Sustainable luminescent solar concentrators based on organic–inorganic hybrids modified with chlorophyll

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) are luminescent waveguide layers that convert sunlight into specific wavelengths which are then guided by total internal reflection to a PV device located at the edges of the LSC. Their ability to concentrate sunlight onto small areas makes LSCs a useful complement to silicon-based PVs in a series of applications, such as urban integration and flexible fabrics towards mobile solar-energy. Challenges for the luminescent layer include the use of low-cost and sustainable nature-based organic molecules. We report novel chlorophyll-based LSCs with emission properties in the red/NIR spectral region. Here, chlorophyll molecules extracted from Spirulina maxima, an abundant cyanobacterium and an attractive natural source, are immobilized in organic–inorganic di- and tri-ureasil matrices enabling the production of sustainable LSCs. At low chlorophyll concentrations (
Funding was provided by Fundaçao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), EU/FEDER COMPETE and Mais Centro-PORC, under contracts PEST-OE/EEI/LA0008/2013 and CENTRO-07-ST24- FEDER-002032. This work was developed within the scope of the projects CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID/CTM/50011/2013), SusPhotoSolutions – Soluçoes Fotovoltaicas Sustentaveis, CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000005 and Instituto de Telecomunicaçoes (FCT Ref. UID/EEA/50008/2013), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. SFHC thanks SusPhotoSolutions for the post-doctoral grant and ARF and ARB acknowledge FCT for their PhD grants (PD/BD/114454/2016 and PD/BD/105859/2014). LDC is grateful to CAPES and CNPq (Brazil) fora fellowship within the science without borders program. SJLR acknowledges funding agency FAPESP and the Brazilian network on Photonics INFO (Instituto Nacional de Fotonica).