Study and characterization of nanostructured films of polyfullerenes and non-fullerenes: application in photovoltaic devices

• Grant number: 20/05773-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2020
• End date: February 28, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Clarissa de Almeida Olivati
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda Rocha Santos Medina
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/50869-6 - INCT 2014: on Organic Electronics, AP.TEM

Abstract

The demand for sustainable energy generation alternatives has provided an incentive for the study and development of organic solar cells in recent years, since this is a clean and inexhaustible way to generate energy. In order to improve the efficiency of these organic devices, materials such as polifullerenes, fullerenes and non-fullerenes have been used for the generation dissociation and transporto f cargo carriers. Fullerenes, where we can mention C60 and its derivatives, such as ICBA, have characteristics that allow the application of changes in its side chain and that also allow combinations with others. Non-fullerenes, on the other hand, which have been little studied and have attracted researches, present advantages both in the absorption spectra and in architectural aesthetics. In this context, this project aims to manufacture thin films of polifullerenes with different chain sizes and theis characterizations, as well as to study their applicability as electron acceptor in photovoltaic devices, which will also be manufactured using non-fullerenes, through Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaefer techniques. Information on uniformity of thin films will be obtained through spectroscopic measurements, such as UV-vis absorption, FITR and Raman, and microscopy, such as AFM. The films will be characterized electrically through measurements of direct electric current, emphasizing the mechanisms of transport and electrical conductivity.