Organic Solar Cells for Outer Space with Improved Performance and Radiation Hardness by a High Throughput Artificial Intelligence Guided Approach

空间通信技术是一个正在迅速扩大的市场。卫星，特别是在近地轨道上，由光伏板供电，其关键优点是运输过程中的重量和空间消耗，以及运行中的辐射硬度。目前的技术依赖于刚性Si模块，不超过1w /g的比功率。在这个项目中，我们开发了基于高性能有机光伏的太阳能组件。它们将是灵活的，达到20 W/g以上的比功率（模块为50 W/g）和出色的辐射，可能使低地球轨道的运行寿命长达40年，在运输方面带来决定性的成本优势。这一目标是由有机合成和高能光物理、光伏技术以及封闭循环高通量人工智能指导优化的专家组合作实现的。我们将部署具有系统变化化学结构的大型有机电子供体和受体材料库。我们将研究每种材料在伽马射线照射下的光降解机理（自由基形成、交联、断裂和自愈）。使用最先进的机器学习技术，即基于核的非线性回归和可解释的神经网络，我们将识别导致光降解的结构基元和其他促进自我修复的结构基元。基于这一见解，我们将合成具有最大辐射硬度的优化供体和受体材料，同时满足高性能光伏（低前沿轨道偏移，低重组能）的要求。利用这些光活性材料，我们将建造光伏设备，并估计在低地球轨道条件下的运行寿命（初始功率输出的80%）。此外，我们将对辐射稳定和光透明的电极涂层、电荷传输层、粘合剂和封装进行优化，以确保太阳能电池在电离辐射的影响下稳定运行。我们的联盟由各自领域的顶尖人士组成，结合了实现目标所需的全部专业知识，并依靠以往成功的合作。Pavel Troshin的团队以设计和合成有机半导体材料以及研究不同应力因素引起的降解途径而闻名。Christoph Brabec的团队是光伏高通量器件配方和表征领域的领导者之一。由Christoph Brabec领导，Hans Joachim Egelhaaf管理的未来太阳能工厂目前保持着有机光伏组件效率的世界纪录。该项目将整合双方在实验、技术和人工智能方面的能力，将双方的成功合作提升到一个新的水平。

Communication technologies in space is a strongly expanding market. Satellites, typically in low earth orbits, are powered by photovoltaic panels whose critical figures of merit are weight and space consumption during transport, and radiation hardness in operation. Current technology relies on rigid Si modules, not exceeding a specific power of 1 W/g. In this project, we develop solar modules based on high performance organic photovoltaics. They will be flexible, reach a specific power above 20 W/g (> 5W/g for modules) and excellent radiation potentially enabling operational lifetimes up to 40 years in low earth orbits, bringing a decisive cost advantage in transportation.This goal is reached by a collaboration of expert groups in organic synthesis and high energy photophysics, photovoltaics technology, and closed cycle high throughput artificial intelligence guided optimization.We will deploy a large library of organic electron donor and acceptor materials with systematically varied chemical structure. We will study the detailed mechanisms of photodegradation under gamma radiation exposure of each material (radical formation, cross-linking, fragmentation and self-healing). Using state of the art machine learning techniques, namely kernel based nonlinear regression and interpretable neural networks, we will identify structural motifs causing photodegradation and others promoting self-healing. Based on this insight, we will synthesize optimized donor and acceptor materials with maximized radiation hardness that at the same time match requirements for high performance photovoltaics (low frontier orbital offset, low reorganization energy).Using these photoactive materials, we will build photovoltaic devices and estimate the operational lifetime under low earth orbit conditions (80% of initial power output). Furthermore, we will perform optimization of radiation-stable and light-transparent electrode coatings, charge-transport layers, adhesives and encapsulation that ensure stable operation of solar cells under the influence of ionizing radiation.Our consortium, composed of top performers in their respective fields, combines the full expertise needed to achieve the goals and counts on previous successful collaborations. The team of Pavel Troshin is renowned for design and synthesis of organic semiconductor materials and investigation of their degradation pathways caused by different stress factors. The group of Christoph Brabec is among the leaders in the field of high throughput device formulation and characterization in photovoltaics. The Solar Factory of the Future, directed by Christoph Brabec and managed by Hans Joachim Egelhaaf, currently holds the world record for efficiency in organic photovoltaic modules. This project will integrate their capacities in experimentation, technology and artificial intelligence, bringing their successful collaboration to a new level.