Interdigitated Heterojunctions with Self-Aligned Conducting Polymer Nanowires for High Efficiency Photovoltaics

0967789 Luo有机聚合物光伏（PV）电池是一种可持续的、潜在的、具有成本效益的太阳能转化为电能的设备平台。 然而，目前聚合物太阳能光伏器件的太阳能转换效率仍然只有6%左右。 限制聚合物太阳能电池性能的一个基本问题是在实现高效率的光吸收，激子解离，和自由电子扩散到catheter.Intellectual MeritIn这项研究中，自对准，电化学生长，导电聚合物纳米线将被用来创建一个有序的，叉指，施主-受主异质结，有可能大大提高光伏效率的差距。 第一个目标是了解自对准导电聚合物纳米线和纳米多孔聚合物的电化学沉积过程中的生长，以控制纳米线的尺寸和密度。 第二个目标是光学和电学特性这些材料，然后建立生长条件和纳米线性能之间的相关性。第三个目标是制造和测试导电聚合物、基于纳米线的叉指型异质结光伏器件。 预计这些研究将建立器械性能参数与材料/器械制备条件之间的基本关系。 拟议的研究具有潜在的变革性，因为它旨在开发一种制造低成本，高效率聚合物光伏器件的新方法。 此外，拟议的研究有可能提高对导电聚合物纳米材料生长机制的基本理解，因此有可能为有机光电子学开辟新的机会。更广泛的影响拟议的教育和外展活动侧重于课程开发和高中教师培训。 研究成果将纳入卡内基梅隆大学（CMU）的光电和纳米电子器件课程。首席研究员将使用CMU的伦纳德Gelfand服务学习和推广中心为纳米科学的高中教师提供培训/教育计划，在那里他们将获得纳米科学的实践经验，并学习如何将这些概念带入课堂。 教师将获得培训/教育学分。

0967789LuoOrganic polymer based photovoltaic (PV) cells are a sustainable and potentially cost-effective device platform for the conversion of solar energy to electricity. However, the solar energy conversion efficiency of current polymeric solar PV devices is still only around 6%. A fundamental issue that limits the performance of polymeric solar cells is the disparity in achieving high efficiencies for light absorption, exciton dissociation, and free electron diffusion towards the cathode.Intellectual MeritIn this research, self-aligned, electrochemically grown, conducting polymer nanowires will be used to create an ordered, inter-digitated, donor-acceptor heterojunction that has the potential to substantially increase photovoltaic efficiency. The first objective is to understand the growth of self-aligned conducting polymer nanowires and nano-porous polymers by an electrochemical deposition process, in order to control nanowire dimension and density. The second objective is to optically and electrically characterize these materials, and then establish a correlation between growth conditions and nanowire properties. The third objective is to fabricate and test a conducting polymer, nanowire based, interdigitated heterojunction photovoltaic device. These studies are expected to establish fundamental relationships between device performance parameters and material / device preparation conditions. The proposed research is potentially transformative because it seeks to develop a new approach for the fabrication of low-cost, high-efficiency polymeric photovoltaic devices. Furthermore, the proposed research has the potential to improve basic understanding of nanoscale material growth mechanisms for conducting polymers, and therefore has the potential to open up new opportunities for organic optoelectronics. Broader ImpactThe proposed education and outreach activities focus on course development and training of high school teachers. Research outcomes will be integrated a course on optoelectronic and nanoelectronic devices at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). The principal investigator will use the Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach at CMU to deliver a training/education program for high school teachers in nanoscience, where they will receive hands-on experience in nanoscence and learn how to bring these concepts into the classroom. Teachers will receive training/education credit hours.