Manufacturing Organic-Inorganic Nanoparticle Composites with Nanoscale Precision via Directed Self-Assembly

Lead Research Organisation: University of Cambridge
Department Name: Physics

Abstract

New optoelectronically and photonically active materials - such as organic semiconductors and nanoparticles - are bringing to market new technologies and products such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and new phosphors (as used in QD TVs and LED white lighting). Our understanding of the fundamental properties of these materials as well as the rate of design of new materials is accelerating. Of particular interest is a new generation of systems combining organic semiconductors with inorganic nanoparticles. These hybrid blends or nanocomposites hold great promise as a platform technology for high-efficiency low-cost solar energy harvesting devices, photodetectors and novel LEDs for displays, communications and chemical diagnostics.

A scalable manufacturing process for these materials will rely on solution processing of an ink comprising the organic semiconductor, the nanoparticles and a suitable solvent to produce a functional film or coating. However, the components of these organic-nanoparticle blends have a strong tendency to aggregate and phase separate during solution processing, due to a mismatch of their size, shape and surface energies1. This severely compromises device performance and to date has ruled out the manufacture of these systems via large-area-compatible solution manufacturing techniques such as bar-coating, slot-die coating or inkjet printing. Our proposed methodology will overcome these problems, demonstrating routes by which the two active components spontaneously self-assemble during deposition and subsequent solvent evaporation to yield a nanocomposite with a precise morphology and structure over the hierarchy of length scales described above. Thus, our proposal directly tackles the challenge of achieving the precision manufacture at scale of functional nanocomposites. We seek to develop new molecular engineering methodologies providing a toolkit of manufacturing approaches enabling precise control over a hierarchy of length scales. This will create manufacturing routes a new generation of optoelectronically and photonically active coatings and films based on organic-nanoparticle blends, accelerating the translation of fast-moving developments in the physics and chemistry of these hybrid materials into economic benefit for the UK and benefits to society world-wide.

Publications

10 25 50

publication icon
Millington O (2023) Soluble Diphenylhexatriene Dimers for Intramolecular Singlet Fission with High Triplet Energy. in Journal of the American Chemical Society

publication icon
Fallon K (2022) Quantitative Singlet Fission in Solution-Processable Dithienohexatrienes in Journal of the American Chemical Society

publication icon
Purdy M (2023) Aza-Cibalackrot: Turning on Singlet Fission Through Crystal Engineering in Journal of the American Chemical Society

 
Description The development of new photon multiplications materials to enhance the power output of solar cells.
Exploitation Route Yes, we are engaging with various solar cells makers to scale up this technology.
Sectors Energy

Environment

 
Description Photon multiplication technology to enhance the efficiency of solar cells (enhanced power output) is now being commercialised by Cambridge Photon Technology - https://www.cambridgephoton.com/ Is successful this technology could increase the efficiency of Si solar cells by 15% and add 3TWs to world electricity output by 2023. To put this in context, this is double the current deployment of solar energy world wide (as of December 2023).
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Energy,Environment
Impact Types Societal

Economic

 
Description House of Lords Committee - 2023
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Title CCDC 2179618: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination 
Description Related Article: Kealan J. Fallon, Nipun Sawhney, Daniel Thomas William Toolan, Ashish Sharma, Weixuan Zeng, Stephanie Montanaro, Anastasia Leventis, Simon Dowland, Oliver Millington, Daniel G. Congrave, Andrew D. Bond, Richard H. Friend, Akshay Rao, Hugo Bronstein|2022|J.Am.Chem.Soc.|144|23516|doi:10.1021/jacs.2c10254 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/services/structure_request?id=doi:10.5517/ccdc.csd.cc2c528x&sid=DataCite
 
Title CCDC 2179619: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination 
Description Related Article: Kealan J. Fallon, Nipun Sawhney, Daniel Thomas William Toolan, Ashish Sharma, Weixuan Zeng, Stephanie Montanaro, Anastasia Leventis, Simon Dowland, Oliver Millington, Daniel G. Congrave, Andrew D. Bond, Richard H. Friend, Akshay Rao, Hugo Bronstein|2022|J.Am.Chem.Soc.|144|23516|doi:10.1021/jacs.2c10254 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/services/structure_request?id=doi:10.5517/ccdc.csd.cc2c529y&sid=DataCite
 
Title CCDC 2179620: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination 
Description Related Article: Kealan J. Fallon, Nipun Sawhney, Daniel Thomas William Toolan, Ashish Sharma, Weixuan Zeng, Stephanie Montanaro, Anastasia Leventis, Simon Dowland, Oliver Millington, Daniel G. Congrave, Andrew D. Bond, Richard H. Friend, Akshay Rao, Hugo Bronstein|2022|J.Am.Chem.Soc.|144|23516|doi:10.1021/jacs.2c10254 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/services/structure_request?id=doi:10.5517/ccdc.csd.cc2c52bz&sid=DataCite
 
Title Research data supporting "Ligand Directed Self-Assembly of Organic- Semiconductor/Quantum-Dot Blend Films Enables Efficient Triplet Exciton-Photon Conversion" 
Description Data underlying JACS publication - Ligand Directed Self-Assembly of Organic- Semiconductor/Quantum-Dot Blend Films Enables Efficient Triplet Exciton-Photon Conversion. The data is available in the origin project. The top folder contains the figures of the publications where direct access to the data is available. Additional data is sorted into two folders, one with data related to the singlet fission results and one related to the triplet-triplet annihilation results. These folders contain additional folders named by type of experiment (absorption and emission, ns-transient absorption, photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQE) etc.) In the respective folders workbooks named with a sample description contains the corresponding data. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2024 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/365252
 
Description NSG Pilkington 
Organisation Pilkington Glass
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution We have an ongoing Innovate UK grant with two industrial partners Eight19 and NSG Pilkington , PINSTRIPE - PHOTON INCREASE BY SPLITTING TO REALISE IMPROVED PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFICIENCY. This is a 2 year grant helping to commercialise out singlet fission technology to improve conventional Si solar cells. We bring detailed photophysics, optoelectronics and device fabrication knowledge to the project.
Collaborator Contribution NSG Pilkington bring knowledge of manufacture of solar grade glass, encapsulants, glass processing, deposition of films on glass, environmental leaching tests
Impact Ongoing 2 year (11/2017-10/2019) Innovate UK project, PINSTRIPE - PHOTON INCREASE BY SPLITTING TO REALISE IMPROVED PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFICIENCY
Start Year 2017
 
Description Total - Sunpower 
Organisation Total E & P
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Singlet fission photon multipler research
Collaborator Contribution Sunpower part of the Total group is the 2nd largest Si PV manufacturer in the world. They are providing us Si modules and solar glass samples to test our photon multipler film on
Impact Currently confidential
Start Year 2016
 
Company Name Cambridge Photon Technology 
Description Cambridge Photon Technology designs and manufactures its Photon Multiplier Film, which is nanotechnology that enables solar photovoltaic cells to capture energy more efficiently. 
Year Established 2019 
Impact RSC Emerging Technologies Prize Deep Tech Pioneers Award- Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge Cambridge Photon Technology have been named one of six national finalists in the 2019 Shell Springboard competition.
Website https://www.cambridgephoton.com/
 
Description engagement with PV manufacturers 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Engagement with players in PV manufacturing sector across Europe and North America.
This occurred both via visits to trade shows/conference and via one-one meetings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022,2023