Current Research - Overview
Our research is focused on enhancing the physics and technology behind low cost "future generation" photovoltaic concepts and associated optoelectronic devices. The materials base we mainly work with are organic, ceramics and solution processable inorganic semiconductor precursors and nanoparticles.
Our group is particularly interested in both improving the state-of-the-art device concepts in terms of absolute performance, whilst also performing fundamental studies probing the details of the photovoltaic process. Fully understanding charge generation, transport, collection and recombination still remain a challenge. Our experiments include developing novel routes to fabricating functional nanostructured composites, integration into solar cells and device fabrication and characterisation through microscopic and standard electronic characterisation (AFM, SEM, current-voltage measurements under simulated sun light and deriving the photovoltaic action spectra). Further to "fabricate and test" facilities we perform quasi-cw photoinduced absorption, ns-ms transient absorption and transient photocurrent and photovoltage measurements to probe the charge generation mechanism and carrier dynamics within the systems. We also work closely with the group of Dr. Laura Herz to perform ultra-fast spectroscopy.
Facile infiltration of semiconducting polymer into mesoporous electrodes for hybrid solar cells
Plasmonic dye-sensitized solar cells using core-shell metal nanoparticles
Photoinduced Charge-Conductivity Modulation Spectroscopy
Mesostructured electrodes fabricated from diblock copolymer templates
Controlling Charge Generation and Recombination and Enhancing Light Capture in Solid-State DSCs