. Iiu, P. V. Kamat, J. Phys. Chem., 1993, 97, 10769 [Google Scholar]
A. Hagfeldt, S. Lindquist, M. Grätzel, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, 1993, 32, 245 [Google Scholar]
B. O’Regan, J. Moser, M. Anderson, M. Grätzel, J. Phys. Chem., 1990, 94, 8720 [Google Scholar]
N. Vlachopoulos, P. Liska, J. Augusrynski, M. Grätzel, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1988, 110, 1216 [Google Scholar]
M. K. Nazeeruddin, P. Liska, J. Moser, N. Vlachopoulos, M. Grätzel, Helv. Chim. Acta, 1990, 73, 1788 [Google Scholar]
R. Knödler, J. Sopka, F. Harbach, H. W. Grünling, Sol. EnergyMater. Sol. Cells, 1993, 30, 277 [Google Scholar]
A. Hagfeldt, B. Didriksson, T. Palmquist, H. Lindström, S. Södergren, H. R. Tensmo, S. Lindquist, Sol. EnergyMater. Sol. Cells, 1994, 31, 481 [Google Scholar]
T. A. Helmer, C. A. Bignozzi, G. J. Meyer, J. Phys. Chem., 1993, 97, 11987 [Google Scholar]
J. Desilvestro, M. Grätzel, L. Kavan, J. Moser, J. Augustynski, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1985, 107, 2988 [Google Scholar]
R. Amadelli, R. Arguzzi, C. A. Bignozzi, F. Scandola, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1990, 112, 7099 [Google Scholar]
G. Smestad, Sol. EnergyMater. Sol. Cells, 1994, 32, 259 [Google Scholar]
N. Papageorgiou, M. Grätzel,

/content/journals/10.1595/003214094X384151159

Highly Efficient Nanocrystalline Photovoltaic Devices

Platinum Metals Review 38, 151 (1994); https://doi.org/10.1595/003214094X384151159

/content/journals/10.1595/003214094X384151159

Data & Media loading...

Article Type: Research Article

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

- Metal-Ligand Exchange Kinetics in Platinum and Ruthenium Complexes
  
  By By Jan Reedijk
- The Preparation of Palladium Nanoparticles
  
  By By James Cookson
- Diesel Engine Emissions and Their Control
  
  By By Tim Johnson
- Recycling the Platinum Group Metals: A European Perspective
  
  By By Christian Hagelüken
- Palladium-Based Alloy Membranes for Separation of High Purity Hydrogen from Hydrogen-Containing Gas Mixtures
  
  Authors: By Gennady S. Burkhanov, Nelli B. Gorina, Natalia B. Kolchugina, Nataliya R. Roshan, Dmitry I. Slovetsky and Evgeny M. Chistov
- A Healthy Future: Platinum in Medical Applications
  
  Authors: By Alison Cowley and and Brian Woodward*
- A Review of the Behaviour of Platinum Group Elements within Natural Magmatic Sulfide Ore Systems
  
  Authors: By D. A. Holwell and I. McDonald
- FINAL ANALYSIS
  
  By
- Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation in Water with Platinum Group Metal Catalysts
  
  Authors: By Xiaofeng Wu, Chao Wang and Jianliang Xiao
- Carbon Nanotubes as Supports for Palladium and Bimetallic Catalysts for Use in Hydrogenation Reactions
  
  Authors: R. S. Oosthuizen and V. O. Nyamori
More Less

oa Highly Efficient Nanocrystalline Photovoltaic Devices

Charge Transfer Sensitisers Based on Ruthenium and Osmium Achieve Outstanding performance

Abstract

Most Read This Month

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed