Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | EP/G065187/1 | |
| Title | Materials World Network: Hybrid photoconductors for high-efficiency photovoltaic cells | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry) 25%; PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics) 25%; PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 50%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Dr J de Mello No email address given Chemistry Imperial College London |
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| Award Type | Standard | |
| Funding Source | EPSRC | |
| Start Date | 01 September 2009 | |
| End Date | 31 August 2012 | |
| Duration | 36 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £1 | |
| Industrial Sectors | No relevance to Underpinning Sectors | |
| Region | London | |
| Programme | Physical Sciences | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Dr J de Mello , Chemistry, Imperial College London (100.000%) |
| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | ||
| Abstract | MATERIALS WORLD NETWORK: HYBRID PHOTOCONDUCTORS FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLSThe Georgia Institute of Technology in collaboration with Imperial College London proposes a program to advance the science of hybrid organic/inorganic photovoltaic devices The development of efficient and stable organic solar cells is a challenging task that requires major advances in materials chemistry, device physics and engineering. There is a clear need to achieve higher energy-conversion efficiencies without sacrificing economic viability. The focus of this program is to gain an understanding of how changing the size, shape and surface functionalisation of the dopant nanoparticles affects the performance of hybrid solar cell systems. The objective is to find an optimal balance between maximizing the absorption of absorbed photons and minimizing internal conversion losses and to develop an understanding of the influence of the organic capping agents on device performance.Our proposed research is highly multidisciplinary and combines experimental and theoretical approaches. The fundamental science and engineering questions we are going to study in this program include: (i) the development of automated microfluidic reactors for the synthesis of various II-VI and III-V nanoparticles that emit in the visible or NIR; (ii) the influence of conjugated surfactants, including conjugated self assembled monolayers (SAMs), on energy and/or charge transfer processes from the host semiconductor; (iii) the effects of nanoparticle surface traps and chemical bonding interactions introduced by the surfactant capping layers on the operation of hybrid organic/inorganic nanoparticle solar cells and their stability.Our research plan is comprised of the following main tasks: i) Synthesis of high quality defect-free nanoparticles of controllable size and chemical composition by the use of microfluidic reactors, including in-line and off-line characterization of the nanoparticle quality; ii) Capping of the nanoparticles and characterization of the capping layer and its effect on the charge and/or energy transfer from the host; iii) Modeling, fabrication, and characterization of bulk heterojunction hybrid organic/inorganic nanoparticle semiconductor thin-film photovoltaic devices. Tasks i) and ii) will be lead by Imperial College while task iii) will be lead by Georgia Tech | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 11/11/11 | |
