EAGER: Bioinspired Electrets for Solar-Energy-Conversion Applications

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。0935995 VullevThis项目将进行基础研究，旨在控制电荷如何通过光伏设备移动。其目的是生产合成驻极体-非导电材料，是磁铁的静电等效物。驻极体可以被设计为改善电荷的流动，从而使太阳能电池更有效，因此具有成本效益。智力成果：通过这个EAGER探索性项目，我们将采用一种新的设计分子驻极体的方法。这些设计将基于自然界中发现的分子，但与生物学对应物相比，合成驻极体将具有上级电子特性。因此，它们将被证明对太阳能转换应用非常有益。对一系列新设计的驻极体的实验和计算研究将揭示它们的电子特性。超快时间分辨光谱研究将使我们能够表征它们控制电子运动和方向的能力。我们将选择最有前途的分子驻极体的性能和实现它们到设备。对这些器件的比较研究将使我们能够确定合成驻极体用于太阳能电池应用的可行性。在过去，研究人员试图通过模仿生物过程来制造驻极体。该项目代表了从仿生方法到生物启发合成的转变。这种对更好的驻极体需求的生物工程方法代表了该项目的变革性质，以及它对开发负担得起的高效光伏能源的重要性。更广泛的影响：该项目将推进太阳能到电能转换的技术状态。作为整流纳米系统的生物启发驻极体的研究结果不仅将扩大光伏器件的发展，而且还将扩大能源转换应用所必需的新型有机电子产品的发展。该项目将支持一名研究生，并将通过NSF资助的项目（DBI 0731660）为本科生参与提供研究基础。利用我们在当地高中和中学的推广和教育活动的经验，我们将让一名高中生和一名科学教师参与暑期研究。太阳能转换主题提供了基础科学和应用工程之间的联系，对于招募和培养具有不同背景和兴趣的学生非常有用。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).0935995VullevThis project will undertake basic research aimed at controlling how electrical charge moves through photovoltaic devices. The objective is to produce synthetic electrets - non-conductive materials that are the electrostatic equivalent of magnets. Electrets can be designed to improve the flow of charges, and thus make solar cells more efficient and, therefore, cost-effective. Intellectual Merit: Through this EAGER exploratory project, we will adopt a new way of designing molecular electrets. The designs will be based on molecules found in nature, but the synthetic electrets will have superior electronic properties, in comparison with their biological counterparts. As such, they will prove immensely beneficial for solar-energy-conversion applications. Experimental and computational investigation of a series of newly designed electrets will reveal their electronic properties. Ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopic studies will allow us to characterize how well they control the movement and direction of electrons. We will select the molecular electrets with the most promising performance and implement them into devices. Comparative studies of such devices will allow us to determine the feasibility of the synthetic electrets for solar-cell applications. In the past, researchers have attempted to manufacture electrets by mimicking biological processes. This project represents a shift from such biomimetic approaches to bio-inspired synthesis. This bioengineering approach to the need for better electrets represents the transformative nature of the project, and the significance it can have on the development of affordable and efficient photovoltaic energy sources. Broader Impacts: The project will advance the state of technology in solar-to-electrical energy conversion. The findings from the work on bioinspired electrets as rectifying nanosystems will broaden the development not only of photovoltaic devices, but also of novel types of organic electronics essential for energy-conversion applications. This project will support one graduate student, and it will provide a research basis for undergraduate student participation via an NSF-funded program (DBI 0731660). Using our experience with outreach and educational activities with local high schools and middle schools, we will involve a high-school student and a science teacher in summer research. Solar-energy-conversion topics that provide liaison between basic science and applied engineering are immensely instrumental for recruiting and training students with diverse background and interests.