SBIR Phase I: New Fullerene-based Electron Acceptor Materials for High Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to demonstrate 10% energy conversion efficiency for Organic Photovoltaics (OPVs) through the design and synthesis of new acceptor materials. Polymer-based OPV technology is ideal for clean and affordable energy generation because of its low-cost and non-toxic processes. Currently, the best energy conversion efficiency of OPV is about 8%, which is much lower than their inorganic counterparts. Further development of both donor polymers and acceptors is required to continuously improve OPV efficiencies. Acceptor materials with high carrier mobility and appropriate energy levels are needed to achieve higher energy conversion efficiencies. In this project, new electron acceptor materials and environmentally-friendly solvents will be designed and synthesized. The optimization of device structure and polymer film morphology will be conducted. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to offer high- efficiency OPVs that are low-cost, flexible, and easily deployable. OPVs can be used in portable electronics, building integrated photovoltaics, smart fabrics, sensors and other applications. OPVs also have the potential to challenge the current battery technology as portable power source and limit the use of toxic materials used in batteries.