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

在美国国家科学、工程和教育促进可持续发展计划(SEES)的框架下，美国国家科学基金会可持续能源路径(SEP)计划将支持芝加哥大学的余路平教授及同事、加州大学洛杉矶分校的杨阳教授及同事、西北大学的陈林教授及同事的研究计划。这一多学科合作项目的目标是开发具有与非晶态无机太阳能电池相媲美的电能转换效率的有机太阳能电池。具有最佳功率转换效率和可控吸收窗口的新型材料(施主和受主材料)将被合成。将进行详细的结构和光谱研究，以探索和了解这些新开发的材料中激子的产生、电荷分离和输运机制，这将为器件制造奠定基础。串联太阳能电池的新几何结构将被开发出来，以最大限度地提高太阳能转换效率。有机光伏(OPV)作为一种可持续能源技术的总体可行性将根据其对环境、健康和经济的影响进行评估，具体方法是与城市规划的Peter Sinshimer博士、公共卫生的朱逸芳教授和社会影响的Timothy Malloy先生合作。与技术传播相关的问题，以及与设计、开发和采用新的可持续技术相关的可能的商业、制度、法律、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，吸引未被充分代表的本科生进入可持续能源途径的研究领域。该项目将为研究生和博士后提供在可持续能源途径领域进行系统研究的教育和培训机会。如果该项目成功，它将产生可替代的太阳能收集材料和设备，可以以环境友好的方法制造，具有灵活性和低成本。它将改变可再生能源的面貌，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，因为它可能会用于各种电子设备，如便携式电池充电器、节能电脑显示器和家居装饰。从事这个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.