Objective

1. Design and synthesis of novel organic/polymer materials for polymer solar cells.
    
2. By rationally design of materials and device architectures, develop highly efficient polymer solar cells.
    
3. Understand the key fundamental issues that are limiting the improvement of efficiency  and lifetime for polymer solar cells.

 

Approach

1. Design polymers with superb absorption properties and excellent charge transport ability.
    
2. Integrate polymer materials with complementary absorption ranges to construct polymer solar cells.
    
3. Also develop high-performance n-type semiconducting polymers to replace fullerenes in state-of-the-art polymer solar cells.

 

Impact

1. Single-junction polymer solar cell is approaching 10% efficiency mark, which is consider the threshold for commercial application. If our project is successful, we will be one of the first groups, if not the first, to reach the important milestone of 10% efficiency. This will put HKUST at the leading position in the exciting areas of emerging solar cell technologies.
    
2. Broadly speaking, our project will likely have significant impacts on several emerging solar cell technologies (including other organic and dye solar cells) that will help these research communities and our global society to develop viable low-cost solar cell technologies. Since a major portion of the solar cell industry has already shifted to Asia, Hong Kong, at the heart of Asia’s major technology developments, is in a unique geological position to develop future solar cell technologies. If successful, the project will help Hong Kong to establish its position in the world of these exciting emerging solar cell technologies.

 

Contact

Henry Yan

Professor of Chemistry

Email: hyan@ust.hk