go to top scroll for more

Projects


Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/N014022/1
Title Singlet fission in polyenes
Status Completed
Energy Categories Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics) 80%;
Not Energy Related 20%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Dr J Clark
No email address given
Physics and Astronomy
University of Sheffield
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 May 2016
End Date 30 April 2017
Duration 12 months
Total Grant Value £99,445
Industrial Sectors No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Region Yorkshire & Humberside
Programme NC : Physical Sciences
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr J Clark , Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield (100.000%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , University of Oxford (0.000%)
Project Contact , University of Cambridge (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract In current solar cells much of the UV and blue light absorbed is lost as heat, as the energy of the absorbed photon is much higher than the bandgap of the semiconductor material, and therefore the collected electronic energy. One mechanism for harvesting all of the absorbed photon energy is to exploit the 'singlet exciton fission' process which occurs in some organic semiconductors. Singlet fission is a process whereby the primary excited state (singlet exciton) can split into two distinct triplet excitons which can both be harvested. In this way, one absorbed photon creates two collected charges, producing a solar cell with up to 200% quantum efficiency.Singlet fission in polyenes (linear conjugated carbon chains) occurs when there is enough space for two triplet excitons to sit near each other: either on a very long polymer chain, or on two closely spaced neighbouring molecules. Polyenes demonstrate strong photoabsorption in UV-visible region, are solution-processable and demonstrate very efficient and robust singlet fission. They are therefore excellent candidates for singlet fission solar cells. To exploit the singlet fission mechanism and the polyene class of materials, we need better understanding of how to describe singlet fission in polyenes and how to control it through material design. In addition, we urgently need to demonstrate whether the triplet excitons created through singlet fission can be efficiently ionised to create charges. In this project, we will answer these questions using a combination of cutting-edge time-resolved spectroscopic techniques, model samples and high-level theory
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 12/02/19