Higher Efficiency Organic Solar Cells via Continuous Processing under Optimum Shearing Conditions

通过在最佳剪切条件下连续加工获得更高效率的有机太阳能电池

• 批准号: 1635284
• 负责人: Stephanie Lee
• 金额: $ 39.51万
• 依托单位: Stevens Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-01 至 2020-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1635284&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Higher; Efficiency; Organic; Solar; Cells

Every hour the sun provides more than enough energy to satisfy the annual energy requirements of the human population. Full exploitation of this abundant sustainable resource will require efficient means for its economical harvesting. Organic solar cells, which are composed of polymers with various carbon-based additives, are promising vehicles to convert solar energy into electricity on the basis of their flexibility, lightweight nature, and potential for large-area coverage. The conversion efficiencies of current organic solar cells, however, are relatively low and their costs are prohibitively high. The use of high-throughput continuous manufacturing methods, such as inkjet printing and roll-to-roll processing has the potential to reduce the cost of manufacturing. Furthermore, if the organic cell microstructures are favorably controlled during their continuous fabrication, their conversion efficiencies can be increased. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the shearing processes during continuous mixing and deposition of the polymer/additive mixtures so that solar cell structures with greater light conversion efficiencies can be obtained while reducing the manufacturing expense. This multidisciplinary project will serve as a fertile training ground for graduate students and will be integrated into outreach activities for underrepresented groups in science and engineering. Photoactive layers of organic solar cells are comprised of polymer-small molecule nanocomposites, and the crystal size and crystallinity of the small molecule component are critical microstructural factors for light conversion efficiency and long-term stability. This research will investigate how the deformation history applied to polymer-small molecule nanosuspensions prior to and during film deposition affects crystal sizes and nucleation densities of small molecules to impact the efficiency and stability of organic solar cells. This objective will be accomplished by: (1) mapping processing-structure relationships between nanocomposite composition, solution shearing conditions, and resultant small molecule crystallization outcomes; (2) executing a preshearing and coating process that is compatible with industrially-relevant rates to impose target shear histories prior to and during film deposition; and (3) evaluating solar cell performance to determine the effects of small molecule crystallization on light conversion efficiency and stability. By systematically exploring the effects of polymer rheology and processing conditions on the shear induced crystallization of small molecules, mathematical modeling-based design rules will be established to guide the development of continuous processing methods capable of evoking desired crystallization outcomes.

每小时，太阳提供足够的能量来满足人口的年度能源需求。对这种丰富的可持续资源的充分利用将需要有效的经济收获手段。由具有各种碳基添加剂的聚合物组成的有机太阳能电池是有前途的车辆，可以根据其柔韧性，轻巧的性质和大面积覆盖的潜力将太阳能转化为电力。但是，当前有机太阳能电池的转化效率相对较低，其成本较高。使用高通量连续制造方法的使用，例如喷墨打印和滚动处理，有可能降低制造成本。此外，如果有机细胞微观结构在连续制造过程中受到了有利的控制，则可以提高其转化效率。 该项目旨在在连续混合和沉积聚合物/添加剂混合物的过程中对剪切过程的动力学有基本的了解，以便在降低制造费用的同时获得具有更大光转化效率的太阳能电池结构。这个多学科项目将为研究生提供肥沃的培训场，并将纳入科学和工程领域代表性不足的团体的外展活动。有机太阳能电池的光活性层由聚合物 - 小分子纳米复合材料组成，小分子成分的晶体大小和结晶度是光转化效率和长期稳定性的关键微结构因素。这项研究将研究膜沉积之前和期间对聚合物 - 小分子纳米司张的变形历史如何影响小分子的晶体大小和成核密度，以影响有机太阳能电池的效率和稳定性。该目标将通过：（1）纳米复合材料组成，溶液剪切条件和由此产生的小分子结晶结果之间的映射处理结构关系； （2）执行与与工业相关的速率兼容的预涂层和涂层过程，以在膜沉积之前和期间施加目标剪切历史； （3）评估太阳能电池性能，以确定小分子结晶对光转化效率和稳定性的影响。通过系统地探索聚合物流变学和加工条件对剪切诱导的小分子结晶的影响，将建立基于数学建模的设计规则，以指导能够唤起所需结晶结果的连续加工方法的发展。

项目成果

Crystallization-Arrested Viscoelastic Phase Separation in Semiconducting Polymer Gels

• DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.8b00195
• 发表时间: 2018-11
• 期刊: ACS Applied Polymer Materials
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: Jing He;Xiaoqing Kong;Yuhao Wang;Michael Delaney;D. Kalyon;Stephanie S. Lee