Unraveling the Structure-Property Nexus: Optimizing conjugated polymer nanomaterials for high-efficiency solar cells

Science / Engineering

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.

Amount invested

Grant Serrapilheira: R$ 100.000,00
  • Topics
  • Neutron scattering
  • PCDTBT
  • solar cells