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Content archived on 2024-05-29

Development of n-type polymer materials used as alternative to soluble C60 derivatives and their use in organic solar cells

Objective

The utilisation of conjugated polymers in solar cell active layers is based on a photo induced electron transfer phenomenon and first promising results came from donor/acceptor hetero-junction solar cell based on polymer/fullerene blends, the conjugated polymer being a p-type material and fullerene a n-type material. Since that first discovery, main research on donor/acceptor hetero-junction solar cells has focused on p-type materials and very little on n-type materials, with fullerene and its derivatives currently being the major electron acceptor studied and used in all developments. Conjugated polymers can be divided in two classes: p-type materials with hole transport properties as for example the well-know MEH-PPV and n-type materials with electron transport properties such as CN-PPV. So far, only a few reports have explored n-type conjugated polymers and the main efforts towards such materials were focussed on LED applications with almost none on solar cells. Dedicated conjugated polymers having n-type properties to be used as alternatives to fullerene C60 and fullerene derivatives PCBM in organic donor/acceptor hetero-junction solar cells are now a real need in the organic solar cell research community. The network SolarNtype - made of excellent academic (5 ), pure and applied non-academic research institutes (4) and industrial (1) partners from 7 Member States - will contribute to the design, synthesis and testing in devices of novel n-type "electron acceptor" conjugated polymers for an application in organic donor/acceptor bulk hetero-junction solar cells. The multidisciplinary character of the SolarNtype network and the world recognition of the network partners will broaden the possibilities of the young and experienced researchers to acquire complementary s kills through mobility. The consortium will integrate the gender dimension in this network according to the European Union and national legislation and recommendations.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP6-2005-MOBILITY-1
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

RTN - Marie Curie actions-Research Training Networks

Coordinator

INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM
EU contribution
No data
Total cost
No data

Participants (9)