(Invited) Tuning the Optoelectronic Properties of Inorganic and Carbon-Based Quantum Dots for Highly Efficient Luminescent Solar Concentrators

Abstract

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) are an old class of devices based on semitransparent windows, in which luminophores are embedded in a transparent matrix.[1] The luminophores can absorb and re-emit solar light and are able to generate electric power by collecting the re-emitted light at the borders of the slab. In the past, lab-to-fab transition of such devices was impeded by intrinsic limitations of the luminophores in terms of low quantum yield, strong resorption due to small Stokes shift, low optical and photoconversion efficiency of the final device. In the last years, a renaissance of such devices has been driven by the development of new 0-dimensional nanostructures, with tunable optical properties, which can guarantee good performance of LSCs.[2,3] Specifically, high quantum yield can be obtained; resorption losses can be limited by modulating the Stokes shift; final color of the window can be tuned by tuning light absorption properties; UV and IR parts of solar spectrum can be exploited without affecting window transparency. We will give examples of different 0-dimensional systems, which have been developed toward high efficiency LSCs, among which inorganic quantum dots and carbon dots.[4,5] Several strategies will be illustrated to tune the optoelectronic properties of the luminophores, including doping, core-shell structuring, and surface treatments.