The SUPERGEN Excitonic Solar Cells Consortium

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor LM Peter
Chemistry
University of Bath

Standard

EPSRC

01 April 2005

31 March 2009

48 months

£1,095,676

Energy

South West

Infrastructure and Environment -- Process Environment and Sustainability

Professor LM Peter, Chemistry, University of Bath

Professor D C Bradley, Department of Physics (the Blackett Laboratory), Imperial College London
Professor JC De Mello, Chemistry, NTNU (Norwegian Uni of Sci & Technology)
Professor J Durrant, Chemistry, Imperial College London
Professor Sir R Friend, Physics, University of Cambridge
Dr N Greenham, Physics, University of Cambridge
Professor TS Jones, Chemistry, University of Warwick
Professor J Nelson, Department of Physics (the Blackett Laboratory), Imperial College London
Dr N Robertson, Sch of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh
Dr L Yellowlees, College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh

Project Contact, Cambridge Display Technology Ltd

Conventional solar cells are based on light absorption be semiconductors such as silicon. Fabrication of these cells usually involves high temperature routes, which is wasteful in terms of energy. A new class of solar cells based on organic materials is exciting increasing interest because they can be processed by the same low temperature techniques that are used to prepare flexible organic light emitting diodes, for example. The devices are called excitonic solar cells because light absorptioncreates electronically excited molecular states (excitons) that can break up to form electrons and holes at interfaces. The processes og light absorption and electrical power generatiuon in these cells have much in common with photosynthesis. So far the cells lag behind their older conventional counterparts, but the potential for development and optimisation is enormous since a wide range of organic materials with desired properties can be obtained by targeted chemical synthesis. This proposalbrings together four leading research groups in a concerted effort to develop existing organic solar cells and to explore new types. The consortium combines expertise in the key areas of materials synthesis (dyes, organic polymers, quantum dots), cell fabrication and device characterisatioin, and the research programme will explore several promising avenues

01/01/07