Award Abstract # 1342185
BRIGE: Bimetallic Plasmonic Nanostructures for Enhanced Light Harvesting in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

NSF Org: EEC
Division of Engineering Education and Centers
Recipient: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: August 6, 2013
Latest Amendment Date: August 6, 2013
Award Number: 1342185
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: James Moore
jamoore@nsf.gov
 (703)292-8600
EEC
 Division of Engineering Education and Centers
ENG
 Directorate for Engineering
Start Date: September 1, 2013
End Date: August 31, 2016 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $175,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $175,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2013 = $175,000.00
History of Investigator:
  • Rizia Bardhan (Principal Investigator)
    rizia.bardhan@vanderbilt.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Vanderbilt University
110 21ST AVE S
NASHVILLE
TN  US  37203-2416
(615)322-2631
Sponsor Congressional District: 05
Primary Place of Performance: Vanderbilt University
2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville
TN  US  37235-0002
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
07
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): GTNBNWXJ12D5
Parent UEI: K9AHBDTKCB55
NSF Program(s): BRIGE-Broad Partic in Eng,
EPSCoR Co-Funding
Primary Program Source: 01001314DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 7715, 9150
Program Element Code(s): 774100, 915000
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.041

ABSTRACT

Technical Description of the Project

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are third generation solar devices that have rapidly emerged in the past decade as an inexpensive alternative to silicon solar cells. While the low cost of fabrication processes make DSSCs highly promising, the poor light absorption and inherent low efficiencies (< 10%) of current devices have hindered successful market entry. Plasmon resonances, which are the collective oscillations of the conduction electrons, in noble metal nanostructures can be engineered by modulating their geometry, dimensions, and composition to generate intense light scattering and electromagnetic near-fields surrounding their surface. Plasmons in metal nanostructures when coupled with light harvesting organic dyes can significantly amplify the dye optical absorption and carrier generation capabilities. This proposal aims to develop a new paradigm of bimetallic plasmonic nanostructures to understand, control, and optimize light harvesting in DSSCs. By combining wet-chemical synthesis, controlled surface engineering, electrodynamics simulations, device physics, and ultrafast optics, plasmon-enhanced DSSCs will be constructed and their photocurrent efficiencies will be significantly enhanced.

Non-Technical Explanation of the Project's Signficance

Nanoscale metal-molecule hybrid interfaces are ubiquitous in energy conversion and energy storage, as well as in optoelectronic devices. The information learned from this project will provide fundamental scientific insights of the optical properties at the organic/inorganic interface and how that influences optically-induced electron transport processes. The proposed research efforts will also broadly impact the future infrastructure of both portable and stationary energy conversion systems. High efficiency plasmonic DSSCs will ultimately enable inexpensive sustainable energy systems that can be developed and implemented in third-world countries. For example, cheap and reliable solar electricity, solar-thermal convertors for use as space heaters, solar driven motors for niche applications in remote villages, and solar driven small vehicles which will ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These devices will form a new platform for a range of light harvesting devices including photoelectrochemical cells, optical sensors, and solar-energy-conversion systems.

Activities to Broaden Participation of Underrepresented Groups in Engineering

The proposed research is expected to broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in STEM education through active participation of graduate, undergraduate and K-12 students in the research. The PI will continue to involve URM undergraduates in her research efforts. The project will lead to development of a lab module in an existing class, and students will visit local colleges with high URM population and demonstrate DSSC fabrication with berry juices. The PI will also participate in mature outreach activities to promote K-12 education particularly among URMs. The PI currently co-leads the Boy Scouts of America Engineering Explorers program at Vanderbilt and ~67% of the high school student participants are URMs. The PI also currently participates and will continue to contribute to the Vanderbilt Summer Academy (VSA) where middle school students (50% URM) perform hands on nanoscience experiments. VSA students performed synthesis and characterization of gold nanostructures of variable shapes and sizes in the PI's lab.

This research has been funded through the Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering solicitation, which is part of the Broadening Participation in Engineering Program of the Engineering Education and Centers Division.

The research is also funded through the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which is part of the Office of International and Integrative Activities.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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(Showing: 1 - 10 of 13)
A.P. Cohn, W.R. Erwin, K. Share, L. Oakes, A.S. Westover, R.E. Carter, R. Bardhan, and C.L. Pint "All Silicon Electrode Photocapacitor for Integrated Energy storage and Conversion" Nano Letters , v.15 , 2015 , p.2727
A.P. Cohn#, W.R. Erwin#, K. Share, L. Oakes, A.S. Westover, R.E. Carter, R. Bardhan, and C.L. Pint "All Silicon Electrode Photo-capacitor for Integrated Energy storage and Conversion" Nano Letters , v.15 , 2015 , p.2727
H. F. Zarick, O. Hurd, J. A. Webb, C. Hungerford, W. R. Erwin, R. Bardhan "Enhanced Efficiency in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Shape-Controlled Plasmonic Nanostructures" ACS Photonics , v.1 , 2014 , p.806
H. F. Zarick, W. R. Erwin, A. Boulesbaa, O. Hurd, J. A. Webb, A. Puretzky, D. Geohegan, R Bardhan. "Improving Light Harvesting in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells using Hybrid Bimetallic Nanostructures." ACS Photonics , v.3 , 2016 , p.385
H. F. Zarick, W. R. Erwin, J. Aufrecht, A. Coppola, B. R. Rogers, C. L. Pint, R. Bardhan "Morphological Modulation of Bimetallic Nanostructures for Accelerated Catalysis" Journal of Materials Chemistry A , v.2 , 2014 , p.7088
Holly F. Zarick, Olivia Hurd, Joseph A. Webb, Chanse Hungerford, and Rizia Bardhan "Enhanced Efficiency in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Shape-Controlled Plasmonic Nanostructures" ACS Photonics , v.1 , 2014 , p.806
Holly F. Zarick, William R. Erwin, Jayde Aufrecht, Andrew Coppola, Bridget R. Rogers, Cary L. Pint, and Rizia Bardhan "Morphological Modulation of Bimetallic Nanostructures for Accelerated Catalysis" J. Materials Chemistry A , v.2 , 2014 , p.7088
William R. Erwin, Andrew Coppola, Holly F. Zarick, Poorva Arora, Kevin J. Miller, and Rizia Bardhan "Plasmon Enhanced Water Splitting Mediated by Hybrid Bimetallic Au-Ag Core-Shell Nanostructures" Nanoscale , v.6 , 2014 , p.12626
William R. Erwin, Landon Oakes, Shahana Chatterjee, Holly F. Zarick, Cary L. Pint, and Rizia Bardhan "Engineered Porous Silicon Counter Electrodes for High Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells" ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces , v.6 , 2014 , p.9904
W. R. Erwin, A. Coppola, H. F. Zarick, P. Arora, K. J. Miller, and R. Bardhan "Plasmon Enhanced Water Splitting Mediated by Hybrid Bimetallic Au/Ag Core/Shell Nanostructures" Nanoscale , v.6 , 2014 , p.12626
W. R. Erwin, C. Hungerford, H. F. Zarick, E. M. Talbert, P. Arora, and R. Bardhan "Enhancement in Organic Photovoltaics Controlled by Interplay between Charge Transfer Excitons and Surface Plasmons" ACS Omega , v.1 , 2016 , p.722
(Showing: 1 - 10 of 13)

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