CAREER: Engineering and Integration of Polymer Electronic Materials for Alternative Energies

职业：替代能源高分子电子材料的工程和集成

• 批准号: 0846245
• 负责人: Kenneth Lau
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: Drexel University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-12-01 至 2015-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0846245&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Engineering; Integration; Polymer; Electronic

0846245LauIntellectual merit: With the increasing need for clean, alternative energies, the sun represents a vast sustainable source. Polymer-based solar cells are seen as an answer that would permit more widespread solar harvesting. However, the performance of polymer-based solar cells has been less than optimal. In bulk heterojunction devices, inefficiencies result from the mismatch of high band gaps of conjugated polymers with the solar spectrum, and generally poor charge generation and charge transport due to structural and morphological defects. Efforts at lowering band gap and improving material properties have been met with challenges in liquid-based processing, such as polymer intractability, solution-induced changes, restrictive synthesis routes, and solvent incompatibilities. In dye-sensitized devices that utilize nanocrystalline titania, inefficiencies result from poor infiltration of polymer electrolytes into the mesoporous titania due to poor wettability and liquid viscosity with polymer solution processing. New processing methods which overcome these problems while preserving the ability to carry out materials design and synthesis could lead to significantly enhanced solar cell performance. This CAREER project aims to bring a new paradigm to polymer thin film processing, and build on the scientific, educational and human resources needed to bring greater solar energy awareness and adoption. The research program aims to make use of initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) technologies to design, synthesize and integrate polymer electronic materials as viable photovoltaic devices. In a single step, iCVD will enable the chemical synthesis and physical deposition of a solid polymer thin film on a substrate by thermally initiating the polymerization of a monomer vapor. By circumventing the liquid phase, solvent-related issues will be avoided. More importantly, iCVD will provide significant freedom in performing advanced materials design through copolymerization, click chemistry and tailored monomers. The specific research aims are to (1) engineer polymer electronic materials as viable photovoltaic materials, (2) integrate polymer electronic materials to create efficient and robust photovoltaic devices, and (3) establish critical processing relationships and reaction mechanisms to enable optimization of solar cell performance.Broader impact: Integrated with the research is an educational program which aims to train future scientists at the graduate and undergraduate levels in photovoltaics technology, and engage Philadelphia high school students and teachers through energy education and solar test stations that will provide students with opportunities to evaluate the long term performance and stability of fabricated solar cells. Additionally, the program will immerse promising high school students from area high school partnerships and Drexel's summer mentorship program in a research experience on materials processing that intends to strengthen interest in science and technology. Minority, underprivileged and underrepresented students will be actively recruited. Further, a new thin films processing course with a focus on photovoltaics and electronics fabrication will be established to further the undergraduate and graduate energy curriculum. Ultimately, this project is motivated by the long term goal of discovering novel environmentally responsive and responsible solutions. Efforts from this work will deliver solutions, knowledge and resources for energy independence, and help build a sustaining scientific program in materials design and processing that will extend beyond alternative energies into emerging areas of biomedicine, fuel cells, energy storage and flexible electronics.

0846245Lauintlectual的优点：随着对清洁，替代能量的需求越来越多，太阳代表了广阔的可持续来源。基于聚合物的太阳能电池被视为一个答案，可以允许更广泛的太阳能收获。但是，基于聚合物的太阳能电池的性能并不是最佳的。在批量的异质结构中，效率低下是由于与太阳光谱的高带隙不匹配，并且由于结构和形态缺陷而导致的电荷产生和电荷转运通常不高。在降低带隙和改善材料特性方面的努力已经面临基于液体加工的挑战，例如聚合物棘手性，溶液引起的变化，限制性合成途径和溶剂不兼容。在利用纳米晶二氧化钛的染料敏化设备中，由于较差的可湿性和液态粘度，通过聚合物溶液处理，聚合物电解质渗透到中孔钛中是由于效率低下而导致的。克服这些问题的同时保留材料设计和合成能力的新处理方法可能会导致太阳能电池性能显着增强。这个职业项目旨在为聚合物薄膜加工带来新的范式，并建立在带来更大的太阳能意识和采用所需的科学，教育和人力资源的基础上。该研究计划旨在利用启动的化学蒸气沉积（ICVD）技术来设计，合成和整合聚合物电子材料作为可行的光伏设备。在一个步骤中，ICVD将通过热启动单体蒸气的聚合来使固体聚合物薄膜的化学合成和物理沉积。通过规避液相，将避免与溶剂相关的问题。更重要的是，ICVD将通过共聚，点击化学和量身定制的单体来执行高级材料设计。具体的研究目的是（1）工程师聚合物电子材料作为可行的光伏材料，（2）整合聚合物电子材料以创建有效且可靠的光伏设备，（3）建立关键的处理关系和反应机制以启用太阳能电池的优化绩效。BROADER的影响：与研究集成的是一项教育计划，旨在培训未来的科学家在光伏技术领域的研究生和本科级别，并通过能量教育和太阳能测试站吸引费城高中生和老师评估制造太阳能电池的长期性能和稳定性。此外，该计划将使有希望的高中生从地区高中伙伴关系和德雷克塞尔的夏季指导计划中浸入有关材料处理的研究经验，该计划旨在增强对科学和技术的兴趣。将积极招募少数群体，贫困和代表性不足的学生。此外，将建立一个新的薄膜处理课程，重点关注光伏和电子制造，以进一步进一步学习本科和研究生能源课程。最终，该项目是由发现新颖的环境响应和负责任的解决方案的长期目标的动机。这项工作的努力将为能源独立性提供解决方案，知识和资源，并帮助建立材料设计和加工中持续的科学计划，该计划将超越替代能源，进入生物医学，燃料电池，能源存储和灵活电子产品的新兴领域。