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| Author(s): |
Leonardo Matheus Marion Jorge
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física (IF/SBI) |
| Defense date: | 2013-04-17 |
| Examining board members: |
Marilia Junqueira Caldas;
Antonio Martins Figueiredo Neto;
Marlus Koehler;
Luis Gregorio Godoy de Vasconcellos Dias da Silva;
Henrique Eisi Toma
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| Advisor: | Marilia Junqueira Caldas |
| Abstract | |
There is growing interest, among the many types of photovoltaic devices, in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The reasons for that are not only the lower costs of production (wet chemistry), but also the large number of organic/semiconductor combinations that can be made, depending on the properties that are interesting for each device. On a DSSC the light absorption occurs in the organic material, from which the electron is transferred to the semiconductor for current generation. The molecule regains its neutrality through an electrolyte that carries charge from the opposing terminal. The experimental investigation of this problem is very difficult, due to the large num- ber of variables involved, as any defect or change on the deposition can affect the charge transfer process. Similarly, the theoretical study is also difficult, making necessary the use of simplified models for the system to gain deeper understanding of the processes of light absorption. In this work we have studied a combination of large relevancy, retinoic acid over titanium oxide, at the anatase phase, the most important for nanostrucutres. We have thoroughly investigated the applicability of several methodologies, focusing at electronic and optical characteristics, and searching for evidences of charge transfer. For this we analyzed sim- ple models (isolated materials, and other systems that share the same characteristics), using methodologies from different starting theories, as Hartree-Fock and Density Functional The- ory, and also applying both ab initio and semi-empirical approaches. Once chosen the best methodology, we studied a more realistic system, true organic/oxide interfaces. Our results show the influence of the nanoscopic dimensions of the inorganic substrate on the properties of the photoharvest, and also the fundamental role played by the covalent bond that exists on the chemisorbed deposition of molecule/surface, that alters the optical properties of both components. (AU) | |