Mathematical modelling of dye-sensitised titania solar cells: a route to improved efficiency in production. Dye-sensitised titania solar cells (DSCs) provide a technically and economically credible alternative to silicon photovotaic devices. Increasing the efficiency of commercially produced DSCs to 12% from the current production cell efficiency of 6%,will result in significantly lower delivered energy costs than the current alternative photovoltaic devices. This project will develop a mathemat ....Mathematical modelling of dye-sensitised titania solar cells: a route to improved efficiency in production. Dye-sensitised titania solar cells (DSCs) provide a technically and economically credible alternative to silicon photovotaic devices. Increasing the efficiency of commercially produced DSCs to 12% from the current production cell efficiency of 6%,will result in significantly lower delivered energy costs than the current alternative photovoltaic devices. This project will develop a mathematical model of a DSC as a first stage in the development of a decision support capability for the manufacture of more efficient DSC's. The model will extend existing models to incorporate full transport modelling and side-reactions in the electrolyte and will be validated by experimental work.Read moreRead less
Biomolecular optoelectronic materials and devices. The melanins are the molecules in our skin, eyes and hair that provide colour and protection from the sun. In addition to being important bio-molecules, they have properties which make them useful for high tech applications especially in electronics and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these fascinating materials is poor. In our project we aim to solve this limiting problem. We will develop new science to explain thei ....Biomolecular optoelectronic materials and devices. The melanins are the molecules in our skin, eyes and hair that provide colour and protection from the sun. In addition to being important bio-molecules, they have properties which make them useful for high tech applications especially in electronics and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these fascinating materials is poor. In our project we aim to solve this limiting problem. We will develop new science to explain their behaviour, and use this knowledge to create bio-compatible hi-tech materials and devices. We anticipate significant benefits from the perspectives of basic science and utilisation of biomaterials for new green technologies.Read moreRead less
Naturally Photoactive Biopolymers. The basic aim of this project is to assess the viability of using semiconducting biopolymers from the melanin family of macromolecules in photoactive device based applications. In order to do this, key optical, structural, electronic, and photochemical properties will be assessed on thin films in the solid state. The melanins are the only known semiconducting biopolymers, and are non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable. Their use as ?active? materials in ....Naturally Photoactive Biopolymers. The basic aim of this project is to assess the viability of using semiconducting biopolymers from the melanin family of macromolecules in photoactive device based applications. In order to do this, key optical, structural, electronic, and photochemical properties will be assessed on thin films in the solid state. The melanins are the only known semiconducting biopolymers, and are non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable. Their use as ?active? materials in solid state or photo-electrochemical devices has never before been suggested. Specifically, these materials could be used as the light harvesting components in dye sensitised Gratzel cells, or, as the donor material in soft solid photovoltaic junctions. The melanins are also a key class of biomolecules (their involvement in skin cancers is well documented), and hence, any advancement in our understanding of their functions and properties could have biological importance.Read moreRead less
Photoactive Semiconducting Biopolymers. The basic aims of this project are to elucidate, manipulate, and utilise the unique chemical and physical properties of a class of biopolymers called the melanins. These materials are the only known solid state semiconducting biopolymers, and are non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable. Their use as active components in biomimetic soft electonic, optoelectronic or photovoltaic devices, has not hitherto been demonstrated. It is anticipated that the k ....Photoactive Semiconducting Biopolymers. The basic aims of this project are to elucidate, manipulate, and utilise the unique chemical and physical properties of a class of biopolymers called the melanins. These materials are the only known solid state semiconducting biopolymers, and are non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable. Their use as active components in biomimetic soft electonic, optoelectronic or photovoltaic devices, has not hitherto been demonstrated. It is anticipated that the key outcomes from the project will be a demonstration of biopolymer-based photoelectrochemical and solid-state p-i-n solar cells, and an improved understanding of the physics and chemistry of these important biological macromolecules.Read moreRead less
SIMULATION OF DYE SENSITISED SOLAR CELL SYSTEMS: A ROUTE TO INCREASING MODULE AND ARRAY PERFORMANCE. This project will address the need to minimise electrical losses in arrays of dye-sensitised solar cells by undertaking development of a comprehensive electrical circuit model of the cells. The model will enable optimal design of the materials, geometry and interconnection of cells, maximum power delivery from cell arrays, and provide understanding of the impact of shading on the performance of ....SIMULATION OF DYE SENSITISED SOLAR CELL SYSTEMS: A ROUTE TO INCREASING MODULE AND ARRAY PERFORMANCE. This project will address the need to minimise electrical losses in arrays of dye-sensitised solar cells by undertaking development of a comprehensive electrical circuit model of the cells. The model will enable optimal design of the materials, geometry and interconnection of cells, maximum power delivery from cell arrays, and provide understanding of the impact of shading on the performance of arrays of dye-sensitised solar cells. This research will accelerate the development of environmentally friendly electricity generation in Australia, and contribute to employment and exports of technology.
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Macromolecular Materials for Organic Solar Cells. The world is in the midst of a climate crisis driven by mankind's insatiable demand for fossil-fuel energy. Renewable technologies such as solar and wind will undoubtedly form part of our future energy mix. Solar cells in particular have great potential- especially in sunny countries like Australia. The uptake of solar cell technology is hampered by their current high cost and long payback time. This project concerns the development of new solar ....Macromolecular Materials for Organic Solar Cells. The world is in the midst of a climate crisis driven by mankind's insatiable demand for fossil-fuel energy. Renewable technologies such as solar and wind will undoubtedly form part of our future energy mix. Solar cells in particular have great potential- especially in sunny countries like Australia. The uptake of solar cell technology is hampered by their current high cost and long payback time. This project concerns the development of new solar cells based upon novel organic materials called dendrimers. These materials can be solution processed and will dramatically reduce cost and payback time in next generation devices.Read moreRead less
Modifying Structure and Properties of Carbon Nanotubes for Device Applications (MWN). The focus of this project is to develop new heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials for use in conjugated-polymer composite photovoltaic cells. Synthesis of boron and of nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the US researchers will be complemented by ion-implantation post-synthesis of CNTs by the Australian team, to gain a thorough and detailed understanding of how the CNTs can act effectively as both an ....Modifying Structure and Properties of Carbon Nanotubes for Device Applications (MWN). The focus of this project is to develop new heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials for use in conjugated-polymer composite photovoltaic cells. Synthesis of boron and of nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the US researchers will be complemented by ion-implantation post-synthesis of CNTs by the Australian team, to gain a thorough and detailed understanding of how the CNTs can act effectively as both an electron acceptor and charge transport medium in a conjugated polymer. Outcomes will include fundamental advances in our understanding of charge transport in the composite devices and prototype organic photovoltaic devices of improved efficiency.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101721
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Probing the excited states of organic semiconductor systems with photoinduced absorption spectroscopy. Plastic semiconductors have the potential to revolutionise consumer electronics by enabling cheap, flexible and low power devices. The success of these devices depends on our understanding of the optical and electronic properties of the materials, which this project aims to address through the use of photoinduced absorption spectroscopy.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100173
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,062.00
Summary
Strain-stabilised perovskite optoelectronics: from fundamentals to devices. This project aims to develop deep structure-property relationships and strain engineering protocols to generate stable forms of the emerging inorganic halide perovskite semiconductors, which are promising for next-generation solar cells and light emitting diodes. This project expects to arrive at working light emitter and detector prototypes via a three-dimensional, multi-length scale strain engineering approach that uti ....Strain-stabilised perovskite optoelectronics: from fundamentals to devices. This project aims to develop deep structure-property relationships and strain engineering protocols to generate stable forms of the emerging inorganic halide perovskite semiconductors, which are promising for next-generation solar cells and light emitting diodes. This project expects to arrive at working light emitter and detector prototypes via a three-dimensional, multi-length scale strain engineering approach that utilises materials processing techniques already used in the semiconductor industry. The expected outcomes include the development of new stabilisation methods which are compatible with facile and scalable device processing, which will directly impact the success of future perovskite optoelectronic devices and technologies.Read moreRead less
High Performance Monolithic Perovskite Photocapacitors. Monolithic perovskite photocapacitor (MPPC) consisted of integrated energy harvesting perovskite solar cell and energy storage supercapacitor through an internally shared electrode can deliver stable electricity by harnessing solar energy. The performance of MPPC is dependent of properties of the shared electrode materials. This project aims to synthesis carbon materials with tailored surface, electrical and structure properties that are re ....High Performance Monolithic Perovskite Photocapacitors. Monolithic perovskite photocapacitor (MPPC) consisted of integrated energy harvesting perovskite solar cell and energy storage supercapacitor through an internally shared electrode can deliver stable electricity by harnessing solar energy. The performance of MPPC is dependent of properties of the shared electrode materials. This project aims to synthesis carbon materials with tailored surface, electrical and structure properties that are required to make a highly functioning shared electrode in MPPC. The goal is to fabricate stable, high performance MPPC. Successful achievement of the outcomes will enable cost-effective, reliable, solar electricity, placing Australia at the forefront of exploiting photovoltaics technologies.Read moreRead less