Inter-American Materials Collaboration: Molecular Solar Cell Materials

这项材料化学领域的泛美材料合作项目由约翰霍普金斯大学的Gerald Meyer、智利圣地亚哥天主教大学的Barbara Loeb和智利圣地亚哥大学的Sergio Moya领导的小组进行。该合作旨在提高基于无机配位化合物共价结合介孔纳米晶体半导体薄膜的染料敏化太阳能电池中发生的分子水平事件的效率和基本理解。该合作项目利用了双方在分子组分合成和设计（智利）以及功能化半导体材料的光电化学和光学特性量化（美国）方面的互补专业知识。该项目提出了新的研究，探索分子半导体界面能量学和电子转移的关键方面，新分子成分促进纳米晶体和“量子点”半导体粒子上的矢量能量和/或电荷转移。这项研究的直接目的是提高太阳能电池的能量转换效率，因此可以产生巨大的经济和环境影响。研究的重点是界面材料化学，所获得的结果的重要性超出了太阳能转换到利用分子半导体界面的其他应用，如传感器，显示器和发光二极管。从本文提出的研究中获得的机械和材料见解对于在分子水平上运行的下一代设备至关重要。该项目的国际合作性质也将增加知识的广度，并增加参与的初级和高级科学家的教育机会。更具体地说，该项目将为智利的研究带来新的材料方面，并为美国的研究带来新的分子成分工具包。科学家们将在彼此的实验室工作，分享和教授实验技术。该奖项由材料研究部、国际科学与工程办公室以及数学和物理科学理事会的多学科活动办公室提供支持。

This Inter-American Materials Collaboration project in materials chemistry is carried out by groups led by Gerald Meyer at Johns Hopkins University, Barbara Loeb at Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Santiago, Chile, and Sergio Moya, University of Santiago, Chile. The collaboration aims to improve the efficiency and fundamental understanding of molecular level events occurring in dye-sensitized solar cells based on inorganic coordination compounds covalently bound to mesoporous nanocrystalline semiconductors thin films. This collaborative project takes advantage of complimentary expertise in the synthesis and design of molecular components (Chile) and in quantifying the photoelectrochemical and optical properties of functionalized semiconductor materials (USA). The project proposes novel studies that probe critical aspects of molecular semiconductor interfacial energetics and electron transfer with new molecular components that promote vectorial energy and/or charge transfer on nanocrystalline and 'quantum dot' semiconductor particles.This research is directly aimed at improving energy conversion efficiencies of solar cells and can thus have an enormous economic and environmental impact. The focus of the research is on interfacial materials chemistry and the importance of the results gained extend beyond solar energy conversion to other applications that utilize molecular-semiconductor interfaces such as sensors, displays, and light emitting diodes. Mechanistic and materials insights gained from the research proposed herein will be critically important for the next generation of devices that operate on a molecular level. The international and collaborative nature of this project will also increase the breadth of knowledge and enhance education opportunities of the junior and senior scientists involved. More specifically, this project will bring a new materials aspect to the Chilean research and a toolkit of new molecular components to the US research. Scientists will work in each other's laboratories to share and teach experimental techniques. This award is supported by the Division of Materials Research, the Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.