A photovoltaic solar cell apparatus is described herein combining the advantages of several discoveries that address the previously unsolved problem of creating high conversion efficiency solar cells at a low cost. The solar cell designs and underlying principals disclosed herein may be applied in any type of photovoltaic solar power application, such as large scale photovoltaic solar plants, rooftop panels, solar powered electronic devices, and many others.

This invention provides a filter-free tunable spectrum PD with a layered structure of at least two electrodes and two functional layers. Both functional layers can be a layer, a stack of inorganic semiconductors, an organic semiconductor, an organic/polymer donor/acceptor blend, a hybrid semiconductor or their combinations that has a good charge transport property. The first functional layer absorbs the shorter-wavelength EM waves and is transparent to the longer-wavelength EM waves. The second functional layer absorbs the longer-wavelength EM waves. The detection spectrum window is determined by the difference in wavelengths between the transmission cut-off wavelength of the first functional layer and absorbing edge of the second functional layer, or between the absorption edge of the first functional layer and that of the second functional layer. The present PDs can be used in imaging, thermal therapy, night-vision, Li-Fi, optical communication, environmental detection, agricultural, wellness, bioimage, food, automotive and security monitoring.

A polymer solar cell includes an anode electrode, a photoactive layer, an insulating layer, a cathode electrode stacked on each other in that order. The photoactive layer includes a polymer layer and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polymer layer. Each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end passes through the insulating layer and is in direct contact with the cathode electrode, and the second end is embedded in the polymer layer.

A photovoltaic solar cell apparatus is described herein combining the advantages of several discoveries that address the previously unsolved problem of creating high conversion efficiency solar cells at a low cost. The solar cell designs and underlying principals disclosed herein may be applied in any type of photovoltaic solar power application, such as large scale photovoltaic solar plants, rooftop panels, solar powered electronic devices, and many others.

A composition, which may be in the form of a film, comprises a network of carbon nanotubes. One or more non-conjugated polymer molecules are associated with individual carbon nanotubes or small bundles of carbon nanotubes in the form of polymer-nanotube complexes

A photovoltaic solar cell apparatus is described herein combining the advantages of several discoveries that address the previously unsolved problem of creating high conversion efficiency solar cells at a low cost. The solar cell designs and underlying principals disclosed herein may be applied in any type of photovoltaic solar power application, such as large scale photovoltaic solar plants, rooftop panels, solar powered electronic devices, and many others.

A photoelectric conversion element includes an electron transport layer, a hole transport layer, and a light absorption layer disposed between the electron transport layer and the hole transport layer. The light absorption layer includes a perovskite compound having a needle-like crystal structure, and a binder resin. The binder resin preferably contains a polyvinyl butyral resin or a cellulose resin.

A method for making a polymer solar cell includes the following steps: placing a portion of a carbon nanotube layer into a polymer solution, wherein the carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes; curing the polymer solution to form a polymer layer including a first polymer surface and a second polymer surface opposite to the first polymer surface, wherein the portion of the carbon nanotube layer is embedded in the polymer layer, and another portion of the carbon nanotube layer is exposed from the polymer layer; and forming a cathode electrode on a surface of the carbon nanotube layer away from the polymer layer, and forming an anode electrode on the first polymer surface, wherein the anode electrode is spaced apart from the carbon nanotube layer.

A polymer solar cell includes an anode electrode, a photoactive layer, and a cathode electrode stacked on each other in that order. The photoactive layer includes a polymer layer and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polymer layer. Each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes includes a first carbon nanotube portion and a second carbon nanotube portion. The first carbon nanotube portion is embedded in the polymer layer, and the second carbon nanotube portion is exposed out of the polymer layer and directly contacts the cathode electrode.

A hybrid particle according to the present invention includes an inorganic core particle, an electron transport layer covering a surface of the inorganic core particle, and a light absorption layer covering the electron transport layer. The light absorption layer contains a compound having an organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite crystal structure or a metal complex. The compound or the metal complex is grown in a crystalline form on a surface of the electron transport layer.