Phthalocyanines and analogs for sustainable energy devices.

我在多伦多大学化学工程和应用化学系领导一个多学科研究项目。我的项目重点是分子设计、纳米工程以及将独特的有机材料集成到可持续能源设备中。目标应用一直是有机太阳能电池。有机太阳能电池是一种基于有机材料的能源发电设备，通过零碳足迹的过程将阳光转化为电流。展望未来，我们将继续以几种方式扩大这一调查途径。*一类特定的感兴趣的材料是酞菁及其类似物。酞菁是已知的染料和颜料，作为功能性有机电子材料不断涌现。我们将继续探索亚硼酞菁(BsubPcs)，这是一种环收缩的类似于酞菁的化合物，以利用它们的特性，包括：强大的光吸收，能够捕获约39%的阳光；高电荷导电性和多功能性；以及促进单重态裂变过程的能力，这一过程使从太阳吸收的光的每光子能够产生两个电子/电荷。*我们最近表明，我们的基于BsubPc的有机太阳能电池在多伦多市中心的外部环境中非常稳定。我们将继续在这种环境中评估所有新材料，无论是它们自己还是与BsubPcs配对，以了解分子结构和环境稳定性之间的关系。*我们的初步结果表明，另一种环收缩的酞菁类似物，即四苯并口红(TBC)，在有机太阳能电池中也具有类似的所需特性和功能。这包括捕获剩余约61%的阳光的能力，通过我们所说的免费吸收工程(CAE)，潜在地产生一个黑色“太阳能电池”。我们建议扩大对可以与BsubPcs配对的环收缩类似物的研究，并使其能够从太阳光谱中吸收高能蓝色和较低能量的红色/近红外光子，以制造黑色太阳能电池。*我们还将通过将BsubPcs结合到有机太阳能电池中的真空沉积方法和配对材料的溶液印刷来研究有机太阳能电池的制造技术。这将使我们能够在确定高度稳定的材料(如BsubPcs)后考虑最佳设备制造方法；与围绕特定制造方法进行材料设计形成对比。*我们还将把我们的计划扩展到红外传感器和有机电池。有机电池是一种可持续的能量存储设备，碳足迹最小，完全不存在与锂离子电池相关的易燃危险。

I lead a multidisciplinary research program in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto. The focus of my program is the molecular design, nano-engineering and integration of unique organic materials into sustainable energy devices. The target application has been organic solar cells. Organic solar cells are energy generation devices based on organic materials that facilitate the conversion of sunlight into electrical current through a process with zero carbon footprint. Moving forward we will continue to expand this investigative path in several ways. *** A specific class of materials of interest are phthalocyanines and their analogs. Phthalocyanines are known dyes and pigments that have continually emerged as functional organic electronic materials. We will continue to explore boron subphthalocyanines (BsubPcs) which are ring contracted analogs to phthalocyanines to exploit their properties which include: strong light absorption that enables the capture of ~39% of sunlight; high charge conductivity and multifunctionality; and the ability to facilitate the process of singlet fission, a process that enables the generation of two electrons/electrical charges per photon of light absorbed from the sun.*** We have recently shown our BsubPc based organic solar cells are very stable in the outside ambient environment of downtown Toronto. We will continue to assess all new materials, on their own and paired with BsubPcs, in this environment to understand the relationship between molecular structure and environmental stability.*** We have preliminary results that show an additional ring contracted phthalocyanine analogs known as tetrabenzocorrole (Tbc) also have similar desired properties and functionality within organic solar cells. This includes the ability to capture the remaining ~61% of sunlight, potentially yielding a black' solar cell through what we call complimentary absorption engineering' (CAE). We propose to expand the investigation of ring contracted analogs that can be paired with BsubPcs and enable the absorption of high energy blue and lower energy red/near infrared photons from the sun spectrum with the goal of producing a black' solar cell.*** We will also investigate organic solar cell manufacturing techniques by combining the vacuum deposition method used for incorporating BsubPcs into organic solar cells and the solution printing of paired materials. This will enable us to consider an optimal device manufacturing method after identifying highly stable materials such as BsubPcs; in contrast to designing materials around targeting particular manufacturing methodologies.*** We will also expand our program into infrared sensors and organic batteries. Organic batteries are sustainable energy storage devices with minimal carbon footprint and complete lack of flammability hazard associated with lithium ion batteries.