Summary:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed a novel molecule for organic photovoltaics, photodetectors, organic field effect transistors, and other relevant applications.
Background:
Among all competing photovoltaic technologies, the organic photovoltaics (OPVs) market is likely to grow the fastest, with a projected CAGR of 21.2%. They are attracting more and more commercial demand due to their suitability for fabricating large area panels via low-cost, solution processing methods. In comparison with their inorganic counterparts, OPVs possess intrinsically narrow absorptions, which can be tuned to the near-infrared (NIR) region, while leaving the visible-light region open. It represents an effective means of breaking trade-offs between transparency and efficiency in inorganic PV technology. Although there has been significant progress in OPVs, their development has lagged due to the lack of suitable active materials with ideal optical absorption behavior. Current technologies with absorptions ranging between 700 and 1100 nm have low power conversion efficiencies and poor device performance. Thus, improvements to the efficiencies inside the NIR wavelengths in the solar spectrum are in high demand for next generation OPVs and relevant organic semiconducting applications.
Innovation:
Professor Yang and his research team have invented an organic molecule that possesses great potential to be applied to transparent or semi-transparent solar cells. This is a newly designed and synthesized material with ultra-narrow bandgap. An OPV device with this novel material is responsive from 700 to 1100 nm, and the initial power conversion efficiency of the device reaches over 11%. The synthetic complexity of this unique material is reduced compared to other NIR-absorbed materials, and the as-prepared product is processable with common solvents, making it cost-effective and operationally simple for further fabrication processes and mass production. Additionally, this material can be easily applied to other energy or semiconducting systems, such as organic photo detectors, organic field effect transistors, and organic light-emitting diodes.
Potential Applications:
• Transparent or semitransparent OPVs
• Multi-junction tandem devices
• Value-added applications (power-generating windows)
• Organic photo detectors
• Organic field effect transistors
• Organic light-emitting diodes
Advantages:
• Over 11% initial power conversion efficiency
• Broad and tunable photo responding region between 700 and 1100 nm
• Applicable for both transparent and semi-transparent applications
• Processable with common solvents
• Reduced synthetic complexity
Development to Date:
First successful demonstration (first actual reduction to practice): June/04/2021.
Reference: UCLA Case No. 2023-086
Lead Inventor: Prof. Yang Yang; Dr. Dong Meng.