Xin Zhang

Mesoporous Titanium Oxide Coating on Diatom Frustules towards Dye-synthesized Solar Cell Applications

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Diatoms are incredibly diverse, photosynthetic microalgae that are abundant in aquatic environments. The intricate morphology of the micro- and nanostructured silica exoskeletons (frustules) encasing the single-celled diatoms offer a tremendous opportunity for developing novel, biologically-enabled manufacturing technologies.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are low-cost and lightweight, which stems from the independency for highly purified materials and the capacity to print DSCs using widely abundant, cheap, and non-toxic materials. Composed of several different materials, DSCs include a sensitizing dye, which is anchored to a wide-bandgap semiconductor such as ZnO, SnO2, or TiO2.

This project ultimately seeks to leverage the unique light-trapping properties of the diatom to fabricate precisely engineered nanostructures in an effort to optimize DSC performance. Specifically for REU/RET program, a simple method for coating mesoporous TiO2 layer on diatom frustules will be developed.

LEARNING GOALS
To fully understand the synthesis/fabrication process, participants are expected to learn:
• Basic wet bench chemistry processing techniques
• Certain cleanroom fabrication techniques
• Various micro- and nano-scale characterization techniques.

Learn more about Professor Zhang’s work at her lab website.