Photovoltaic fibers
Photovoltaic materials and methods of photovoltaic cell fabrication provide a photovoltaic cell in the form of a fiber. These fibers may be formed into a flexible fabric or textile.
1. An article, comprising:
a fiber core having an outer surface;
an electrical conductor in the form of a wire;
a photoconversion material disposed between the outer surface of the fiber core and the electrical conductor;
an additional material; comprising a charge carrier material and
a protective layer surrounding the fiber core, electrical conductor, the photoconversion material and the additional material,
wherein:
the additional material is between the photoconversion material and the electrical conductor;
the additional material is between the electrical conductor and the protective layer; and
the article is in the form of a fiber.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber core has a glass transition temperature of less than about 300° C.
3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber core has a glass transition temperature ranging from about 25° C. to about 150° C.
4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber core comprises a flexible polymeric material.
5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber core comprises a polyethylene terephthalate.
6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber core comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of flax, cotton, wool, silk, nylon, and combinations thereof.
7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber core is substantially electrically insulative.
8. The article of claim 7 , further comprising an inner electrical conductor disposed on the outer surface of the fiber core.
9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber core is substantially electrically conductive.
10. The article of claim 9 , wherein the fiber core comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metals, metal oxides, metal alloys, conductive polymers, filled polymers, and combinations thereof.
11. The article of claim 1 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a photosensitized nanomatrix material.
12. The article of claim 11 , wherein the photosensitized nanomatrix material comprises nanoparticles.
13. The article of claim 11 , wherein the photosensitized nanomatrix material comprises particles with an average size in the range of about 2 nm to about 100 nm.
14. The article of claim 11 , wherein the photosensitized nanomatrix material comprises particles with an average size in the range of about 10 nm to about 40 nm.
15. The article of claim 11 , wherein the photosensitized nanomatrix material comprises one or more types of interconnected metal oxide nanoparticles.
16. The article of claim 15 , wherein:
the metal oxide has the formula M x O y ;
M is selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, W, Nb, La, Ta, Tb, Sn, and Zn; and
x and y are integers greater than 0.
17. The article of claim 16 , wherein the metal oxide comprises TiO 2 .
18. The article of claim 15 wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are interconnected by sintering.
19. The article of claim 15 , wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are interconnected by a polymeric linking agent.
20. The article of claim 19 , wherein:
the polymeric linking agent has the formula —[O—M(OR) i —] m —;
M is selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, W, Nb, La, Ta, Tb, Sn, and Zn;
R is selected from the group of chemical moieties consisting of acetate, alkyl, alkene, alkyne, aromatic, acyl, and hydrogen;
i is an integer greater than 0; and
m is an integer greater than 1.
21. The article of claim 20 , wherein the polymeric linking agent comprises poly(n-butyl titanate).
22. The article of claim 11 , wherein the photosensitized nanomatrix material comprises a photosensitizing agent.
23. The article of claim 22 , wherein the photosensitizing agent comprises a dye.
24. The article of claim 22 , wherein the photosensitizing agent comprises an organic molecule selected from the group consisting of xanthines, cyanines, merocyanines, phthalocyanines, and pyrroles.
25. The article of claim 11 , further comprising a catalytic media disposed between the outer surface of the fiber core and the electrical conductor.
26. The article of claim 25 , wherein the catalytic media comprises platinum.
27. The article of claim 1 , wherein the charge carrier material comprises an electrolyte.
28. The article of claim 1 , wherein the charge carrier material comprises a redox system.
29. The article of claim 1 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a heterojunction composite material.
30. The article of claim 1 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and combinations thereof.
31. The article of claim 30 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises fullerenes.
32. The article of claim 30 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a conjugated polymer.
33. The article of claim 32 , wherein the conjugated polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polyquinolines, polyphenylene vinylenes, and combinations thereof.
34. The article of claim 1 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a conjugated polymer.
35. The article of claim 34 , wherein the conjugated polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polyquinolines, polyphenylene vinylenes, and combinations thereof.
36. The article of claim 34 , wherein the photoconversion material further comprises one or more types of interconnected metal oxide nanoparticles.
37. A flexible fabric comprising the article of claim 1 .
38. The article of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional electrical conductors in the form of a wire.
39. The article of claim 38 , further comprising a light transmitting electrical conductor in which the electrical conductors in the form of a wire are at least partially imbedded.
40. The article of claim 39 , wherein the is charge carrier material supported by the photoconversion material.
41. The article of claim 40 , wherein the charge carrier material, the photoconversion material, and the fiber core are surrounded by the light transmitting electrical conductor.
42. The article of claim 41 , wherein the protective layer surrounds the light transmitting electrical conductor.
43. The article of claim 1 , wherein the photoconversion material surrounds the fiber core.
44. The article of claim 43 , further comprising a charge carrier material in contact with the photoconversion material and the electrical conductor.
45. The article of claim 44 , further comprising a protective layer surrounding the electrical conductor, the charge carrier material, the photoconversion material, and the fiber core.
46. The article of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conductor is a counter electrode.
47. An article, comprising:
a first electrode in the form of a fiber core;
a second electrode in the form of a wire;
a photoconversion material disposed between the first and second electrodes;
an additional material; comprising a charge carrier material and
a protective layer surrounding the first electrode, the second electrode, the photoconversion material and the additional material,
wherein:
the additional material is between the photoconversion material and the second electrode;
the additional material is between the second electrode and the protective layer; and
the article is a photovoltaic cell.
48. The article of claim 47 , wherein the article is in the form of a unitary fiber.
49. The article of claim 47 , wherein the article is in the form of a fiber.
50. The article of claim 47 , wherein the photoconversion material is coated on an outer surface of the first electrode.
51. The article of claim 50 , wherein the photoconversion material is in contact with the additional material.
52. The article of claim 47 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a heterojunction composite material.
53. The article of claim 47 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and combinations thereof.
54. The article of claim 47 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises fullerenes.
55. The article of claim 47 , wherein the photoconversion material comprises a conjugated polymer.
56. The article of claim 55 , wherein the conjugated polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polyquinolines, polyphenylene vinylenes, and combinations thereof.