Carbon Nanotubes: Building Blocks for Power Textiles

根据美国国家可再生能源机构的数据，利用目前的太阳能技术，屋顶太阳能有可能满足美国39%的能源需求；事实上，如果我们把照射到地球表面的太阳辐射能转换成一个小时，就可以满足世界每年的能源需求。然而，在世界范围内，目前基于晶体硅技术的标准光伏组件的成本没有足够的竞争力来取代占主导地位但正在缓慢消耗的化石燃料资源。加拿大需要开发一种既高效又低成本的太阳能技术。此外，健康监测和娱乐领域的可穿戴技术已经引领了高科技应用，并以指数级的速度增长。考虑到当今社会的需求，可穿戴设备必须能够承受由弯曲、扭曲、拉伸和随机暴露条件引起的强烈外部压力。可穿戴技术中的刚性电路板已经达到了其实际可行性的极限。我们的研究小组专注于溶液处理的半导体碳纳米管（CNTs）。我们建议使用这种技术来解决这两个挑战，使用一种创新的材料处理策略，这将允许碳纳米管被用作低成本高效率光伏电池的基石，这些光伏电池可以完全集成为纺织品的电源，即动力纺织品。碳纳米管的性能高度依赖于它们被包裹的方向和扭曲程度，因此非常可调。碳纳米管可以是金属的，也可以是半导体的，它们的带隙在0到2ev之间。只需80纳米厚的薄膜，碳纳米管就能吸收整个太阳的辐射光谱。除了具有优异的电学和光学性能外，碳纳米管还具有无与伦比的机械性能。我们相信我们有能力成为第一个制造高效可扩展的碳纳米管太阳能结的公司。我们还计划首次利用碳纳米管的机械顺应性来制造第一个可扩展的纺织集成光伏结，即电力纺织品。该项目将对碳纳米管在光转换应用中的潜力产生科学见解，并将导致太阳能和可穿戴电子产品领域的创新。它将支持7名高素质人才，他们将在具有潜在国际合作的包容性跨学科环境中接受培训。

According to the US National Renewable Energy Rooftop solar energy has the potential to deliver 39% of the US energy demand using current solar technology; in fact, if we convert the radiant solar energy hitting the earth's surface for only one hour, we would meet the world's yearly energy demand. However, largely around the world, the present cost of standard photovoltaic modules based on crystalline silicon technology is not competitive enough to replace the dominant but slowly depleting fossil fuels resources. Canada needs to develop a solar technology that is at the same time efficient and low in cost. Furthermore, wearable technology in health monitoring, and entertainment have led to high-tech applications and are growing at an exponential pace. With today's society needs in mind, wearable devices must survive vigorous external stresses caused by flexing, twisting, stretching and exposure to random conditions. Rigid circuit boards in wearable technology are reaching the limits of their practical feasibility. Our research group is focusing on solution-processed semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs). We propose to use this technology to address these two challenges using an innovative materials processing strategy which will allow CNT's to be used as building blocks for low cost high efficiency photovoltaics that can be fully integrated as a power source in textiles, i.e. power textiles. The properties of CNTs are highly dependent on the direction and the degree of twist they are wrapped in and are thus extremely tunable. CNTs can either be metallic or semiconducting, with their bandgap ranging from 0 to 2 eV. With just as little as 80 nm thick films, CNTs can absorb the entirety of the sun's radiation spectrum. In addition to their exceptional electrical, and optical properties, CNTs possess unmatched mechanical properties. We believe that we are well placed to be the first to fabricate a highly efficient scalable carbon nanotube based solar junction. We also plan to leverage the mechanical compliance of carbon nanotubes for the first time to fabricate the first scalable textile-integrated photovoltaic junction, i.e. power textiles. This project will generate scientific insights on the potential of carbon nanotubes in light conversion applications and will lead to innovations in the field of solar energy and wearable electronics. It will support 7 highly qualified personnel who will be trained in an inclusive interdisciplinary environment with potential international collaboration.