High-performance plastic fiber luminescent solar concentrators for flexible waveguiding photovoltaics (SolarFlex)

• Grant number: 20/13309-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2020
• End date: August 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Agreement: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)
• Principal Investigator: Sidney José Lima Ribeiro
• Grantee: Daniel Aragão Ribeiro de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/07727-7 - High-performance plastic fiber luminescent solar concentrators for flexible waveguiding photovoltaics (SolarFlex), AP.R

Abstract

Meter length, lightweight and flexible optically active poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) optical fibers will be used as cylindrical luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) with unprecedented concentration factors (F>10). PMMA optical fibers coated (bulk fibers) or filled (hollow-core fibers) with lanthanide ions- or dye-containing organic-inorganic hybrid layers will be fabricated and assembled in bundles. To demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach, two prototypes will be produced by coupling i) long-meter LSC and ii) LSC bundles to commercial Si PV cells. The Si PV cells figure of merit (external quantum efficiency, EQE) will be accessed. The LSCs will display an unprecedented F values one order of magnitude higher than the largest values reported so far. Conventional LSCs are usually made of rigid glass or plastics with limited flexibility, hampering its applicability. The approach proposed here has, therefore, a large potential to be a real breakthrough on the development of lightweight and mechanically flexible high-performance waveguiding photovoltaic.