PeNElOPe

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• 20 Ιουλίου 2019
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“Plasmonic nanoparticles for efficient, stable and low cost organic photovoltaic devices”

Excellence II Award 3116 (2014-2015)

The proposed research concerns a new approach to simultaneously enhance the performance and photodegradation stability of OPV cells by enhancing light harvesting from the solar spectrum and improving their structural stability respectively. This dual enhancement effect will be achieved by the incorporation of specific configurations of metal nanoparticles (NPs) into the photovoltaic cell architecture. In particular, the spectral absorbance of OPV cells will be widened by exploiting strong light scattering and enhanced light absorption around metal NPs integrated into the photoactive layer, both effects stemming from the excitation localized surface plasmon (LSP) waves at the NP/photoactive layer interface. At the same time, recent studies performed by our research team indicated that along with enhancing light absorption, the incorporation of NPs into the active layer improves its structural and morphological stability as well[i]. This consequently leads to a reduced photo-degradation rate upon prolonged illumination, increasing the lifetime of the NP-based cells. The main objectives of the proposed research program are:

• Optimization and control of specific methodologies for the synthesis of metal NPs of different nature, size and shape, as well as their alloys and functionalized derivatives. The aim is to provide controllable chemical composition and size distribution of generated NPs in the range 5–100 nm. Furthermore new methods for the control of the position/separation of the synthesized NPs, long term stability of their suspensions without agglomeration and sedimentation will be explored.
• Efficient integration of specific configurations of metal NPs in OPVs aiming at the simultaneous enhancement of both efficiency and stability. Demonstration of proof of concept of plasmonic photovoltaics through the incorporation of various configurations of NPs into the photovoltaic cell architecture and benchmarking of their performance and durability.
• Development of theory and simulation models for the discrimination of the mechanisms responsible for the dual-enhancement effect. Calculation of the optimum topologies of NPs and OPV cell architectures that maximize the solar light harvesting and mitigate the photodegradation rate.