Luminescent solar collector

1. A luminescent solar collector comprising a sheet and a light energy converter operatively connected to the sheet;

the sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and dispersed therein at least two dyes A and B;

wherein dye A is a fluorescent dye of Formula (I) and

dye B is either a perylene dye of Formula (II) or a diketopyrrolopyrrole dye of Formula (III):

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from C 6 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 6 -C 18 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, and substituted C 6 -C 20 aryl; each R is independently selected from C 1 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, and halogen; m represents the number of R substitutents on each phenoxy ring, and each m is independently an integer from 0 to 5; each R 4 is independently selected from halogen, cyano, carbamoyl, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, and C 2 -C 6 alkoxycarbonyl; k represents the number of R 4 substitutents on each phenyl ring, and each k is independently an integer from 0 to 5;

wherein the two dyes A and B each absorb light and radiate the absorbed light at a longer wavelength, and the sheet is configured to transmit the radiated light to the light energy converter;

wherein the two dyes A and B together comprise from 0.001 to 1 weight percent of the sheet, and the weight ratio of dye A to dye B is from about 1 to about 5; and

wherein dye A has a maximum absorption wavelength of from 520 nm to 600 nm, and dye B has a maximum absorption wavelength of from 400 nm to 540 nm.

2. A luminescent solar collector comprising a sheet and a light energy converter operatively connected to the sheet;

the sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and dispersed therein at least two dyes A and B;

wherein dye A is a fluorescent dye of Formula (I) and

dye B is either a perylene dye of Formula (II) or a diketopyrrolopyrrole dye of Formula (III):

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from C 6 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 6 -C 18 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, and substituted C 6 -C 20 aryl; each R is independently selected from C 1 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, and halogen; m represents the number of R substitutents on each phenoxy ring, and each m is independently an integer from 0 to 5; each R 4 is independently selected from halogen, cyano, carbamoyl, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, and C 2 -C 6 alkoxycarbonyl; k represents the number of R 4 substitutents on each phenyl ring, and each k is independently an integer from 0 to 5;

wherein the two dyes A and B each absorb light and radiate the absorbed light at a longer wavelength, and the sheet is configured to transmit the radiated light to the light energy converter;

wherein the two dyes A and B together comprise from 0.001 to 1 weight percent of the sheet, and the weight ratio of dye A to dye B is from 2 to 4.

3. A luminescent solar collector comprising a sheet and a light energy converter operatively connected to the sheet;

the sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and dispersed therein at least two dyes A and B;

wherein dye A is a fluorescent dye of Formula (I) and

dye B is either a perylene dye of Formula (II) or a diketopyrrolopyrrole dye of Formula (III):

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from C 6 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 6 -C 18 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, and substituted C 6 -C 20 aryl; each R is independently selected from C 1 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, and halogen; m represents the number of R substitutents on each phenoxy ring, and each m is independently an integer from 0 to 5; each R 4 is independently selected from halogen, cyano, carbamoyl, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, and C 2 -C 6 alkoxycarbonyl; k represents the number of R 4 substitutents on each phenyl ring, and each k is independently an integer from 0 to 5;

wherein the two dyes A and B each absorb light and radiate the absorbed light at a longer wavelength, and the sheet is configured to transmit the radiated light to the light energy converter;

wherein the two dyes A and B together comprise from 0.001 to 1 weight percent of the sheet, and the weight ratio of dye A to dye B is from about 1 to about 5; and

wherein the luminescent solar collector has an edge emission output of about 350 W/m 2 or greater when measured using a sheet of dimensions 60 mm×60 mm×3.2 mm and exposed to a radiation intensity of about 1000 W/m 2 .

4. A luminescent solar collector comprising a sheet and a light energy converter operatively connected to the sheet;

the sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and dispersed therein at least two dyes A and B;

wherein dye A is:

and dye B is either a perylene dye of Formula (II) or a diketopyrrolopyrrole dye of Formula (III):

wherein R 3 is independently selected from C 6 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 6 -C 18 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, and substituted C 6 -C 20 aryl; each R 4 is independently selected from halogen, cyano, carbamoyl, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, and C 2 -C 6 alkoxycarbonyl; k represents the number of R 4 substitutents on each phenyl ring, and each k is independently an integer from 0 to 5;

wherein the two dyes A and B each absorb light and radiate the absorbed light at a longer wavelength, and the sheet is configured to transmit the radiated light to the light energy converter;

wherein the two dyes A and B together comprise from 0.001 to 1 weight percent of the sheet, and the weight ratio of dye A to dye B is from about 1 to about 5.

5. A luminescent solar collector comprising a sheet and a light energy converter operatively connected to the sheet;

the sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and dispersed therein at least two dyes A and B;

wherein dye A is a fluorescent dye of Formula (I):

wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from C 6 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 6 -C 18 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, and substituted C 6 -C 20 aryl; each R is independently selected from C 1 -C 18 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, substituted C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, and halogen; m represents the number of R substitutents on each phenoxy ring, and each m is independently an integer from 0 to 5;

wherein dye B is either:

wherein the two dyes A and B each absorb light and radiate the absorbed light at a longer wavelength, and the sheet is configured to transmit the radiated light to the light energy converter;

wherein the two dyes A and B together comprise from 0.001 to 1 weight percent of the sheet, and the weight ratio of dye A to dye B is from about 1 to about 5.

6. A luminescent solar collector comprising a sheet and a light energy converter operatively connected to the sheet;

the sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and dispersed therein at least two dyes A and B;

wherein the dye A is Formula (Ib) and the dye B is Formula (IIb):