High Efficiency Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Intimate Hyperbranched Nanocomposite Assemblies

该计划的目标是开发一种创新的方法来生产高效的有机{无机混合太阳能电池，该电池基于由海胆状半导体纳米晶体和上转换纳米晶体组成的超支化纳米复合材料组件，这些纳米晶体与共轭聚合物紧密并永久地连接在一起(即潜在的变革性研究)。智能优点体现在与共轭聚合物紧密相连的无机海胆状纳米晶体(即，CdSe和上转换纳米晶体/CdSe)的创新设计和工艺中，以产生用于可再生能源生产的高效混合太阳能电池，其直接结果是：(A)由于加入上转换纳米晶体以将吸收光谱扩展到红外范围，大大提高了光收集效率，(B)由于通过利用星形嵌段共聚模板使得能够在共轭聚合物和纳米晶体之间进行紧密的界面接触，以及(C)由于使用各向异性海胆状的CdSe纳米晶(即，它们相互连接以产生快速电荷传输网络)，从而增强了有效的电荷传输和更长的电子寿命的途径。更广泛的影响包括在几个层面上开展强有力的纳米科学教育。本科生，特别是那些来自代表不足的群体的学生，将被招募参与研究项目。PI实验室为高中教师进行的暑期研究将提供一种将纳米材料科学技术知识转移到高中课堂的媒介。通过佐治亚理工学院材料科学与工程学院一年一度的职业日，高中生将进一步接触纳米科学。

The objective of this program is to develop an innovative approach to yield high efficiency organic?{inorganic hybrid solar cells based on hyperbranched nanocomposite assemblies composed of sea-urchin-like semiconductor nanocrystals and upconversion nanocrystals that are intimately and permanently connected with conjugated polymers (i.e., potentially transformative research). The intellectual merit is manifested in innovative design and crafting of inorganic sea-urchin-like nanocrystals (i.e., CdSe and upconversion nanocrystal/CdSe) that are closely linked with conjugated polymers to yield high efficiency hybrid solar cells for renewable energy production as a direct consequence of (a) largely increased light harvesting efficiency due to the incorporation of upconversion nanocrystals for expanding the absorption spectrum to infrared range, (b) faster charge transfer from conjugated polymer to sea-urchin-like nanocrystals attributed to intimate interfacial contact between conjugated polymer and nanocrystals enabled by utilizing star-like block copolymer templates, and (c) enhanced pathway for efficient charge transport and longer electron lifetime resulting from the use of anisotropic sea-urchin-like CdSe nanocrystals (i.e., they interconnect one another to yield a network for fast charge transport). The broader impacts include strong nanoscience education across several levels. Undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, will be recruited to participate in the research project. Summer research for high school teachers in the PI's lab will provide a medium for transferring nanomaterials science and technology knowledge to high school classrooms. High school students will further be exposed to nanoscience through annual Career Day in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech.