SGER: Improving the efficiency of conjugated polymer-based photovoltaics with ordered nanoscale morphology

本研究的目的是探索并获得提高有机光伏器件功率转换效率的新途径的基本认识。该方法是通过在基于共轭聚合物的太阳能电池的电子供体和受体层之间创建有序的纳米级界面来改善这种设备中的电荷分离和传输。知识优势：自1995年发现用大块异质结聚合物共混物制备有机光伏并获得相对较高的效率以来，多年来一直致力于开发各种退火方法来改变异质结的形态，作为提高效率的手段。显然，这些基于共混材料自组织的方法已经达到了极限，需要一种新的方法来实现有机光伏的理论效率。最有希望的一种方法是“人为地”在供体层和受体层之间创建有序的纳米级界面。该计划利用自上而下的纳米制造技术，不仅可以生产具有可调性能的有序纳米级形态，而且还可以扩展到未来的高吞吐量卷对卷制造。更广泛的影响：电力效率是决定有机光伏技术是否在未来成为可行的绿色能源的一个重要因素。因此，该计划的成功对可再生能源，可持续环境和社会的关键领域产生了变革性影响。研究生和本科生（包括少数民族学生）都将参与研究。结果将被纳入EECS和MSE部门提供的课程

The objective of this research is to explore and gain fundamental understanding of new ways to increase the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices. The approach is to improve charge separation and transport in such devices by creating ordered nanoscale interface between an electron donor and acceptor layer in a conjugated polymer based solar cell.Intellectual Merit:Since the discovery organic photovoltaic made with bulk heterojunction polymer blend in 1995 that resulted in the relatively high efficiency, major efforts in the past many years have been developing various annealing methods to modify the heterojunction morphology as a means to improve the efficiency. It becomes evident that these approaches based on the self-organization of blend materials are reaching its limit, and a new methodology is needed to realize the theoretical efficiency for the organic photovoltaic. The most promising one is to "artificially" create the ordered nanoscale interface between the donor and acceptor layers. This program exploits a top-down nanofabrication technology that can not only produce ordered nanoscale morphology with tunable properties, but also scalable to high-throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing in the future. Broader Impacts:Power efficiency is an important factor that determines if the organic photovoltaic technology will become a viable green energy in the future. Therefore the success of this program has transformative impact on the critical fields of renewal energy, sustainable environment and the society. Both graduate and undergraduate students (including minority student) will be involved in the research. The results will be incorporated into courses offered in the EECS and MSE departments