Solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic devices
In one aspect, solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic devices are provided. A solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device, in some embodiments, comprises an organic electron donor and an organic electron acceptor, wherein the organic electron donor comprises a singlet energy level separated from a triplet energy level by an energy gap. The device also comprises a triplet sensitizer comprising singlet and triplet energy levels falling within the singlet-triplet energy gap of the electron donor.
1. A solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device comprising:
an organic electron donor comprising a singlet energy level separated from a triplet energy level by an energy gap;
an organic electron acceptor; and
a triplet sensitizer comprising singlet and triplet energy levels falling within the singlet-triplet energy gap of the electron donor.
2. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the triplet sensitizer is dispersed in a host matrix providing a composite layer.
3. The solid-state organic intermediate-band electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the triplet sensitizer is present in an amount of 0.5 to 30 weight percent of the composite layer.
4. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the triplet sensitizer comprises one or more organic small molecules.
5. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the triplet sensitizer comprises one or more metal complexes.
6. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more metal complexes are transition metal complexes.
7. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the organic electron donor comprises conjugated polymer.
8. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the triplet energy level of the triplet sensitizer is higher than the triplet energy level of the organic electron donor by 0.05 eV to 0.2 eV.
9. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the triplet sensitizer absorbs radiation in the range of 500 nm to 1500 nm.
10. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 2 , wherein the composite layer forms a heterojunction with the electron acceptor.
11. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 10 , wherein the host matrix comprises matrix electron donor.
12. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 2 further comprising a spacer layer arranged between the composite layer and the electron acceptor.
13. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the spacer layer comprises the organic electron donor.
14. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 13 , wherein an interface between the organic electron donor and organic electron acceptor establishes a charge transfer interface with the singlet-triplet energy gap of the electron donor.
15. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the spacer layer supports triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC).
16. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 15 , wherein the TTA-UC populates the singlet energy level of the organic electron donor.
17. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the spacer layer has thickness less than 100 nm.
18. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 2 , wherein the composite layer supports TTA-UC.
19. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the singlet-triplet energy gap of the electron donor is 0.5 eV to 1 eV.
20. The solid-state organic intermediate-band photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the organic electron donor has peak radiation absorption less than 600 nm.