Probing photocurrent generation mechanisms in hybrid IR-senstive quantum dot/conjugated polymer solar cells

Abstract

The work in this dissertation aims to improve the ability of hybrid polymer/quantum dot solar cells to harvest and utilize sunlight by contributing mechanistic insights into photocurrent generation. The mechanisms of charge transfer and energy transfer are explored spectroscopically in chapter three and both are found to contribute to photocurrent. Chapter four looks at excitation energy in excess of the bandgap and finds a rise in polaron yield which correlates with excess photon energy. Chapter two discusses details of the experimental techniques used to access the data discussed in the chapters that follow.