RESEARCH AREAS

APPLICATIONS

Current methods for solar energy conversion to electricity, fuel, and heat operate at remarkably low efficiency: 25% for expensive silicon solar cells in the laboratory (18% in commercial systems), 11% for inexpensive dye-sensitized solar cells, 2-5% for organic solar cells, less than 10% for thermoelectrics, and less than a few percent for bio-inspired solar fuel production. The ANSER Center is organized around four basic research thrusts, each dealing with a solar energy conversion chain culminating in a specific end use and application:

Bio-inspired Molecular Materials for Solar Fuels

ANSER will develop new nanoscale molecular materials based on self-assembly and tailored environments as a means to efficiently collect photons, separate charge, and transport charge (or energy) to catalysts for water splitting to produce clean hydrogen using multi-electron metal redox catalysts.

Interface Science of Organic Photovoltaics

ANSER will address nanoscopic interfacial issues underlying organic photovoltaic cell performance—controlling band offsets between transparent conducting electrodes and organics, addressing charge injection/extraction/recombination limitations at interfaces, and enhancing exciton dissociation and carrier mobility via electrode surface-anchored, self-assembled donor-acceptor arrays.

Nanostructured Architectures for Photovoltaic & Photochemical Energy Conversion

ANSER will investigate dye-sensitized solar cells with the goal to create ordered, interdigitated architectures with ultra-thin layers to reduce electron transport distances and to suppress loss mechanisms. A related focus is on understanding and optimizing the dynamics and kinetics of electron transfer and transport at heterojunctions.

April 2010