In the field of solar cells, gold nanoparticles have been used to enhance the efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell, 22 an organic solar cell, 23 and a silicon solar cell, 24 ( Figure 1 .)
Silicon solar cells are approximately 20% efficient - insufficient for charging mobile devices. Higher efficiency multi-layered solar cells are expensive and relegated to niche markets. Columbus Photovoltaics technology enhances silicon solar cells with ultra-thin topping layers, made with low-cost materials.
A commercial silicon solar cell consists of a smooth, bare silicon surface that reflects about 40 percent of incident sunlight. This necessitates the use of antireflection coatings in solar cell applications.
Improved performance of amorphous silicon solar cells via scattering from surface plasmon polaritons in nearby metallic nanoparticles. Appl.
Experimental evidence in the literature has shown that the power efficiency of both solar cells and photocatalytic thin-film electrodes can be enhanced in the presence of metallic nanoparticles because of their surface plasmonic effects.
Learn more. Multijunction/tandem solar cells have naturally attracted great attention because they are not subject to the Shockley–Queisser limit. Perovskite solar cells are ideal candidates for the top cell in multijunction/tandem devices due to the high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and relatively low voltage loss.