摘要：
A key application of nanotechnology is in the clean energy and clean technology sector. Work at QUT covers a range of solar energy applications of nanostructured materials and their characterisation, including in dye-sensitised solar cells, organic polymer-carbon nanotube hybrids, solar photocatalytic production of hydrogen and solar photocatalytic water purification.
Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSC) in their current form were first discovered by Graetzel in 1991, and the fundamental advance which underlies the operation of the DSC is the nanostructured titania electrode. The role of the nanostructured layer in these cells is also one of light harvesting, and surface modifications of the titania nanostructure have also been shown to be effective in increasing the efficiency of the cells. IN addition work in progress on developing new counter-electrode materials also utilises nanostructure counter-electrode materials.
Other work includes developing a deep understanding of the interaction between conjugated polymer chains and carbon nanotubes in composite structures, initially intended for use in organic photovoltaic materials. However the analysis of the physical structure of these composites, which involves wrapping polymer strands around the carbon nanotubes, and subsequent UHV STM characterisation of the electronic properties of these structures demonstrates that these materials will be more useful in novel electronic applications such as small scale transistors, than in organic photovoltaic devices.
Finally a range of work on photocatalytic properties of nanostructured titania-based materials for hydrogen splitting and water purification will be discussed.
附：
Professor Bell has worked for nearly 20 years on thin film materials, with research on materials for energy efficiency in buildings, solar cells, sensors and hard coatings. His work on dye-sensitized solar cells has focused on modification of the nanostructured titania by ion implantation and also modeling of the charge transport process in DSC. More recently he has focused research on the extraction of power form DSC and other PV systems, leading the development of a consortium focused on integration of solar energy systems into the energy network. He has also worked on hydrogen production using two methods, including photocatalytic hydrogen production. He currently holds a Queensland Government Smart Futures Fellowship, has published over 200 refereed papers, and secured over $18 million in research funding since 1990.
He was a Program Leader in the Australian CRC for Renewable Energy (1996-2001) and the CRC for Construction Innovation (2002-2004), focusing on the impacts of energy efficient technology in buildings. He has served on the Board of the Sustainable Energy Industry Association (1999-2002), including serving as the Queensland Branch Chair in 2003, and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (2003), and the Engineers Australia Task Force on Energy in Construction. He was a member of the Energex earthsChoice (greenpower) Advisory Panel and has significant experience. He has facilitated industry workshops for the Australian Greenhouse Office. He is currently a Board Member for the Australian Nanotechnology Alliance, a member of the Engineers Australia National Committee on Nanoengineering, and a Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Railway Innovation.
Professor Bell has been Assistant Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering at Queensland University of Technology since 2000, but will take up the role of Head of the School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering from January 2012 in a new Faculty of Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics at QUT.