Exciton Transport and Charge Separation in Organic Solar Cells Visualized with Interface Specific Femtosecond Spectroscopy

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。化学部支持南加州大学(USC)的肖恩·T·罗伯茨(Sean T.Roberts)担任美国化学竞争力研究员。罗伯茨博士将使用先进的飞秒光谱技术研究有机光伏材料中的能量迁移动力学。特别是，他将使用界面敏感光谱仪观察电子供体和电子受体材料之间的界面动力学。罗伯茨博士将与南加州大学的实验科学家以及洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室的理论家合作。为了扩大参与范围，罗伯茨博士将帮助南加州大学为洛杉矶东南部的高中生和社区大学学生启动一个暑期实习项目。洛杉矶东南部是拉美裔学生占很大比例的地区。实习计划将包括学习替代能源技术的课堂和动手实验室工作。像罗伯茨博士这样的研究旨在更好地理解有机光伏如何将阳光中的能量转化为电能。这类研究的最终目标是开发将太阳能转化为电能的改进技术。罗伯茨博士正在进行的扩大参与的努力旨在增加来自代表性不足群体的年轻人对科学的参与。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The Division of Chemistry supports Sean T. Roberts of the University of Southern California (USC) as an American Competitiveness in Chemistry Fellow. Dr. Roberts will study the dynamics of energy migration in organic photovoltaic materials using sophisticated femtosecond spectroscopy techniques. In particular, he will look at the dynamics at the interface between electron-donor and -acceptor materials using interface-sensitive spectroscopies. Dr. Roberts will collaborate with experimental scientists at the University of Southern California as well as with theorists at Los Alamos National Laboratory. For his plan for broadening participation, Dr. Roberts will help launch a summer internship program at USC for high school and community college students in Southeast Los Angeles -- a region with a large percentage of Hispanic students. The internship program will include classroom and hands-on laboratory work studying alternative energy technologies. Research like that of Dr. Roberts is aimed at developing a better understanding of how organic photovoltaics convert energy from sunlight into electricity. The ultimate goal of research like this is to develop improved technology for the conversion of solar energy into electricity. The efforts at broadening participation being pursued by Dr. Roberts are aimed at increasing the participation of young people from underrepresented groups in the sciences.