IP Library Granted Patent US 8,552,289
Granted Patent B2
US 8,552,289 · App. 12/668,141 · Granted Oct 8, 2013

Photoelectric converter and solar cell using the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,552,289
App. No.
12/668,141
Granted
Oct 8, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device having at least a fullerene derivative as an electron acceptor and a compound as an electron donor between a pair of electrodes, wherein the fullerene derivative has 2 to 4 organic groups which each independently have 1 to 50 carbon atoms, and wherein when the fullerene derivative has two organic groups, these organic groups do not bind to each other to form a ring.

Claims (22)

1. A photoelectric conversion device having at least a fullerene derivative as an electron acceptor represented by any one of the following formulae (1A) to (1G):

wherein in the formulae (1A) to (1G): R 1 and R 2 are each independently an organic group having 1 to 50 carbon atoms; and R 1 and R 2 do not bind to each other to form a ring, and a compound as an electron donor between a pair of electrodes, wherein the electron acceptor and electron donor are present in a bulk heterojunction;

wherein one or more of the organic groups having 1 to 50 carbon atoms are each independently a group represented by the following formula (3):

wherein in the formula (3): W is an atom belonging to group 4B of the periodic table; R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently an hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 50 carbon atoms, alkoxy or amino; and n is an integer from 1 to 10.

2. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the fullerene derivative is represented by the following formula (1A):

3. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

4. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein: R 3 and R 4 are an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; and R 5 is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

5. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein: n is an integer from 1 to 5; and W is Si.

6. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein in the formulae (1A) to (1G): R 1 is a group represented by the following formula (31):

wherein in the formula (31), R 5 is an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or phenyl; and R 2 is a group represented by the following formula (32):

wherein in the formula (32), R 5 is methyl or phenyl.

7. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the compound as the electron donor is a polymer compound.

8. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the compound as the electron donor is a heterocyclic polymer compound.

9. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the compound as the electron donor is a porphyrin compound or phthalocyanine compound.

10. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the compound as the electron donor is polythiophene or a copper phthalocyanine complex.

11. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the compound as the electron donor is tetrabenzoporphyrin.

12. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , which has a mixture layer comprising at least the fullerene derivative as the electron acceptor and the compound as the electron donor between the pair of electrodes.

13. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 12 , wherein the mixture layer is formed by applying a solution in which a mixture comprising the fullerene derivative as the electron acceptor and the compound as the electron donor is dissolved.

14. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 12 , wherein the mixture layer is formed by evaporating the fullerene derivative as the electron acceptor and the compound as the electron donor.

15. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 12 , wherein a p-type semiconductor layer is formed between the mixture layer, which comprises the fullerene derivative as the electron acceptor and the electron donor, and a positive electrode.

16. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 12 , wherein an n-type semiconductor layer is formed between the mixture layer, which comprises the fullerene derivative as the electron acceptor and the electron donor, and a negative electrode.

17. A solar cell comprising the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 .

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 5, 2017
From: MITSUBISHI RAYON CO., LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043750/0834 →
MERGER Recorded Sep 4, 2017
From: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION
To: MITSUBISHI RAYON CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 043750/0207 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2010
From: SATO, YOSHIHARU; NAKAMURA, EIICHI; NIINOMI, TAKAAKI; MATSUO, YUTAKA; HASHIGUCHI, MASAHIKO
To: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023767/0488 →