Surface plasmon resonance of layer-by-layer gold nanoparticles induced photoelectric current in environmentally-friendly plasmon-sensitized solar cell

Abstract

Layer-by-layer gold nanoparticles are used to generate photocurrent in an environmentally-friendly plasmon-sensitized solar cell towing to surface plasmon resonance. The efficiency of the photoelectric conversion of gold nanoparticle layers is increased as the intensity of surface plasmon resonance increases. We also explain the experimental results by modeling the phenomenon of charge separation and photocurrent formation, and the relationship between surface plasmon resonance and photocurrent formation, which has potential application in plasmon-sensitized solar cells and plasmonic solar cells in the future. The efficiency of a plasmon-sensitized solar cell can be improved by depositing gold nanoparticles on the cell’s surface. Achieving a high energy-conversion efficiency—the percentage of incident solar energy converted into electrical energy—is the primary goal for any solar cell technology. Yen-Hsun Su and colleagues at National Dong Hwa University in Hualien have now demonstrated that depositing multiple layers of gold nanoparticles on the surface of a plasmon-sensitized solar cell increases the amount of light scattered across its surface, boosting the amount of light absorbed and thus improving its efficiency. Once optimized, such gold-covered plasmonic solar cells have the potential to replace the more popular dye-sensitized solar cells.