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

NSF可持续能源途径（SEP）计划，在NSF科学，工程和可持续发展教育（SEES）倡议的保护伞下，将支持芝加哥大学的于露萍教授及其同事，加州大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）的杨洋教授及其同事，以及西北大学的陈林教授及其同事的研究计划。这个多学科合作项目的目标是开发具有与非晶无机太阳能电池竞争的功率转换效率的有机太阳能电池。 将合成具有最佳功率转换效率和受控吸收窗口的新型材料（供体和受体材料）。 将进行详细的结构和光谱研究，以探测和理解这些新开发的材料中的激子产生、电荷分离和传输机制，这将为器件制造奠定基础。 将开发新型几何形状的叠层太阳能电池，以最大限度地提高太阳能转化率。 通过与Peter Sinsheimer博士（城市规划）、朱一芳教授（公共卫生）和Timothy Malloy先生（社会影响）的合作，将从环境、健康和经济影响的角度评估有机光伏（OPV）作为可持续能源技术的整体可行性。 与技术传播有关的问题以及与设计、开发和采用新的可持续技术有关的可能的商业、体制、法律的、政策、技术和文化障碍将通过实验和/或基于可行的模型进行评估。 这一合作努力将被用作一个平台，以吸引代表性不足的本科生到可持续能源途径的研究领域。 该项目将为研究生和博士后研究人员提供教育和培训可持续能源途径领域基于系统的研究的绝佳机会。如果该项目成功，将产生替代太阳能收集材料和设备，这些材料和设备可以以环保的方式制造，具有灵活性和低成本。它将改变可再生能源的格局，对经济可持续发展和环境保护产生重大影响。 由此产生的技术可能会渗透到我们的日常生活中，因为它可以用于各种电子设备，如便携式电池充电器，节能计算机显示器和房屋装饰。从事该项目的学生将准备成为可再生能源研究和开发的领导者。

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 geometryies 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.