Basic Research Needs for Solar Energy Utilization - Office of ...
Basic Research Needs for Solar Energy Utilization - Office of ...
Basic Research Needs for Solar Energy Utilization - Office of ...
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TMS will be used to discover the design rules <strong>for</strong><br />
reverse-engineering building blocks capable <strong>of</strong><br />
self-assembling into target structures.<br />
SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGES<br />
Presently, there exist many scientific challenges<br />
that should be addressed be<strong>for</strong>e the ultimate goal<br />
can be achieved. Here, inexpensive and simple<br />
self-assembly techniques need to be developed <strong>for</strong><br />
the fabrication <strong>of</strong> efficient, large-area, low-cost<br />
solar cells. The thermodynamic and kinetic<br />
principles <strong>for</strong> integration and self-assembly <strong>of</strong><br />
different materials should be exploited. The<br />
principles <strong>of</strong> self-assembly to deposit materials<br />
(e.g., low-dimensional nanostructures, organic<br />
heterostructures, nanocomposites) onto rigid and<br />
flexible substrates should be investigated. The<br />
science <strong>of</strong> manipulating interfacial structures and properties, and processing functional materials<br />
and structures to optimize optical absorption throughout the solar spectrum, exciton <strong>for</strong>mation<br />
and migration towards the proper interface, charge separation, transport, and collection should be<br />
established.<br />
POTENTIAL IMPACT<br />
Ultimately, these ef<strong>for</strong>ts would lead to revolutionary multi-functional systems that are capable <strong>of</strong><br />
light-harvesting, charge separation, molecular transport, fuel production, and chemical<br />
separation. This research direction impacts not only the potential efficiency <strong>of</strong> the solar cell<br />
construction, but also the quality. The objective <strong>of</strong> providing control over morphology and<br />
assembly directly impacts a wide range <strong>of</strong> length scales that can lead to defect-free, high-quality<br />
solar photon conversion devices that can be readily produced on a large scale.<br />
REFERENCES<br />
S. Glotzer, University <strong>of</strong> Michigan, personal communication.<br />
F.X. Redl, K.-S. Cho, C.B. Murray, and S. O'Brien, “Three-dimensional Binary Superlattices <strong>of</strong><br />
Magnetic Nanocrystals and Semiconductor Quantum Dots,” Nature 423, 968 (2003).<br />
S. Stupp, Northwestern University, personal communication.<br />
177<br />
Figure 65 Theoretical simulation <strong>for</strong><br />
nanorod self-organization into smectic phase<br />
(Source: S. Glotzer, University <strong>of</strong> Michigan,<br />
unpublished)