Project description
Singlet fission materials could help overcome photovoltaic efficiency limits
Solar energy is a cornerstone of clean energy, but traditional photovoltaic materials are limited in how efficiently they can convert sunlight into electricity. Singlet fission – a process that splits high-energy excitons into two – offers a promising way to surpass these limits. Despite their potential, singlet fission materials are scarce, and integrating them into photovoltaic devices is still challenging. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SFPOLY project plans to design innovative polymers inspired by known singlet fission small molecules. Using advanced polymer synthesis, tailored polymers will be combined with PbS quantum dots to create composite films with singlet fission properties. By fine-tuning polymer structures and analysing their photophysical properties, the proposed research seeks to develop new photovoltaic materials.
Objective
On the path to enhancing photovoltaic (PV) materials and surpassing their efficiency limits, one promising approach is to exploit the phenomenon of singlet fission (SF). This process involves high-energy singlet excitons generated by light absorption in organic molecules, which interact with nearby ground-state molecules to produce two triplet excitons. This intricate interaction significantly boosts the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Given the scarcity of SF materials and the advantageous properties of polymers in PV applications, this project aims to address the challenge by employing advanced polymer synthesis techniques.
The project’s hypothesis centers on designing monomers inspired by known singlet fission small molecules. The following steps involve utilizing controlled polymerization strategies to create polymers with various topological structures. These polymers will be combined with PbS quantum dot materials to produce composite films with SF properties through spin coating. By adjusting the polymer topology to fine-tune the stacking configuration of the polymer chains, the photophysical properties of the materials can be precisely controlled. Through detailed analysis of these photophysical properties, the relationship between polymer structure and photophysical behavior will be established. Ultimately, this will lead to the development of a new generation of composite singlet fission photovoltaic materials, enabling the creation of high-performance photovoltaic devices that surpass the theoretical limits of traditional photoelectric conversion efficiency.
Through advanced polymer synthesis, precise photophysical analysis, and fine-tuned thin-film optimization, this research will unlock the potential of singlet fission, significantly impacting polymer materials. It will pave the way for new photovoltaic materials, contributing to clean energy and promoting environmental sustainability.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences condensed matter physics quasiparticles
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics topology
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy solar energy photovoltaic
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.