International Collaboration in Chemistry: Synergistic Tailoring of Flavins and Quantum Dots for Solar Cell Applications

在这个由化学部和国际科学与工程办公室的大分子，超分子和纳米化学项目资助的美国研究人员与国外同行（ICC）之间的化学国际合作项目中，位于阿默斯特的马萨诸塞州大学的Vincent Rotello开发了组装量子点的新策略，改性聚合物以实现有机光伏系统中的电荷分离。 该方法是使用纳米压印光刻法形成量子点的纳米柱，然后进行后处理以减小颗粒间间距，将这些颗粒与基于黄素的受体大分子接合，然后在有序异质结光伏器件中制造和测试上述化合物。 这项工作包括与Ifor D教授的国际合作。W.英国圣安德鲁斯大学的Samuel英国格拉斯哥大学的格雷姆·库克教授 教授塞缪尔和库克的工作将由工程和物理科学研究理事会（EPSRC）资助。 更广泛的影响包括培养研究生，通过建立美国和英国大学之间的国际合作来加强研究和教育基础设施。 美国PI将通过与麻省大学的LSAMP和SURE REU计划合作，努力扩大代表性不足的群体在科学领域的参与。 基于有机材料的太阳能电池显示出巨大的技术前景，但在低效率和显著的加工问题方面具有显著的缺点。 这项研究将增强我们对有机化合物和无机纳米粒子的整合如何用于捕获光并将其转化为电能的基本理解。 通过开发新的化学成分和加工策略，这项研究可能会导致更容易加工和更便宜的太阳能电池技术。

In this International Collaboration in Chemistry between US Investigators and their Counterparts Abroad (ICC) project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division and the Office of International Science and Engineering, Vincent Rotello of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst develop new strategies for assembling quantum dots to be used with flavin-modified polymers to effect charge separation in organic photovoltaic systems. The approach is to form nanopillars of quantum dots using nanoimprint lithography followed by post-processing to decrease interparticle spacing, to interface these particles with flavin-based acceptor macromolecules, and then to fabricate and test the aforementioned compounds in ordered heterojunction photovoltaic devices. This work includes an international collaboration with Prof. Ifor D. W. Samuel of the University of Saint Andrews, U.K. and Prof. Graeme Cooke of the University of Glasgow, U.K. Profs. Samuel's and Cooke's work will be funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The broader impacts involve training graduate students, enhancing infrastructure for research and education through establishment of an international collaboration between universities in the U.S. and the U.K. The U.S. PI will endeavor to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in science by working with the LSAMP and SURE REU Programs at UMass. Organic material-based solar cells show great technological promise but have significant drawbacks in terms of low efficiencies and significant processing problems. This research will enhance our fundamental understanding about how the integration of organic compounds and inorganic nanoparticles can be used to capture light and turn it into electrical energy. Through development of new chemical components and processing strategies, this research could lead to easier to process and less expensive solar cell technologies.