Using and Understanding Forster Resonance Energy Transfer in Organic Polymer Based Solar Cells

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This project is jointly funded by the Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM) and the Solid State and Materials Chemistry (SSMC) Programs, both in the Division of Materials Research (DMR).Non-technical Description: There is a great need for new energy sources, and solar cells are one of the potential solutions. This project aims to provide the scientific foundation for the development of new high-efficiency organic solar cells, which are made from inexpensive and sustainable materials that are easy to manufacture. Specifically, this project explores how the incorporation of additional tailor-made components to more common organic solar cell structures affects the properties of the devices. These components have been shown to increase solar cell efficiency, and this research focusses on understanding how this improvement occurs. The elucidation of how these components operate allows the team to rationally design new materials for incorporation into solar cells. A number of undergraduates, two graduate students and one post-doctoral researcher are involved in the research project and trained in both chemistry and materials science. Outreach to K-12 students includes local school students' visiting research laboratories at Yale, as well as lectures and demonstrations at local schools about solar cells and alternative energy.Technical Description: This project explores the hypothesis that the addition of one or more types of dye molecules to simple binary donor/acceptor polymer solar cells can increase the spectral absorption range of the device and enhance exciton harvesting by facilitating Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). The hypothesis is being verified through the investigation of the photophysical and structural properties of the ternary and higher order devices using a range of techniques including ultrafast optical spectroscopy, microscopy and wide-angle X-ray scattering. The key issues addressed in this research project include the effects of the dye molecules on the recombination rate, the photon absorption efficiency, and device morphology. This fundamental materials study is expected to lead to the rational design of new dye molecules and polymers with desired properties.