Hybrid Photocapacitors for Ambient Light Applications

The sustainable future of humankind will be possible through energy use optimization, enabled by billions of Internet of things (IoT) devices.

In this proposal, I will design an innovative device architecture for energy-autonomous IoT devices, namely Photocapacitor for Ambient Light (PHOTALA), which will be specifically adapted to indoor-light harvesting.

The PHOTALA is constituted of 1) a hybrid photovoltaic joined to 2) an electrical double-layer supercapacitor (EDLC) based on the family of polyviologens.

Ambient-light offers universally available energy, normally ranging from 100 to 500 lux, which is sufficient to supply the low power densities needed by IoTs. Photovoltaic devices can harvest this energy and use it to design near-perpetual smart IoTs.

Hybrid solar cells (HSCs), such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), and perovskite (PSC) solar cells, are a family of emerging photovoltaics with promising properties.

DSCs have demonstrated to be one of the best technologies for ambient-light harvesting, outperforming silicon and thin-film technologies.

DSCs can be tailored to match the spectra of indoor lightning, and operate at high voltages under low light using copper-based redox mediators.

The polyviologen supercapacitor will store intermittent energy with fast charge–discharge steps, high specific power and long-life cycles, successfully providing energy during dark periods.

This fellowship will enable a ground-breaking path in the design of self-powered wireless electronic devices, and will enable the researcher to bring together previous knowledge and expertise to the host institution and obtain new knowledge in the field of coordination chemistry, nanotechnology and computer science together with other transferable skills.