Seminar: A transparent polymer impregnated with conductive particles for solar devices

Flyer (PDF)

Online: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/97740170381
Zoom Meeting ID: 977 4017 0381
Password: meseminar

Department of Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series

Joshua Crunk
M.S. Student
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Abstract
Multijunction tandem solar devices show promise in surpassing the efficiency limits of single junction photovoltaic cells by operating over a broader spectrum of light. The increased open-circuit voltage of tandem solar devices makes them candidates for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to produce hydrogen. In the tandem device architecture, it is crucial for the intermediate layer between solar cells to be transparent to maximize the amount of photons that reach the bottom cell and electrically conductive to reduce the power loss due to resistance. This talk will focus on the applications of a transparent polymer impregnated with conductive particles (TPCP) in the fabrication of tandem solar devices. Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry measurements of the TPCP over the visible spectrum yield ~90% transmittance. The out-of-plane series resistance measured with linear sweep voltammetry is on the order of 10-1 Ω-cm2. Atomic force microscopy measured the topography and electrical conductance of individual embedded particles. Furthermore, the results of a CuGaSe2/Si tandem device fabricated with TPCPs are presented. Finally, the explorations into TPCPs for PEC reactions are discussed.