Beyond Photovoltaics: Semiconductor Nanoarchitectures for Liquid-Junction Solar Cells

Liquid-junction photoelectrochemical solar cells make use of the principles of photochemistry, electrochemistry, and semiconductor physical chemistry. The recent technological advances in the commercialization of dye sensitized solar cells have provided a further boost to the development of photoelectrochemical solar cells. One-dimensional architectures such as nanotubes and nanorods hold the promise of improving charge collection and transport with greater efficiency. While quantum dot sensitized solar cells lag behind dye sensitized solar cells in terms of overall power conversion efficiency, many salient features offer opportunities for improvement. Efforts are being made toward developing economically viable solar cells and solar fuel generation schemes. A hybrid technology which integrates solar cells and energy storage devices can pave the way for meeting ever-growing demand for clean, renewable energy.