Carbon nanodot integrated solar energy devices

Abstract

Abstract In addition to environmental problems due to increased carbon dioxide emission, the development of new technologies for sustainable energy sources has become gradually more important. Carbon dots (CDs) are the new members of carbon derivatives in the spherical form with graphene-like structural properties. They carry many unique optical properties such as high fluorescence quantum yield, wavelength-dependent photoluminescence in the visible range, and up conversion fluorescence emission. An increasing number of studies reported the significant improvement of solar energy device performance by the addition of CDs by (1) revealing more homogeneous thin films than the other carbon nanomaterials with the advantage of their morphology and size, (2) altered energy conversion efficiency by improved electron transport, and more importantly, (3) resulting in energetically more stable devices due to functional groups added to CDs by surface doping. This chapter collects and discusses the relationship between the intrinsic properties of CDs and the efficiency of CD-integrated solar energy devices. It will provide a proper understanding of the future aspects of their application to solar energy devices. This chapter collects and discusses the relationship between the intrinsic properties of CDs and the efficiency of CD-integrated solar energy devices from different angles considering the optical, mechanical, and physicochemical features of CDs. It aims to provide a proper understanding of the future aspects of their application to solar energy.