High Efficiency Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Intimate Hyperbranched Nanocomposite Assemblies

该计划的目标是开发一种创新的方法，以产生高效率的有机？基于由海胆状半导体纳米晶体和与共轭聚合物紧密且永久连接的上转换纳米晶体组成的超支化纳米复合材料组件的无机杂化太阳能电池（即，潜在的变革性研究）。智力上的优点体现在无机海胆样纳米晶体的创新设计和工艺上（即，本发明涉及与共轭聚合物紧密连接的CdSe和上转换CdSe/CdSe），以产生用于可再生能源生产的高效混合太阳能电池，其直接结果是：（a）由于掺入上转换纳米晶体以将吸收光谱扩展到红外范围，（B）从共轭聚合物到海胆样纳米晶体的更快的电荷转移，这归因于通过利用星星-如嵌段共聚物模板，和（c）由于使用各向异性海胆样CdSe纳米晶体（即，它们彼此互连以产生用于快速电荷传输的网络）。更广泛的影响包括在几个层次上强大的纳米科学教育。本科生，特别是那些来自代表性不足的群体，将被招募参加研究项目。PI实验室的高中教师暑期研究将为将纳米材料科学和技术知识转移到高中课堂提供媒介。高中生将通过格鲁吉亚理工学院材料科学与工程学院的年度职业日进一步接触纳米科学。

The objective of this program is to develop an innovative approach to yield high efficiency organic?{inorganic hybrid solar cells based on hyperbranched nanocomposite assemblies composed of sea-urchin-like semiconductor nanocrystals and upconversion nanocrystals that are intimately and permanently connected with conjugated polymers (i.e., potentially transformative research). The intellectual merit is manifested in innovative design and crafting of inorganic sea-urchin-like nanocrystals (i.e., CdSe and upconversion nanocrystal/CdSe) that are closely linked with conjugated polymers to yield high efficiency hybrid solar cells for renewable energy production as a direct consequence of (a) largely increased light harvesting efficiency due to the incorporation of upconversion nanocrystals for expanding the absorption spectrum to infrared range, (b) faster charge transfer from conjugated polymer to sea-urchin-like nanocrystals attributed to intimate interfacial contact between conjugated polymer and nanocrystals enabled by utilizing star-like block copolymer templates, and (c) enhanced pathway for efficient charge transport and longer electron lifetime resulting from the use of anisotropic sea-urchin-like CdSe nanocrystals (i.e., they interconnect one another to yield a network for fast charge transport). The broader impacts include strong nanoscience education across several levels. Undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, will be recruited to participate in the research project. Summer research for high school teachers in the PI's lab will provide a medium for transferring nanomaterials science and technology knowledge to high school classrooms. High school students will further be exposed to nanoscience through annual Career Day in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech.