Research Projects

The increasing environmental impact of fossil fuels has led to a growing demand for renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy. Solar cells convert solar energy into electrical energy, known as photovoltaics. As new photovoltaic materials and processes emerge, understanding the underlying mechanisms is crucial for design rules for further material and device development. Singlet fission, a down-conversion process, can be combined with lower bandgap semiconductors to generate triplet excitons, potentially increasing power conversion efficiency by around 44%. Hot carrier solar cells can also boost efficiency by utilizing excess energy efficiently. Efficient extraction of hot carriers before thermalization loss can increase efficiency by up to 66% for single-junction solar cells. The authors propose developing a comprehensive understanding of the kinetic process of singlet fission in solution, determining the role of emissive excimers and charge-transferred states, and observing the effect of composition engineering on hot carrier cooling dynamics. They also aim to develop a microspectroscope for steady-state and time-resolved emission measurements from diffraction limited spatial locations. Developing strategies to maximize the potential applications of molecules and materials with the potential to surpass existing thermodynamic limits can help maximize their potential applications in harnessing solar power.

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