NIRT-Integration of Photosynthetic Complexes into Novel Biomolecular Electronic Devices

NIRT-将光合复合物整合到新型生物分子电子器件中

• 批准号: 0403781
• 负责人: Barry Bruce
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Tennessee Knoxville
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-08-01 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0403781&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NIRT; Integration; Photosynthetic; Complexes; into

This proposal leading to this award was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 03-043, category NIRT. The award will support the joint efforts of investigators at the University of Tennessee and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who will explore the use of naturally occurring photosynthetic complexes to produce an efficient photovoltaic device (solar cell). Conventional silicon-based (inorganic) solar cells remain costly and energy intensive to manufacture. This has limited the use of photovoltaic devices to much less than 1% of the worldwide supply of energy. Preliminary work by the investigators has shown that bacterial photosynthetic systems, whose overall quantum is nearly 100%, can be joined to amorphous organic semiconductors to produce a functioning device. Although this device has low efficiency, work on stabilization of the membranous structures that hold the photosystem components is expected to lead to devices whose power conversion efficiency can match or exceed that of the best existing silicon-based photovoltaic devices. If successful, this effort could eventually lead to the production of inexpensive solar cells that are flexible and lightweight, and that perform competitively with inorganic semiconductor cells. In addition to these research efforts, the investigators will undertake a multi-tiered education strategy that targets graduate and undergraduate students through research involvement and a variety of graduate-level courses. Outreach efforts aimed at middle school students and their teachers are also planned.

该提案导致这一奖项是收到响应纳米科学和工程倡议，NSF 03 - 043，类别NIRT。 该奖项将支持田纳西大学和马萨诸塞州理工学院的研究人员的共同努力，他们将探索使用天然存在的光合复合物来生产高效的光伏器件（太阳能电池）。 传统的硅基（无机）太阳能电池制造成本高，能源密集。这限制了光伏设备的使用，使其远远低于全球能源供应的1%。研究人员的初步工作表明，细菌光合系统，其总量子接近100%，可以加入到无定形有机半导体中，以产生功能器件。 虽然该装置具有低效率，但对保持光系统组分的膜结构的稳定化的工作预计将导致其功率转换效率可以匹配或超过现有的最佳硅基光伏装置的功率转换效率的装置。 如果成功的话，这一努力最终可能导致生产出廉价的太阳能电池，这些太阳能电池具有灵活性和重量轻，并且与无机半导体电池竞争。 除了这些研究工作外，研究人员还将采取多层次的教育战略，通过研究参与和各种研究生课程，以研究生和本科生为目标。 还计划开展针对中学生及其教师的外联工作。