Self-Assembly of Light Harvesting Films Using Functional Solvents

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This Discovery program will explore a new methodology using bio-based solvents to make ordered polymer nanostructures suitable for light harvesting using gas-expanded liquids (GXL). A renaissance is underway for additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing and rapid prototyping. However, current approaches are far too slow and do not provide the high performance material properties required for emerging applications in light/energy harvesting. For these high performance light harvesting coatings and devices, including photovoltaic encapsulants and anodes, photocatalytic coatings and greenhouse films; new nanoparticles (NPs) using earth abundant and friendly elements and a new way to control their assembly into ordered structures is required. Currently, multi-step complex chemistries are required to form NPs, stabilize them, then attach them to surfaces to form 3D ordered structures, with a poor ability to control surface topology. In these approaches, a solvent is normally required in the various reaction/processing steps to facilitate NP dispersion and deposition. However, current solvents are considered VOCs, which are becoming increasingly regulated for industrial use, while also they provide no functionality and give very poor control of the NP self-assembly process and deposition.