Self-organized nanostructures and transparent conducting electrodes for low cost scaleable organic photovoltaic devices

需要开发廉价的可再生能源，以减少与使用传统化石燃料能源相关的环境影响。在所有可再生能源技术中，太阳能作为世界能源的潜力最大。因此，太阳能光伏(PV)，即将阳光直接转化为电能，预计将在未来的电力供应中发挥重要作用。在这里，我们主要关注基于有机半导体材料的光伏器件的发展。该项目关注于两个被广泛认为是开发低成本、高效和稳定的光伏器件的关键问题：(I)开发作为透明导电电极的低成本替代材料铟锡氧化物(ITO)；(Ii)控制施主-受主界面的纳米形态。该项目将包括设计和合成新的电极材料，并使用分子自组织策略在纳米尺度上控制施主-受主薄膜的形貌，以提供能够以低成本有效地放大的高效有机太阳能电池。该项目还将改善对设备功能的基本理解。这个多学科项目汇集了在金属氧化物电极设计、聚合物合成和制造方面拥有世界领先专业知识的化学家、物理学家、材料科学家和工程师。该项目还涉及与皮尔金顿玻璃、默克化工和英国石油太阳能公司的合作。

The development of cheap renewable energy sources is required to reduce the environmental effects associated with the use of conventional fossil fuel based energy sources. Of all the renewable energy technologies, solar energy has the greatest potential as a world power source. For this reason, solar photovoltaic (PV), the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity, is expected to play a significant role in future electricity supply. Here we focus on the development of photovoltaic devices based upon organic semiconducting materials. This project focusses on two issues that are widely recognized as being key for the development of low-cost efficient and stable photovoltaic devices: (i) the development of low cost alternatives to indium tin oxide (ITO) as the transparent conducting electrode and (ii) control of nanomorphology of the donor-acceptor interface. This project will involve the design and synthesis of new electrode materials and the use of molecular self-organization strategies to control the donor-acceptor film morphology at the nanometre length scale to deliver high efficiency organic solar cell that are capable of being scaled up cost effectively. This project will also lead to an improved fundamental understanding of device function. This multidisciplinary project brings together chemists, physicists, materials scientists and engineers with world-leading expertise in metal oxide electrode design, polymer synthesis and manufacturing. This project also involves collaboration with Pilkington Glass, Merck Chemicals and BP Solar.