NER: Dip-Pen Nanolithographic Templates for Conjugated Polymer Photovoltaic Devices

该NER提案旨在开发一种用于控制薄膜聚合物光伏器件性能的新方法。这将通过使用纳米图案化的表面模板在10-100 nm的长度尺度上化学诱导半导体聚合物共混物中的相分离，并通过显示这种模板可用于优化光伏器件性能来实现。该项目将推进开发可再生能源的社会目标，同时推进提高对共轭聚合物共混物中纳米级相分离与光电性能之间关系的理解的科学目标。为了实现这些目标，我们将使用蘸笔纳米光刻（DPN）在电极表面上产生单层厚的纳米级图案，共轭聚合物的混合物将从溶液中旋涂到电极表面上。该提案将确定模板化学对聚合物共混物膜中的相分离的影响。在确定了允许在适当的长度尺度上控制形态的条件后，我们将使共混物的性能和物理性质与它们的形态相关联。 感兴趣的10-100 nm长度尺度与DPN的分辨率很好地匹配。 这项建议将为我们提供一个新的手段，系统地探讨纳米级的形态和光电性能之间的关系，在有机半导体的混合物，通过使用DPN作为一个“快速原型”tool.Broader ImpactsMeeting能源需求的世界上不断增长的人口在环境可持续发展的时尚是当今社会面临的一个根本挑战。通过该提议开发的表面模板可以适应高通量接触印刷程序，从而可以导致使用聚合物半导体的低成本，高效率的光伏电池的开发。此外，该项目将为研究生和本科生提供跨学科的研究培训，该提案将支持目前约50%为女性，25%为本科生的实验室培训。

This NER proposal seeks to develop a new method for controlling the performance thin-film polymer photovoltaic devices. This will be accomplished by using nanopatterned surface templates to chemically induce phase separation in semiconducting polymer blends on the 10-100 nm length scale and by showing that such templates can be used to optimize photovoltaic device performance. This project will advance the societal goal of developing renewable energy sources while it advances the scientific goal of enhancing understanding of the relationship between nanoscale phase separation and the optoelectronic properties in conjugated polymer blends. To achieve these objectives, we will use Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN) to generate monolayer-thick nanoscale patterns on electrode surfaces onto which blends of conjugated polymers will be spin-coated from solution. The proposal will determine the effects of the template chemistry on phase-separation in the polymer blend films. After identifying conditions that allow control over the morphology on the appropriate length scale, we will correlate the performance and photophysical properties of the blends with their morphology. The 10-100 nm length scale of interest is well-matched to the resolution of DPN. This proposal will provide us with a new means to systematically probe the relationship between nanoscale morphology and optoelectronic properties in blends of organic semiconductors by using DPN as a 'rapid prototyping' tool.Broader ImpactsMeeting the energy needs of the world's growing population in an environmentally sustainable fashion is a fundamental challenge facing society today. The surface templates developed through this proposal could be adapted to high-throughput contact printing procedures and could thereby lead to the development of low-cost, high-efficiency photovoltaic cells using polymeric semiconductors. Furthermore, this project will provide interdisciplinary research training to graduate and undergraduate students and this proposal will support training in a lab that is presently ~50% female, and 25% undergraduate.