Plasmonic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Core-Shell Metal-Insulator Nanoparticles

We present an investigation into incorporating core-shell Au-SiO2 nanoparticles into dye sensitized solar cells. We demonstrate plasmon-enhanced light absorption, photocurrent, and efficiency for both iodide/triiodide electrolyte based and solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. Our spectroscopic investigation indicates that plasmon-enhanced photocarrier generation competes well with plasmons oscillation damping with in the first tens of femtoseconds following light absorption.