ACTIVE LAYER-INCORPORATED, SPECTRALLY-TUNED NANOSTRUCTURE-BASED LIGHT TRAPPING FOR ORGANIC PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES

摘要

Core/shell resonant light absorption and scattering materials and methods incorporated into active layers for increasing the short circuit current and photo conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic systems are provided. In particular, resonant light absorption and scattering methods and materials for improving the efficiency (short circuit current Qsc) and photo conversion efficiency (PCE)) of organic photovoltaic polymer systems (OPV) that include multilayer nanostructures having a noble metal core and a passivated and functionalized outer shell disposed with the active layer of the OPV in the form of nanospheres and nanorods have been synthesized, characterized and incorporated into the active layers of OPV devices to enhance light absorption through plasmonic light trapping (PLT). In some embodiments the peak extinction wavelength of the nanoparticles is designed to coincide with the wavelength region of the OPV band edge in order to ensure that light trapping is occurring at wavelengths of poor absorption. In other embodiments, a second shell consisting of an optically active material is deposited onto the nanoparticles, the material being selected such that the extinction peak of the core of the nanoparticles is designed to coincide with the emission peak of the rare earth energy transition in order to increase the spontaneous emission rate at that wavelength by taking advantage of the Purcell effect.