Well defined graphene nanoribbons as active components for solar cells

该研究项目的长期目标是开发用于聚合物基体异质结太阳能电池（BHJSC）的新型n型碳纳米材料，以取代目前用于最先进太阳能电池的PCBM。随着更高效的n型材料，BHJSC将成为一个可行的替代传统的硅太阳能电池的各种类型的applications.The策略提出在这个建议是基于从石墨烯纳米带（GNRs）和半导体单壁碳纳米管（s-SWNTs）的纳米复合材料的制备。我们的团队选择GNR/s-SWNT纳米复合材料来取代BHJSC中使用的众所周知的n型材料PCBM，以克服其与光伏器件相关的主要缺点，例如辐照稳定性低，电荷传输性能差和太阳光吸收差。我们提出，将具有优异电子性能和高纵横比的GNRs和s-SWNT等碳纳米材料组合使用，将提高器件效率，从而使此类器件更接近商业化。该项目福尔斯正好属于先进制造-量子材料：将石墨烯或石墨烯类材料集成到器件中。事实上，该项目的三个主要部分是：1）通过新开发的方法合成和表征可溶液加工的石墨烯纳米带（GNR）; 2）GNR/s-SWNT纳米复合材料的制备和3）使用GNR/s-SWNT纳米复合材料作为n型材料制造基于聚合物的BHJSC。该项目将由四个合作伙伴进行，两个学者（JF Morin和M Leclerc）和两个工业（Raymor Industries Inc.）。和Brilliant Matters），将密切合作，以实现目标，并确保我们的工业合作伙伴可以实施该项目中开发的新材料的制备，并最终从中生产出可商业化的产品。我们将开发的技术不仅会引起太阳能电池和半导体聚合物生产商的兴趣，而且会引起电子领域任何公司的兴趣，从而使我们的技术对许多最终用户有用。

The long-term objective of this research project is to develop new n-type carbon nanomaterials for polymer-based bulk heterojunction solar cells (BHJSCs) to replace the PCBM, which is currently use in state-of-the-art solar cells. With more efficient n-type materials, BHJSCs will become a viable alternative to traditional silicon solar cells for various types of applications.The strategy presented in this proposal is based on the preparation of nanocomposites from graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs). GNR/s-SWNT nanocomposites have been chosen by our team to replace PCBM, a well-known n-type material used in BHJSCs, in order to overcome its major drawbacks related to photovoltaic devices such as low stability upon irradiation, poor charge transport properties and poor sunlight absorption. We propose that a combination of carbon nanomaterials such as GNRs and s-SWNTs with proven, excellent electronic properties and high aspect ratio will lead to better device efficiency, thus bringing this type of device closer to commercialization.This project falls right into Advanced Manufacturing - Quantum Materials: Integration of graphene or graphene-like materials into devices. In fact, the three major parts of this project are: 1) Synthesis and characterization of solution-processable graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) through a newly developed method ; 2) Preparation of GNRs/s-SWNT nanocomposites and 3) Fabrication of polymer-based BHJSCs using GNR/s-SWNT nanocomposites as n-type materials. This project will be conducted by four partners, two academics (JF Morin and M Leclerc) and two industrials (Raymor Industries Inc. and Brilliant Matters), that will work in close collaboration to meet the objectives and to make sure that the preparation of the new materials developed in this project could be implemented by our industrial partners to eventually make commercializable products out of them. The technology that we will develop will not only be of interest for solar cells and semiconducting polymers producers, but also to any companies involved in the electronics area, thus making our technology useful to plenty of end-users.