| Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have been proposed as a lower cost and more aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional photovoltaic devices. The LSC presented in this thesis will use II-VI semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) as luminescent material. CdSe/ZnSe core/shell QDs; CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs; and CdxZn1-xSe QDs can be synthesized with high quality (quantum yield >50%) using simple, reproducible methods.;Furthermore, two methods of incorporating the QDs into an LSC will be discussed. In the first method, single QD thick monolayers or multilayered QD thin films can be deposited onto an optically clear medium using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition. However, these QD films have poor optical qualities making them unfit for use in a LSC. Alternatively, QDs can be incorporated into a polymer slide. These highly fluorescent QD-polymer slides act as waveguides directing the photons emitted by the QDs towards the edges of the slide. |
