Mechanical Behavior of Polymer-Fullerene Blends for Photovoltaic Applications

用于光伏应用的聚合物-富勒烯共混物的机械行为

• 批准号: 1200340
• 负责人: Brendan O'Connor
• 金额: $ 35.98万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-05-01 至 2016-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1200340&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanical; Behavior; Polymer; Fullerene; Blends

This grant provides funding to study relationships between the mechanical behavior and optoelectronic performance of polymer-fullerene blend films for photovoltaic device applications, i.e. solar cells. The principle investigators will consider how morphological features of the blend film affect both the mechanical and electrical properties of the active layers, and how these properties are coupled and modified through material selection and processing conditions. A focus will be on characterizing the mechanical properties and the physical mechanisms of performance variation in devices for different deformation modes. To analyze this system, a combination of experimental and computational investigations will be conducted. The experimental research will combine thin-film mechanics and optoelectronic device measurements along with detailed morphological characterization. A micromechanical model will be developed based on a multi-phase model consisting of pure polymer and fullerene phases, and a miscible phase. A non-linear finite element method will then be applied to integrate the component models.Organic solar cells based on polymer-fullerene heterojunctions are a promising technology to provide renewable energy that is cost competitive with fossil fuel sources. Critical to the commercial success of this technology is the ability to flex the solar cell during both fabrication and operation. If successful, this research will help guide the development of highly flexible and durable organic solar cells with improved performance over current state of the art devices. Determining the fundamental relationships between the mechanical and electrical properties of the polymer-fullerene film will also provide new insights into the role of film morphology in the energy conversion process and suggest processing strategies that maximize device performance. In addition to the research findings, graduate students involved in the grant will be trained in a highly interdisciplinary research environment. The principle investigators will also contribute to an engineering summer camp for high school students that focuses on solar power technologies.

该赠款提供资金来研究用于光伏器件应用（即太阳能电池）的聚合物-富勒烯共混薄膜的机械行为和光电性能之间的关系。主要研究人员将考虑共混薄膜的形态特征如何影响活性层的机械和电气性能，以及如何通过材料选择和加工条件耦合和修改这些性能。重点将在于表征不同变形模式的器件的机械性能和性能变化的物理机制。为了分析该系统，将进行实验和计算研究的结合。实验研究将结合薄膜力学和光电器件测量以及详细的形态表征。将基于由纯聚合物和富勒烯相以及混溶相组成的多相模型开发微机械模型。然后将应用非线性有限元方法来集成组件模型。基于聚合物富勒烯异质结的有机太阳能电池是一种很有前途的技术，可提供可再生能源，其成本与化石燃料来源具有竞争力。该技术在商业上取得成功的关键是能够在制造和运行过程中弯曲太阳能电池。如果成功，这项研究将有助于指导高度灵活和耐用的有机太阳能电池的开发，其性能比当前最先进的设备有所提高。确定聚合物-富勒烯薄膜的机械性能和电性能之间的基本关系也将为了解薄膜形态在能量转换过程中的作用提供新的见解，并提出最大化器件性能的加工策略。除了研究成果外，参与资助的研究生还将在高度跨学科的研究环境中接受培训。主要研究人员还将为高中生工程夏令营做出贡献，该夏令营重点关注太阳能技术。