Diffuse Light to Structure Information with Hybrid Photovoltaics (RSC Awards Lecture)

The field of renewable energy has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with photovoltaics being one of the most promising and widely adopted technologies. However, the vast majority of photovoltaic systems require direct sunlight, making them less effective in ambient environments such as indoor spaces. This limitation has spurred research efforts to develop high-efficiency ambient photovoltaics that can generate power from artificial lighting and other low-light sources. Such technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of energy generation and management, enabling the development of self-powered, self-aware IoT devices and other smart technologies.

The development of ambient photovoltaics is highly dependent on advances in chemistry and materials science. We have focused on designing photovoltaic systems that are both highly efficient and sustainable, incorporating non-toxic materials that can be easily recycled. The use of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) has emerged as a promising approach due to their ability to efficiently convert ambient light into electrical energy. The development of novel hole transport materials and electrolytes based on copper (II/I) coordination complexes has enabled the creation of highly efficient DSCs, with power conversion efficiencies reaching up to 38% at 1000 lux from a fluorescent lamp.

To fully realize the potential of ambient photovoltaics, efficient energy management practices are critical. This is where artificial intelligence and machine learning come into play, with the development of on-device prediction and control algorithms that can dynamically adjust the computational load of IoT devices based on changing ambient light conditions. The integration of ambient light harvesting with artificial intelligence has opened up new possibilities for the development of fully autonomous, self-powered, and self-aware IoT devices that can be utilized across a range of industries and applications.