Self-Assembly of Light Harvesting Films Using Functional Solvents

这个发现计划将探索一种新的方法，使用生物基溶剂，使有序的聚合物纳米结构适合使用气体膨胀液体（GXL）的光捕获。增材制造的复兴正在进行中，例如3D打印和快速成型。然而，目前的方法太慢，并且不能提供光/能量收集中的新兴应用所需的高性能材料特性。对于这些高性能光捕获涂层和设备，包括光伏发光剂和阳极、光催化涂层和温室薄膜;需要使用地球丰富和友好元素的新纳米颗粒（NP）以及控制其组装成有序结构的新方法。目前，需要多步复杂的化学反应来形成NP，稳定它们，然后将它们附着到表面以形成3D有序结构，控制表面拓扑结构的能力较差。在这些方法中，在各种反应/加工步骤中通常需要溶剂以促进NP分散和沉积。然而，目前的溶剂被认为是VOC，其对于工业用途越来越受管制，同时它们也不提供功能并且对NP自组装过程和沉积的控制非常差。

This Discovery program will explore a new methodology using bio-based solvents to make ordered polymer nanostructures suitable for light harvesting using gas-expanded liquids (GXL). A renaissance is underway for additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing and rapid prototyping. However, current approaches are far too slow and do not provide the high performance material properties required for emerging applications in light/energy harvesting. For these high performance light harvesting coatings and devices, including photovoltaic encapsulants and anodes, photocatalytic coatings and greenhouse films; new nanoparticles (NPs) using earth abundant and friendly elements and a new way to control their assembly into ordered structures is required. Currently, multi-step complex chemistries are required to form NPs, stabilize them, then attach them to surfaces to form 3D ordered structures, with a poor ability to control surface topology. In these approaches, a solvent is normally required in the various reaction/processing steps to facilitate NP dispersion and deposition. However, current solvents are considered VOCs, which are becoming increasingly regulated for industrial use, while also they provide no functionality and give very poor control of the NP self-assembly process and deposition.