I-Corps: Functionalized metal oxide nano-particles for printable solar cells

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是钙钛矿型太阳能电池技术的进步，使其更容易获得和负担得起更广泛的应用。该项目的创新功能化油墨解决了钙钛矿型太阳能电池制造中的关键挑战，包括降低成本和与太阳能电池组中不同层的兼容性。通过为太阳能电池制造商提供具有成本效益的高质量解决方案，该项目可以促进采用可再生能源技术，最终减少温室气体排放和减少对化石燃料的依赖。该项目的商业影响延伸到钙钛矿型太阳能电池行业的初创公司和老牌公司，因为它使他们能够以更低的成本生产太阳能组件，创造更具竞争力的市场并推动创新。该i-Corps项目基于太阳能电池的功能化金属氧化物电荷传输层的开发，这大大降低了层成本，并促进了溶液阶段的加工。该项目的核心创新是将带有醋酸酯配体的纳米颗粒功能化，允许分散在与钙钛矿型兼容的无水乙醇中，并提供无与伦比的工艺灵活性。这种创新的方法克服了溶剂不相容和加工温度限制的挑战，这些限制了电荷传输层的材料选择。由此产生的分散不仅具有成本效益，而且与低温处理技术兼容，使其成为灵活的太阳能应用的理想解决方案。该项目还探索了功能化氮氧化物作为替代品的潜力，在成本、稳定性和可制造性方面具有类似的优势。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the advancement of perovskite solar cell technology, making it more accessible and affordable for a wider range of applications. The project's innovative functionalized inks address key challenges in perovskite solar cell manufacturing, including cost reduction and compatibility with various layers in the solar cell stack. By offering a cost-effective, high-quality solution for solar cell manufacturers, the project can promote the adoption of renewable energy technologies, ultimately leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and decreased reliance on fossil fuels. The commercial impact of this project extends to startups and established companies within the perovskite solar cell industry, as it enables them to produce solar modules at a lower cost, creating a more competitive market and driving innovation.This I-Corps project is based on the development of functionalized metal-oxide charge transport layers for solar cells, which offer a significant reduction in layer costs and facilitate solution-phase processing. The project's core innovation is the functionalization of nanoparticles with acetate ligands, allowing for dispersion in perovskite-compatible anhydrous ethanol and providing unmatched process flexibility. This innovative approach overcomes the challenges of solvent incompatibility and processing temperature constraints that have limited the choice of materials for charge transport layers. The resulting dispersion is not only cost-effective, but also compatible with low-temperature processing techniques, making it an ideal solution for flexible solar applications. The project also explores the potential of functionalized nitrogen oxide as an alternative, offering similar advantages in cost, stability, and manufacturability.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.