Presenter: Layne Bruton
Authors: Layne Bruton, Lakshmi Viswanath
Faculty Advisor: Lakshmi Viswanath
Institution: Utah Valley University
There are various ways energy can be harvested and for a long-time non-renewable energy source such as fossil fuels and nuclear power. However, in recent years the topic of renewable energy sources has been one of the heated discussions. Of all the different forms of renewable energy sources, solar energy is especially appealing. Solar energy is harvested through a process called the photovoltaic effect. Traditional solar panels are typically composed of inorganic elements. Organic solar cells offer an alternative method of harnessing this solar energy in which organic molecules are used and they are much easier to synthesize, and subsequently, organic solar cells are cheaper to produce. Recently, dramatic developments in power conversion efficiencies (PCE) have been experienced. The existence of the donor and acceptors is an important platform in the establishment of the organic solar cells. Fullerenes are exceptional electron acceptors on account of their high electron affinity.Extensive work has been on the development of fullerene-based organic solar cells that led to an increase in the PCE of 8% for small-molecule- and 9% for polymer-based organic solar cells. Conversely, fullerene electron acceptors have encountered several shortcomings such as weak absorption in the visible spectral region, and easy photo-oxidation. Moreover, the purification process of the fullerene derivatives is extensively tedious and demands sophisticated equipment. To circumvent the insufficiencies of fullerenes it is essential to delve into non-fullerene electron acceptors. Supramolecules such as perylene diimides and subphthalocyanine derivatives can be used as proper substitutes for fullerenes. Furthermore, when compared to fullerenes, subnaphthalocyanines possess very low reorganizational energies. Hence, the aims of our research are to have a library of SubNPc molecules, and establish the axial linkage with O, N and carbon nucleophile. The synthesized boron subnaphthalocyanines will serve as model compounds in the development of complex donor-acceptor conjugates in organic photovoltaics.