With the growing needs for energy, photovoltaic solar cells have attracted increasing research interests owing to its potentially renewable, feasible and efficient applications. Compared to its inorganic counterparts, organic solar cell (OSC) is highly desirable due to the low-cost processing, light weight, and the capability of flexible applications. While rapid progress has been made with the conversion efficiency approaching 10%, challenges towards high performance OSCs remain, including further improving device efficiency, fully realizing flexible applications, achieving more feasible large-area solution process and extending the stability of organic device. Having understood the key technical issues of designing high performance OSCs, we focus our work on (1) introducing flexible graphene transparent electrodes into OSCs as effective anode and cathode; (2) interface engineering of metal oxide carrier transport layers (CTLs) in OSCs through incorporating plasmonic metal nanomaterials ;(3)proposing novel film formation approach for solution-processed CTLs in OSCs in order to improve the film quality and thus device performance. The detailed work is listed below: 1. Design of transparent graphene electrodes for flexible OSCs Flexible graphene films are introduced into OSCs as transparent electrodes, which complement the flexibility of organic materials. We demonstrate graphene can function effectively as both the anode and cathode in OSCs: a) Graphene anode: we propose an interface modification for graphene to function as anode as an alternative to using aconventional polymer CTL. Using the proposed interfacial modification, graphene OSCs show enhanced performance. Further analysis shows that our approach provides favorable energy alignment and improved interfacial contact. b) Graphene cathode: efficient OSCs using graphene cathode are demonstrated, using a new composite CTL of aluminum-titanium oxide (Al-TiO2).We show that the role of Al is two-fold: improving the wettability as well as reducing the work function of graphene. To facilitate electron extraction, self-assembledTiO2is employed on the Al-covered graphene, which exhibits uniform morphology. 2. Incorporation of plasmonic nanomaterialsinto the metal oxide CTLinOSCs By incorporating metallic nanoparticles (NPs) into the TiO2CTLin OSCs, we demonstrate the interesting plasmonic-electrical effect which leads to optically induced charge extraction enhancement. While OSCs using TiO2CTL can only operate by ultraviolet (UV)activation, NP-incorporated TiO2enables OSCs to perform efficiently at a plasmonic wavelength far longer than the UV light. In addition, the effciency of OSCs incorporated with NPs is notably enhanced. We attribute the improvement to the charge injection of plasmonically excited electrons from NPs into TiO2. 3. Formation of uniform TiO2CTLfor large area applications using a self-assembly approach A solution-processed self-assembly method is proposed for forming large-area high-quality CTL films. Owing to the careful control of solvent evaporation, uniform film is formed, leading to enhanced OSC performance. Meanwhile, our method is capable of forming large-area films. This approach can contribute to future low-cost, large-area applications. / published_or_final_version / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Ho, Yee Man Martina = 硒化鎘三維納米結構之製作及其感應脫氧核糖核酸之應用潛能 / 何綺雯. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Ho, Yee Man Martina = Xi hua ge san wei na mi jie gou zhi zhi zuo ji qi gan ying tuo yang he tang he suan zhi ying yong qian neng / He Qiwen. / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1 --- Photovoltaic properties of CdSe --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Quantum size effect --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Synthesis of CdSe nanostructures --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Electrochemical sensing of CdSe nanostructures --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Surface passivation and functionalization of CdSe nanostructures --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Electronic properties of nanocrystalline semiconductor electrode --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Band alignment --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Interfacial charge transfer process --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Surface traps and adsorbed molecules --- p.10 / Chapter 1.4.4 --- DNA molecules as a capping group --- p.11 / Chapter 1.5 --- Literatures review in DNA sensing --- p.12 / Chapter 1.6 --- Present study --- p.14 / Chapter 1.6.1 --- Objective --- p.14 / Chapter 1.6.2 --- General methodology --- p.15 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Experimental / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction into the instrumentation of this project --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2 --- CHI Electrochemical workstation --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Linear sweep voltammetry --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Cyclic voltammetry --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Multiple potential step --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3 --- CEM Microwave-assisted chemical synthesizer --- p.27 / Chapter 3.1 --- Morphological examination by scanning electron microscopy --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2 --- Elemental analysis by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy --- p.30 / Chapter 3.3 --- Crystal structure analysis by x-ray diffraction --- p.31 / Chapter 3.4 --- Surface compositional analysis by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy --- p.32 / Chapter 3.5 --- Transmission electron microscopy --- p.34 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Synthesis of 3D nanostructured CdSe multipod electrodes / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction into the synthesis of CdSe MP electrode --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2 --- Recipe for the synthesis of CdSe NPs --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3 --- The synthesis of CdSe MPs --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Tuning the experimental parameters: Reaction temperature --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Tuning the experimental parameters: Reaction hold time --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Tuning in experimental parameters: Precursor molar ratio --- p.50 / Chapter 3.4 --- The fabrication of MP CdSe on a conductive substrate --- p.54 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- The electrodeposition of CdSe thin films on ITO/glass substrates --- p.55 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- The growth of CdSe MPs on CdSe/ ITO/glass --- p.57 / Chapter 3.5 --- The characterization of MP CdSe electrode --- p.57 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Electrical and opto-electric characteristics of CdSe MP electrodes and their applications as platforms for the DNA recognition / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction to the property characterization of CdSe MP electrodes --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2 --- DNA surface attachment --- p.64 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Mechanism of DNA surface anchoring --- p.65 / Chapter 4.3 --- I-V characterization in PBS --- p.69 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Experimental procedures of the I-V tests in PBS --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Results and discussions of I-V tests in PBS --- p.72 / Chapter 4.3.2.1 --- Exercising as-prepared CdSe MP electrode --- p.74 / Chapter 4.3.2.2 --- I-V characteristics of CdSe MP electrodes before and after ssDNA attachment --- p.75 / Chapter 4.3.2.3 --- I-V characteristics of CdSe MP electrodes before and after the dsDNA attachment --- p.76 / Chapter 4.3.2.4 --- "Photo-response of bare CdSe MP, ssDNA/CdSe MP and dsDNA/CdSe electrodes" --- p.77 / Chapter 4.4 --- "Photovoltaic I-V measurement in I3""/I"" redox electrolyte" --- p.79 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Experimental procedures --- p.79 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Results and discussions --- p.80 / Chapter 4.5 --- Possible application implied by the results --- p.88 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- DNA base pair mismatch identification --- p.91 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Field-assisted DNA hybridization acceleration process --- p.92 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusions / Chapter 5.1 --- Conclusions --- p.95

The demands for advanced power sources with high energy efficiency, minimum environmental impact, and low cost have been the impetus for the development of a new generation of batteries and fuel cells. One of the key challenges in this effort is to develop and fabricate effective electrodes with desirable composition, microstructure and performance. This work focused on the design, fabrication, and characterization of nanostructured electrodes in an effort to minimize electrode polarization losses. Solid-state diffusion often limits the utilization and rate capability of electrode materials in a lithium-ion battery, especially at high charge/discharge rates. When the fluxes of Li+ insertion or extraction exceed the diffusion-limited rate of Li+ transport within the bulk phase of an electrode, concentration polarization occurs. Further, large volume changes associated with Li+ insertion or extraction could induce stresses in bulk electrodes, potentially leading to mechanical failure. Interconnected porous materials with high surface-to-volume ratio were designed to suppress the stress and promote mass transport. In this work, electrodes with these unique architectures for lithium ion batteries have been fabricated to improve the cycleability, rate capability and capacity retention. Cathodic interfacial polarization represents the predominant voltage loss in a low-temperature SOFC. For the first time, regular, homogeneous and bimodal porous MIEC electrodes were successfully fabricated using breath figure templating, which is self-assembly of the water droplets in polymer solution. The homogeneous macropores promoted rapid mass transport by decreasing the tortuosity. And mesoporous microstructure provided more surface areas for gas adsorption and more TPBs for the electrochemical reactions. Moreover, composite electrodes were developed with a modified sol-gel process for honeycomb SOFCs. The sol gel derived cathodes with fine grain size and large specific surface area, showed much lower interfacial polarization resistances than those prepared by other existing processing methods. Nanopetals of cerium hydroxycarbonate have been synthesized via a controlled hydrothermal process in a mixed water-ethanol medium. The formation of the cerium compound depends strongly on the composition of the precursors, and is attributed to the favored ethanol oxidation by Ce(IV) ions over Ce(IV) hydrolysis process. Raman studies showed that microflower CeO2 preferentially stabilizes O2 as a peroxide species on its surface for CO oxidation.