Carbon nanomaterials-based composites for hybrid organic photovoltaic devices

全世界对低成本和清洁能源的需求从未像现在这样大，而且随着人口的增加而不断增长。为了应对这一挑战并减少化石燃料消费对环境的影响，从替代能源，特别是太阳能中获取能源至关重要。太阳光转化为电能是通过光伏(PV)过程实现的。然而，为了满足未来的光伏发电需求，需要新的器件概念，并最终需要新的材料系统。太阳能转换的新途径包括低成本的有机光伏电池(OPV)。 尽管OSC的功率转换效率仍远低于基于无机半导体的同类产品，但其他理想的特性，如灵活性和重量轻，使其成为特定利基应用的理想选择，例如集成到建筑物和卫星中。在这些OPV器件中，光伏转换是基于在电子给体和受体材料之间的界面上分离光生电荷，这对电池的光活性层施加了一些限制。我们提出了一个有希望的新方向，通过引入高度各向异性的结构，如碳纳米管，来改善活性层的形貌和电池的效率，这可能有助于电荷向电极的传输。 我们的目标是通过创建一种高效的混合OPV系统，与我们的工业合作伙伴Raymor Nanotech和MPB Technologies Inc.合作，通过光敏有机共轭聚合物来研究碳纳米材料(碳纳米管和石墨烯)的插入。我们的长期目标是开发先进的概念，将这种纳米材料集成到用于太阳能转换的商业设备中。该项目还将有助于培训高素质的人员。

The worldwide demand for low cost and clean energy sources has never been greater and is continuously growing as it scales with population increase. To address this challenge and reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel consumption, it is crucial to harvest energy from alternative sources, especially the sun. Conversion of sunlight into electricity is achieved by the photovoltaic (PV) process. However, to meet future PV power requirements novel device concepts and ultimately new material systems are needed. New approaches for solar energy conversion include organic PV cells (OPVs) that are characterized by low cost. Although the power conversion efficiency of OSCs is still considerably below what is attainable by inorganic semiconductor-based counterparts, other desirable characteristics, such as flexibility and low weight, make them ideal for specific niche applications, such as integration into buildings and satellites. In these OPV devices, PV conversion is based on the separation of photogenerated charges at an interface between electron donor and acceptor materials, which imposes some constraints on the photoactive layer of the cells. We propose a promising new direction to improve the active layer morphology and cell efficiency by the incorporation of highly anisotropic structures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which may facilitate charge transport to the electrodes. We aim to investigate the insertion of carbon nanomaterials (CNTs and graphene), in collaboration with our industrial partners, Raymor Nanotech and MPB technologies Inc., with light sensitive organic conjugated polymers, by creating a high efficiency hybrid OPV system. Our long term objective is the development of advanced concepts for the integration of such nanomaterials into commercial devices for solar energy conversion. This project will also contribute to the training of Highly Qualified Personnel.