SOLAR: Designed Electronically Active Interfacial Materials for Polymer Blend Solar Cells

在这个合作项目中，加州大学圣巴巴拉分校的四位科学家将研究在全有机聚合物光伏材料中设计、合成和结合新的“电活性聚合物表面活性剂”（EPS）分子。这项研究的目的是克服一些阻碍其他研究人员基于体异质结系统研究聚合物光伏材料的关键障碍。这项工作将围绕以下三个目标进行组织：(1)开发基于物理的模型和有效的数值方法，用于预测棒状聚合物与多功能共聚物表面活性剂共混物的相分离；(2)利用(1)的设计特征合成新的均聚物和功能嵌段共聚物/低聚物，包括具有中心电子活性片段的p型和n型骨架；(3)表征共混物的形貌作为组分和工艺条件的函数。首席研究员将同时开发太阳能研究方面的多方面教育项目，包括面向高中教师的项目、面向青年科学家的研讨会以及面向研究生的国际合作体验。将太阳能有效地转化为电能可能是可持续地为地球提供动力的最重要手段之一。目前用于将太阳光转化为电能的材料受到效率低和成本高的阻碍。本提案中所提议的这种工作旨在寻找新的替代办法来规避这些问题。特别是，有机聚合物（塑料）光伏材料有望成为传统半导体光伏材料的廉价替代品。除了生产用于太阳能转换的新型材料外，该提案的主要研究人员还希望培养具有跨学科专业知识的新型科学家，为具有挑战性的科学和社会问题做出重大贡献。

In this collaborative project, four scientists at the University of California - Santa Barbara will investigate the design, synthesis and incorporation of new "electroactive polymer surfactant" (EPS) molecules in all-organic polymer photovoltaic materials. The aim of this research is to overcome some of the key stumbling blocks that have plagued other researchers investigating polymer photovoltaic materials, based upon bulk heterojunction systems. The work will be organized around the following three goals: (1) the development of physics-based models and efficient numerical methods for the prediction of phase separation in blends of rod-like polymers with multifunctional copolymer surfactants; (2) the synthesis of new homopolymers and functional block copolymers/oligomers comprising p-type and n-type backbones with a central electronically active moiety, using the design characteristics from (1); and (3) the characterization of the morphology of the blends as a function of composition and process conditions. The Principal Investigators will simultaneously develop a multifaceted educational program in solar energy research, including programs for high-school teachers, workshops for young scientists, and international collaborative experiences for graduate students. Efficient conversion of solar to electrical energy is likely to be one of the most important means of powering the planet in a sustainable way. Current materials for the conversion of sunlight to electricity are hampered by low efficiency and high cost. Work like that proposed in the present proposal seeks to find new alternatives that circumvent these problems. In particular, organic polymer (plastic) photovoltaic materials show promise as inexpensive alternatives to conventional semiconductor photovoltaic materials. Besides producing new kinds of materials for solar energy conversion, the Principal Investigators of this proposal hope to produce new kinds of scientists with the interdisciplinary expertise needed to make significant contributions to challenging scientific as well as societal problems.