title: Nanoscale Analysis of a Hierarchical Hybrid Solar Cell in 3D.
abstract: A quantitative method for the characterization of nanoscale 3D morphology is applied to the investigation of a hybrid solar cell based on a novel hierarchical nanostructured photoanode. A cross section of the solar cell device is prepared by focused ion beam milling in a micropillar geometry, which allows a detailed 3D reconstruction of the titania photoanode by electron tomography. It is found that the hierarchical titania nanostructure facilitates polymer infiltration, thus favoring intermixing of the two semiconducting phases, essential for charge separation. The 3D nanoparticle network is analyzed with tools from stochastic geometry to extract information related to the charge transport in the hierarchical solar cell. In particular, the experimental dataset allows direct visualization of the percolation pathways that contribute to the photocurrent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Road, CB3 0FS, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Divitini
authors.affiliation: Institute of Stochastics, Ulm University Helmholtzstrasse 18, 89069, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stenzel
authors.affiliation: CNST - Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghadirzadeh
authors.affiliation: CNST - Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guarnera
authors.affiliation: CNST - Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy ; Department of Energy and NEMAS - Center for NanoEngineered Materials and Surfaces, Politecnico di Milano via Ponzio 34/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: CNST - Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy ; Department of Energy and NEMAS - Center for NanoEngineered Materials and Surfaces, Politecnico di Milano via Ponzio 34/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Casari
authors.affiliation: CNST - Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy ; Department of Energy and NEMAS - Center for NanoEngineered Materials and Surfaces, Politecnico di Milano via Ponzio 34/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea Li
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.affiliation: CNST - Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrozza
authors.affiliation: CNST - Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Pascoli 70/3, I-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Fonzo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Stochastics, Ulm University Helmholtzstrasse 18, 89069, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Road, CB3 0FS, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ducati
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