Scalable low-cost organic photovoltaic devices

用可再生能源取代二氧化碳排放量，关键取决于开发低成本和广泛使用的清洁能源生产途径。基于纳米结构的供体-受体异质结的溶液处理的有机太阳能电池目前为此目的吸引了显著的兴趣。近年来已经报道了有机光伏器件的性能和效率的实质性进展。该项目的重点是将这些实验室规模的效率转化为低成本，可扩展的光伏器件技术的三个关键挑战。具体而言，该项目的三个目标是：（i）开发不含铟和PEDOT的透明导电电极，其与高器件-模块效率和成本有效的放大兼容，以及（ii）开发用于放大高性能有机半导体的新合成方法，以及（iii）将这些材料应用到采用与高产量、低成本制造兼容的处理方法制造的OPV模块中。为了实现这些目标，我们组建了一个高度多学科的团队，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，纳米形态学，器件物理和制造方面具有世界领先的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计划第一阶段重大挑战中取得的重大进展之上，旨在展示具有增强稳定性和降低成本的OPV设备的商业可行生产工艺。

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.