Scalable, low-cost organic photovoltaic devices

用可再生能源取代二氧化碳排放，在很大程度上取决于发展低成本和广泛可及的清洁能源发电路线。基于纳米结构供体-受体异质结的溶液处理有机太阳能电池目前引起了人们对这一目的的极大兴趣。近年来，有机光电器件在性能和效率方面取得了长足的进步。该项目专注于将这些实验室规模的效率转化为低成本、可扩展的光伏设备技术的三个关键挑战。具体来说，该项目的三个目标是：(i)开发不含铟和PEDOT的透明导电电极，这些电极与高设备模块效率和成本效益的扩大规模相兼容；（ii）开发新的合成方法，以扩大高性能有机半导体的规模；（iii）将这些材料应用于采用与高通量、低成本制造相兼容的加工方法制造的OPV模块。为了实现这些目标，我们组建了一个高度跨学科的团队，包括在无机氧化物电极膜沉积，聚合物合成，加工，薄膜印刷，功能表征，纳米形态，器件物理和制造方面具有世界领先专业知识的学者和行业。该提案直接建立在EPSRC资助的纳米技术和能源大挑战项目第一阶段取得的重大进展的基础上，目标是展示一种商业上可行的OPV设备生产工艺，提高稳定性，降低成本。

The displacement of CO2 emissions by renewable sources of energy critically depends upon the development of low-cost and widely accessible routes to clean energy generation. Solution processed organic solar cells based upon nanostructured donor-acceptor heterojunctions are currently attracting significant interest for this purpose. Substantial advances in the performance and efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices have been reported in recent years. This project focuses on three key challenges for the translation of these lab-scale efficiencies into, low cost, scalable photovoltaic device technologies. Specifically, the three aims of this project are: (i) development of indium and PEDOT -free transparent conducting electrodes which are compatible with high device-module efficiencies and cost effective scale up and (ii) development of new synthetic methods for the scale-up of high-performance organic semiconductors and (iii) the implementation of these materials into OPV modules fabricated employing processing methodologies compatible with high through put, low cost manufacture. To address these aims we have assembled a highly multidisciplinary team comprising academics and industries with world-leading expertise in inorganic oxide electrode film deposition, polymer synthesis, processing, thin-film printing, functional characterization, nanomorphology, device physics and manufacturing. This proposal builds directly on the substantial advances made in our Stage 1 Grand Challenge in Nanotechnology and Energy program funded by EPSRC, targeting the demonstration of a commercially viable production process for OPV devices with enhanced stability and reduced cost.