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The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission." (Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of so-called single junction solar cells, which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices. But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Producing the twin charges on a single polymer molecule, in contrast, results in a material that's compatible with a much wider variety of industrial processes.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission." (Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of so-called single junction solar cells, which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices. But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Producing the twin charges on a single polymer molecule, in contrast, results in a material that's compatible with a much wider variety of industrial processes.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
"Critically, we show
how this multiplication process can be made efficient on a single
molecular polymer chain," said physicist Matthew Sfeir, who led the
research at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials, a DOE
Office of Science User Facility. Having the two charges on the same
molecule means the light-absorbing, energy-producing materials
don't have to be arrayed as perfect crystals to produce extra
electrical charges. Instead, the self-contained materials work
efficiently when dissolved in liquids, which opens the way for a wide
range of industrial scale manufacturing processes, including "printing"
solar-energy-producing material like ink.
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
"Critically, we show
how this multiplication process can be made efficient on a single
molecular polymer chain," said physicist Matthew Sfeir, who led the
research at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials, a DOE
Office of Science User Facility. Having the two charges on the same
molecule means the light-absorbing, energy-producing materials
don't have to be arrayed as perfect crystals to produce extra
electrical charges. Instead, the self-contained materials work
efficiently when dissolved in liquids, which opens the way for a wide
range of industrial scale manufacturing processes, including "printing"
solar-energy-producing material like ink.
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
"Critically, we show
how this multiplication process can be made efficient on a single
molecular polymer chain," said physicist Matthew Sfeir, who led the
research at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials, a DOE
Office of Science User Facility. Having the two charges on the same
molecule means the light-absorbing, energy-producing materials
don't have to be arrayed as perfect crystals to produce extra
electrical charges. Instead, the self-contained materials work
efficiently when dissolved in liquids, which opens the way for a wide
range of industrial scale manufacturing processes, including "printing"
solar-energy-producing material like ink.
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
"Critically, we show
how this multiplication process can be made efficient on a single
molecular polymer chain," said physicist Matthew Sfeir, who led the
research at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials, a DOE
Office of Science User Facility. Having the two charges on the same
molecule means the light-absorbing, energy-producing materials
don't have to be arrayed as perfect crystals to produce extra
electrical charges. Instead, the self-contained materials work
efficiently when dissolved in liquids, which opens the way for a wide
range of industrial scale manufacturing processes, including "printing"
solar-energy-producing material like ink.
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission." (Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of so-called single junction solar cells, which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices. But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Producing the twin charges on a single polymer molecule, in contrast, results in a material that's compatible with a much wider variety of industrial processes.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission." (Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of so-called single junction solar cells, which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices. But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Producing the twin charges on a single polymer molecule, in contrast, results in a material that's compatible with a much wider variety of industrial processes.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
The research is published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Materials, January 12, 2015.
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission." (Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of so-called single junction solar cells, which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices. But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission." (Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of so-called single junction solar cells, which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices. But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission." (Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of so-called single junction solar cells, which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices. But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Producing the twin charges on a single polymer molecule, in contrast, results in a material that's compatible with a much wider variety of industrial processes.The materials were designed and synthesized by a Columbia University team led by Professor Luis Campos, and analyzed at Brookhaven using specialized tools at the CFN and in the Chemistry Department. For Sfeir and Campos, the most fascinating part of the interdisciplinary project was exploring the electronic and chemical requirements that enable this multiplication process to occur efficiently.
"We expect a significant leap in the development of third-generation, hot-carrier solar cells," said Campos. "This approach is especially promising because the materials' design is modular and amenable to current synthetic strategies that are being explored in second-generation organic solar cells."
Details of the materials' analysis
At the CFN, Sfeir and Erik Busby (a postdoctoral fellow) used time-resolved optical spectroscopy to induce and quantify singlet fission in the various polymer compositions using a single laser photon. Xiaoyang Zhu of Columbia helped to understand the data and interpret results."We put light energy into a material with a laser pulse and watch what happens to that energy using a series of weaker light pulses - somewhat analogous to taking snapshots using a camera with a very fast shutter," Sfeir said.
The team also studied the same process using "pulse radiolysis" in collaboration with John Miller, who runs the Laser-Electron Accelerator Facility.
"The differences observed between these two experiments allowed us to unambiguously identify singlet fission as the primary process responsible for the production of these twin charges," Sfeir said.
With Qin Wu, the team also used a powerful computer cluster at the CFN to model these materials and understand the design requirements that were necessary for singlet fission to take place.
"The ideas for this project and supervision of the work were really shared between Brookhaven and Columbia," Sfeir said. "It's a great example of the kind of collaborative work that takes place at DOE user facilities like the CFN."
The next steps for the CFN-Columbia team will be to test a large class of materials using the design framework they've identified, and then integrate some of these carbon-based polymer materials into functioning solar cells.
"Even though we have demonstrated the concept of multiplication in single molecules, the next challenge is to show we can harness the extra excitations in an operating device. This may be in conventional bulk type solar cells, or in third-generation concepts based on other inorganic (non-carbon) nanomaterials. The dream is to build hot-carrier solar cells that could be fully assembled using solution processing of our organic singlet fission materials."
Explore further: Solar energy gets a boost: Work on 'singlet fission' can increase solar cell efficiency by as much as 30 percent
More information: A design strategy for intramolecular singlet fission mediated by charge-transfer states in donor–acceptor organic materials, Nature Materials, DOI: 10.1038/nmat4175
Journal reference: Nature Materials search and more info website
Provided by Brookhaven National Laboratory search and more info website
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jC
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission."
(Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two
when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have
the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of
so-called single junction solar cells,
which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling
the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these
materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices.
But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials
could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device
structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission."
(Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two
when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have
the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of
so-called single junction solar cells,
which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling
the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these
materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices.
But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials
could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device
structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
The concept of producing two charges from one unit of light is called "singlet fission."
(Think of the fission that splits a single biological cell into two
when cells multiply.) Devices based on this multiplication concept have
the potential to break through the upper limit on the efficiency of
so-called single junction solar cells,
which is currently around 34 percent. The challenges go beyond doubling
the electrical output of the solar cell materials, because these
materials must be incorporated into actual current-producing devices.
But the hope is that the more-efficient current-generating materials
could be added on to existing solar cell materials and device
structures, or spark new types of solar cell designs.
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
Most singlet fission materials explored so far result in twin charge carriers being produced on separate molecules. These only work well when the material is in a crystalline film with long-range order, where strong coupling results in an additional charge being produced on a neighboring molecule. Producing such high quality crystalline films and integrating them with solar cell manufacturing complicates the process.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-solar-cell-polymers-electrical-output.html#jCp
