Energy: Photovoltaics, Hydrogen
The increasing development of alternative and renewable energetic sources with competitive
costs as compared to fossil ones, is a tremendous, but necessary challenge of this century,
for the long-term energetic maintainance of human activities.
The Department carries out research in the field of renewable energies, especially concerning
solar photovoltaics and energy storage using hydrogen. It is worth noticing that the photovoltaic effect, i.e. the measurement of an open circuit voltage (Volta effect) in an illuminated p-n junction, gets its name from an experiment performed in Pavia by Alessandro Volta (1797).
The following research lines are pursued:
(a) Development of solar cells based on fluorescent concentrators, i.e. thin polymeric layers
containing molecules that are able to efficiently absorb and re-emit solar light, coupled to
conventional high-efficiency Silicon solar cells. Integration with photonic crystals is pursued as
well. Collaboration with ENI S.p.A. Staff: L.C. Andreani, M. Galli, M. Liscidini, M. Patrini
(b) Optical and electrical characterization of micro-crystalline Silicon and conventional photovoltaic
cells, at various stages of production and development: work done in collaboration with several companies. Characterization of other materials for applications to third-generation solar cells:
graphene and carbon nanotubes, micro- and nano-structured semiconducting materials. Staff: V. Bellani
(c) Theory of light harvesting (i.e. of absorption efficiency and photovoltaic conversion) in
thin film photovoltaic cells (sub-micrometer thickness), by means of wave-propagation approach and in presence of photonic crystals and/or disordered structures like rough surfaces. Study of carrier collection by means of full-scale electro-optical simulations are also carried out. Staff: L.C. Andreani, M. Liscidini
(d) The hydrogen diffusive dynamics is being investigated by means of NMR in carbon based materials (graphenes and fullerides) for their possible future employment as hydrogen storage materials. Staff: P. Carretta, M. Moscardini