Colloidal quantum dot solar cell innovation efficiency record

According to a report by the Physicist Organization Network on July 30 (Beijing time), scientists from the University of Toronto in Canada and the King Abdullah University of Technology in Saudi Arabia said that with breakthroughs in the field of colloidal quantum dots (CQD) films, they use Low-cost materials have made the most efficient colloidal quantum dot solar cells to date, with conversion efficiency of up to 7%. This is a 37% improvement over the conversion efficiency of the previous battery, which has set a new world record. The relevant research report was published in the recently published "Nature Nanotechnology" magazine.

Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductors that harvest electrical energy based on the full spectrum of visible and invisible light. Unlike the current slow and expensive semiconductor production technology, the colloidal quantum dot film is manufactured at a high speed and at a low cost. This paves the way for the manufacture of solar cells based on flexible, flexible pedestals, which are similar to the mass printing of newspapers.

Previously, the performance of colloidal quantum dot solar cells has been constrained by the larger internal surface area of ​​the nanoparticles within the film, and scientists combined this combination of organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry to completely cover all exposed surfaces and achieve new Breakthrough.

To increase efficiency, researchers need a way to reduce the number of electron traps while ensuring that the film is dense enough to absorb light as much as possible, a so-called "hybrid passivation" solution. Ted Sargent, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Toronto, who led the research, said that by introducing a small chlorine atom immediately after the synthesis of quantum dots, they can repair previously inaccessible corners and cracks so that they no longer form. Electron traps. Scientists then use short organic chains to confine the quantum dots in the film to make them more compact. The King Abdullah University of Technology's research also proves that the "hybrid passivation" method can create the densest film filled with tightly packed nanoparticles, which helps to create more economical, more efficient and durable solar cells. . (Reporter Zhang Hao)