Preparation of a Langmuir-Blodgett layer of ultrafine platinum particles and its application to n-Si for efficient photoelectrochemical solar cells

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2059281· OSTI ID:6683714

Yae, Shinji; Nakanishi, Isao; Nakato, Yoshihiro; Mori, Hirotaro ^[1]; Toshima, Naoki ^[2]

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1. Osaka Univ. (Japan)
2. Univ. of Tokyo (Japan). Dept. of Industrial Chemistry

A Langmuir layer of ultrafine platinum particles (2--6 nm in diam) has been developed on a water surface by dropping a Pt colloid solution, prepared by refluxing an ethanol-water (1:1) solution of hexachloroplatinic(IV) acid in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) as a stabilizer. The layer is transferred onto a single-crystal n-type silicon (n-Si) wafer by the horizontal lifting method. The Pt particles are rather homogeneously scattered on n-Si, and the particle density can be controlled on a nanometer scale by changing the area of the Langmuir layer at the time of transfer. The open-circuit photovoltage (V[sub oc]) for photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cells with such n-Si electrodes is inversely related to Pt-particle density, and reaches 0.635 V, much higher than that for n-Si coated with a continuous Pt layer (ca. 0.30 V) or that for the conventional p-n junction Si solid solar cell of a similar simple cell structure (ca. 0.59 V). This result is in harmony with the previously proposed theory, the above increase in V[sub oc] being explained by the decrease in the majority carrier dark saturation current density.

• OSTI ID: 6683714
• Journal Information: Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States) Vol. 141:11; ISSN JESOAN; ISSN 0013-4651
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
COATINGS
COLLOIDS
DEPOSITION
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DISPERSIONS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
METALS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PLATINUM
PLATINUM METALS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SURFACE COATING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS