Solar Energy Conversion

Catalog description

This is a multidisciplinary course from a chemist's point of view. This course teaches the background necessary to read and understand the scientific literature on solar energy conversion, and includes some basic device physics, materials chemistry and chemistry. Topics provide an overview of the field and includes: Global energy perspective, principles of photovoltaics, crystalline solar cells, thin-film solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, organic solar cells (with emphasis on polymer-based solar cells), photoelectrochemical cells and artificial photosynthesis for fuel production, and semiconductor nanostructures and quantum dots for solar energy conversion. The course includes three laboratories and a demo using state-of-the-art equipment, as well as presentations of recent research articles by the graduate students. It is recommended that students have experience with thermodynamics. The following CWRU courses would meet this expectation: CHEM 301 , CHEM 335 , ENGR 225 or PHYS 313 . Offered as CHEM 340 and CHEM 440 . Prereq: CHEM 106 or ENGR 145 .