SEP Collaborative: Development of Economically Viable, Highly Efficient Organic Photovoltaic Solar Cells

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The NSF Sustainable Energy pathways (SEP) Program, under the umbrella of the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative, will support the research program of Prof. Luping Yu and co-workers at the University of Chicago, Prof. Yang Yang and co-workers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and Prof. Lin Chen and co-workers at Northwestern University. The objective of this multidisciplinary collaborative project is to develop organic solar cells with power conversion efficiency competitive with amorphous inorganic solar cells. Novel materials (both donor and acceptor materials) with the best power conversion efficiencies and controlled absorption windows will be synthesized. Detailed structural and spectroscopic studies will be performed to probe and understand exciton generation, charge separation, and transport mechanism in these newly developed materials, which will form the foundation for device fabrication. Novel geometries of tandem solar cells will be developed to maximize solar energy conversion. Close collaborations with active feedback among the team will lead to rapid realization of the research goal.The overall viability of organic photovoltaics (OPV) as a sustainable energy technology will be assessed based on their environmental, health, and economic impacts via collaboration with a Dr. Peter Sinsheimer on urban planning, Prof. Zhu Yifang on public health, and Mr. Timothy Malloy on societal impact. Issues associated with technology diffusion and possible commercial, institutional, legal, policy, technological, and cultural barriers associated with the design, development, and adoption of new sustainable technologies will be evaluated experimentally and/or based on viable models. This collaborative effort will be used as a platform to attract underrepresented undergraduate students to the research area of sustainable energy pathways. The project will provide great opportunity to educate and train graduate students and postdoctoral associates in system-based research in the area of sustainable energy pathways.If this project succeeds, it will result in alternative solar energy harvest materials and devices that can be manufactured in an environmentally friendly approach, with flexibility, and at a low cost. It will change the landscape of renewable energy and exert significant impact on sustainable economic development and environmental protection. The resulting technology may penetrate into our daily life, as it may be used in a wide range of electronic devices like portable battery chargers, energy saving computer displays, and house decorations. Students working on this project will be prepared to become leaders in renewable energy research and development.