Organic Photovoltaic Device Lab
| K-12 Outreach Kits and Labs |
Overview
One of the hottest research areas is the development of polymer based photovoltaic devices that can be printed. The technology requires a convergence of disciplines of physics, chemistry, materials science and engineering. Much of the research is conducted in organic chemistry labs in which new compounds, and systems of chemicals are designed and synthesized. Building the devices that practically use this chemicals is an engineering problem solving enterprise. Now some proven chemical systems are commercially available opening the possibility of bringing the device construction and characterization into the undergraduate chemistry or physics lab.
In this lab students will spin coat a multilayered organic photovoltaic device and then characterize its physical structure and performance.
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Procedure
Characterization
Spectral Characterization
- Measure the transmittance of the organic layers with a spectrometer
Device Characterization
-Measure the current voltage curve using probeware. see PV_Characterization_Lab
Other
-AFM measurement of surface of heterojunction interface
-profilometer measurement of the thickness of layers
-measurement of performance under degrading conditions of light, oxygen and water.
Further Research
References
- Polymer-based Materials for Printed Electronics: Enabling High Efficiency Solar Power and Lighting Material Matters 2008, 3.4, 92.
- Plexcore Ink system instructions
- OLEG OPV instructions using PCBM:MDMO-PPV with PEDOT PSS and Gallium Indium eutectic as cathode