Publications

A nanocomposite of metal nanoclusters/OSTE is fabricated through off-stoichiometric thiol-ene polymerization, incorporating adamantanethiol-protected electrum nanoclusters Au23-xAgx(SAdm)15 (where x = 7.44) along with the OSTE monomer. During the photopolymerization, there is a transforfation of the precursor nanoclusters and the nanocomposite achieves a maximum photoluminescence quantum yield of ≈73% at 740 nm and 60% at the 850 nm emission peak. The photophysical characteristics of nanocomposite AuAgNCs@OSTE are examined at both ambient and low temperatures, revealing an improved radiative recombination mechanism through the interactions with polymer radicals. This high photoluminescence quantum yield near-infrared-emitting AuAgNCs@OSTE material, distinguished by a larger Stokes shift, is utilized to fabricate luminescent solar concentrators measuring 5 × 5 × 0.13 cm3. 

Experimental measurements are conducted to determine the absorption coefficient, reabsorption coefficient, absorption cross-section, and volume concentration of the device. Additionally, theoretical evaluations of waveguiding efficiency and power conversion efficiency are performed and compared with quantum dot-based alternatives. The findings indicate that the metal NCs@OSTE nanocomposite has the potential to function as a highly efficient, heavy-metal-free nanophosphor, demonstrating superior overall performance for semi-transparent luminescent solar concentrator devices and being suitable for a broad range of light conversion applications in the NIR spectrum.

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We demonstrate that dielectric Mie scatterers, in the form of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs), can enhance both the performance and esthetics of semitransparent photovoltaic devices. Unlike plasmonic metal counterparts, dielectric SiNPs exhibit lossless, narrow-band, spectral, and spatially tunable scattering in the visible spectral range. Their effect on a luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) with high visible light transparency is analyzed both theoretically and experimentally as a model system. By selectively reflecting a specific spectral band, SiNPs increase the optical path length of solar photons within the active layer, leading to improved absorption and hence device efficiency. Simultaneously, this light management strategy ensures transmitted color neutrality, an important requirement for wider acceptance of semitransparent photovoltaics. Numerical simulations show that in the regime of individual SiNPs with diameters around 160 nm, a submonolayer surface coverage of ∼10% is sufficient to achieve color neutrality, at the same time enhancing photocurrent by 10–15% for an LSC device. Experimentally, such a dispersed SiNP layer on an LSC substrate is realized by depositing NPs with the surface capped by a sacrificial polymer shell. Subsequent etching of the shell by oxygen plasma leads to an LSC device with a functional selective scattering layer in line with theoretical predictions.
 

Song, Z., Lu, X., Vu, O., Song, J., Sugimoto, H., Fujii, M.,Berglund L. & Sychugov, I. (2025). Selective Scatterers Improve Efficiency and Color Neutrality of Semitransparent Photovoltaics. ACS photonics, 12(11), 6458-6467.

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