Collaborative research work with other institutions

Theory and Simulations

Functional ceramics

Batteries and Fuel Cells

Nanostructured Solar cells  


Collaboration with Prof.Jenny Nelson, Imperial College London and Prof.Neil Robertson, Edinburgh University, UK
  • Hybrid metal oxide / polymer solar cells 

Controlling charge recombination using alumina over layer 

                 

The Alumina coating on TiO2 nano particles in TiO/ Polymer solar cells serves multiple functions—as physical barrier layers for charge recombination reactions to affect the photo induced charge transfer at the interface, as a means of passivation of TiO2 surface trap states, and to improve the exciton dissociation efficiency at the polymer / TiO2 interface ………

Loheeswaran et al Journal of Nanoelectronics and Optoelectronics 8, 484-488 (2013).

                                               

 

   

 Improving charge transport using nanorods

 

 

Charge recombination in the structures containing vertically aligned ZnO nanorods is remarkably slow, with a half-life of several milliseconds, over 2 orders of magnitude slower than that for randomly oriented ZnO nano-particles. Overall power conversion efficiency of device with nanorods is over four times greater than that for a similar device based on the nanoparticle structure

Ravirajan, P. et al. Journal of Physical  Chemistry B 110, 7635-7639, (2006).

  •  Quantum Dot Sensitised Solar cells (QDSSC)
   Insertion of cadmium sulfide (CdS) QDs at the nanocrystalline TiO2 / P3HT interface improve the efficiency of TiO2/P3HT solar cells by a factor three by broadening the quantum efficiency spectrum and controlling the recombination kinetics …….

Thanihai et. al Journal of Material Science: Materials in Electronics 26, 3558-3563, (2015).

     
 
Nano-pyramid textured silicon solar cells – Mr.S.Senthuran 

     

Texturing the surface of solar cell is one of the techniques widely used  for efficient light trapping. We are investigating the impact of sub-wavelength scale texturing ( eg: Nanopyramid, Nanocone, etc) in light trapping for next generation silicon solar cell and thin film solar cells. Influence of quantum dots ( CdSe, Si ) coating for light absorption in nanostrutured solar cells are also being studied.

S. Senthuran et. al, ” Inverted nanopyramid texturing for silicon solar cells using interference lithography”, Journal of Microelectronics Engineering, 119 C, pp. 146-150, (2014)