Physicist Andreia Macedo earned her undergraduate degree from the State University of Ponta Grossa and her master’s in physics from the Federal University of Paraná. To pursue her doctorate, Andreia traveled to Portugal, where she obtained her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Aveiro. Shortly thereafter, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Federal University of Paraná. Andreia is currently conducting a significant study on solar cells, with a particular focus on their efficiency. When she needs a break from her work, she enjoys participating in group classes at the gym. As a professor at the Federal Technological University of Paraná, she balances her professional commitments with caring for her young son, who brings joy to her everyday life.
Andreia Gerniski Macedo
Engineering, Physics
Projects
The project is focused on the production of flexible solar cells utilizing the polymer PCDTBT (donor) and functionalized perylene (acceptor). Perylene serves as a replacement for fullerene, which is commonly used as an acceptor but suffers from limited stability and high manufacturing costs. PCDTBT: perylene films are processed and deposited onto plastic substrates using a roller technique, which imparts lightness and flexibility to the solar cell. The precursor solutions are subjected to a reprecipitation treatment to arrange the polymer chains into spherical structures. The findings suggest a strong correlation between the light absorption spectrum and size, favoring the absorption of light closer to the sun’s emission spectrum. Given that the uniformity of the films directly influences the efficiency of the solar cells, the neutron scattering technique was employed to determine the distribution of perylene within the PCDTBT matrix. These advancements pave the way for producing more stable and efficient solar cells.
