Structure-Property Relationships: Enabling a faster Commercialisation of Organic Solar Cells
Lead Research Organisation:
Diamond Light Source
Department Name: Science Division
Abstract
See Je-S application of Oxford University (lead applicant, joint reference P1936803)
Planned Impact
See Je-S application of Oxford University (lead applicant, joint reference P1936803)
Organisations
- Diamond Light Source, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Oxford, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) (Collaboration)
- National University of Lesotho (Collaboration)
- Eight19 (Collaboration)
- Ain Shams University (Collaboration)
- University of Cape Town (Collaboration)
- Merck (Collaboration)
- Oxford Photovoltaics (Collaboration)
- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (Collaboration)
- Kurt J Lesker Company (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Chris Nicklin (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Derrien T
(2020)
In Situ Observations of the Growth Mode of Vacuum-Deposited a-Sexithiophene
in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Kesava S
(2020)
Azetidinium as cation in lead mixed halide perovskite nanocrystals of optoelectronic quality
in AIP Advances
Martinez Hardigree J
(2016)
Managing BHJ microstructural evolution for long-term photoconversion efficiency (Conference Presentation)
Milot RL
(2016)
Charge-Carrier Dynamics in 2D Hybrid Metal-Halide Perovskites.
in Nano letters
Nicklin C
(2017)
MINERVA: A facility to study Microstructure and INterface Evolution in Realtime under VAcuum.
in The Review of scientific instruments
Warren P
(2019)
Tuning the ambipolar behaviour of organic field effect transistors via band engineering
in AIP Advances
Warren R
(2019)
Controlling energy levels and Fermi level en route to fully tailored energetics in organic semiconductors.
in Nature communications
| Description | The dynamics of growth of C60 layers has been identified and the structural arrangement when deposited on silicon. Also we have been able to monitor the crystallisation dynamics in real time during exposure to high gas pressures. The instrumentation has been brought online and is available to other users; it enables in-situ monitoring during deposition of molecules of relevance to photovoltaic device structures. We have studies a number of systems resulting in several publications and will lead to further reports. The MINERVA system has been upgraded to allow depostion of 3 meterials simultaneuosly. Further publications have been accepted on the structure of alpha-6T layers and Zinc Phthalocyanine layers on glass substrates, |
| Exploitation Route | The instrument is available to other users and the understanding that pristine samples (in vacuum) have a different structure to those exposed to atmospheric pressure of gas is an important outcome. It will form part of the experimental programme recently funded by the GCRF award to work with scientists in Africa. |
| Sectors | Chemicals,Electronics,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Development has focused on new equipment and beamtime applications. March 2017 - in the last year the chamber has been used on beamtime achieving some impressive results on C60 layers grown on silicon and BPHEN grown on glass. We were able to identify the dynamics of growth and also the crystallisation dynamics during gas exposure for these molecules. The findings will be published and the instrumentation is also being written up for publication. Other users have shown interest in using this chamber for their own studies of molecular layers. March 18 - this programme and the collaborations that developed within it have led to a GCRF proposal one aspect of which is to work with scientists in Africa to work on energy materials including growth in the equipment developed in this grant. It is a large grant that will employ many PDRA's in both the UK and Africa to work on these important materials. The findings that we have published will lead into this new direction. Further publications have come out and the chamber is being used by other UK academics, to study organic interfaces. This will likely lead to new collaborations to exploit the instrument. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Chemicals,Education,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | GCRF START: Synchrotron Techniques for African Reserach and Technology |
| Amount | £3,672,526 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/R002754/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2017 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Title | MINERVA chamber |
| Description | A new vacuum chamber has been built that directly enables in-situ monitoring of the structural changes during growth of molecular materials studied by grazing incidence x-ray scattering techniques. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Papers are in preparation to identify the dynamics of growth and the effect is in-situ crystallisation. |
| Title | Upgrade of MINERVA chamber |
| Description | Developed an imporved lower chamber to enable coevporation of up to 3 different molecules to enable studies of doped organic samples of relevance to photovoltaics |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | None as yet - to be used for future beamtime experiments |
| Description | CLASP - Diamond, Oxford, ISIS |
| Organisation | Eight19 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Beamline I07 at Diamond will develop the techniques required to understand the microstructure of organic photovoltaic interfaces using X-ray scattering. We will apply for beamtime and be fully involved in the data taking and data analysis. Methods will include determination of crystallinity and domain size; as well as developing methods for in-situ characterisation of the structures during vacuum deposition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Diamond, ISIS and Oxford provide the academic drive for the project on organic photovoltaics. The other companies will develop chemicals, processes and equipment to help enable the project. The grant has only just started so developments are at an early stage. |
| Impact | Formal collaboration agreement. Design of in-situ chamber underway. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | CLASP - Diamond, Oxford, ISIS |
| Organisation | Kurt J Lesker Company |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Beamline I07 at Diamond will develop the techniques required to understand the microstructure of organic photovoltaic interfaces using X-ray scattering. We will apply for beamtime and be fully involved in the data taking and data analysis. Methods will include determination of crystallinity and domain size; as well as developing methods for in-situ characterisation of the structures during vacuum deposition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Diamond, ISIS and Oxford provide the academic drive for the project on organic photovoltaics. The other companies will develop chemicals, processes and equipment to help enable the project. The grant has only just started so developments are at an early stage. |
| Impact | Formal collaboration agreement. Design of in-situ chamber underway. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | CLASP - Diamond, Oxford, ISIS |
| Organisation | Merck |
| Department | Merck UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Beamline I07 at Diamond will develop the techniques required to understand the microstructure of organic photovoltaic interfaces using X-ray scattering. We will apply for beamtime and be fully involved in the data taking and data analysis. Methods will include determination of crystallinity and domain size; as well as developing methods for in-situ characterisation of the structures during vacuum deposition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Diamond, ISIS and Oxford provide the academic drive for the project on organic photovoltaics. The other companies will develop chemicals, processes and equipment to help enable the project. The grant has only just started so developments are at an early stage. |
| Impact | Formal collaboration agreement. Design of in-situ chamber underway. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | CLASP - Diamond, Oxford, ISIS |
| Organisation | Oxford Photovoltaics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Beamline I07 at Diamond will develop the techniques required to understand the microstructure of organic photovoltaic interfaces using X-ray scattering. We will apply for beamtime and be fully involved in the data taking and data analysis. Methods will include determination of crystallinity and domain size; as well as developing methods for in-situ characterisation of the structures during vacuum deposition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Diamond, ISIS and Oxford provide the academic drive for the project on organic photovoltaics. The other companies will develop chemicals, processes and equipment to help enable the project. The grant has only just started so developments are at an early stage. |
| Impact | Formal collaboration agreement. Design of in-situ chamber underway. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | CLASP - Diamond, Oxford, ISIS |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Department | ISIS Neutron and Muon Source |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Beamline I07 at Diamond will develop the techniques required to understand the microstructure of organic photovoltaic interfaces using X-ray scattering. We will apply for beamtime and be fully involved in the data taking and data analysis. Methods will include determination of crystallinity and domain size; as well as developing methods for in-situ characterisation of the structures during vacuum deposition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Diamond, ISIS and Oxford provide the academic drive for the project on organic photovoltaics. The other companies will develop chemicals, processes and equipment to help enable the project. The grant has only just started so developments are at an early stage. |
| Impact | Formal collaboration agreement. Design of in-situ chamber underway. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | CLASP - Diamond, Oxford, ISIS |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Beamline I07 at Diamond will develop the techniques required to understand the microstructure of organic photovoltaic interfaces using X-ray scattering. We will apply for beamtime and be fully involved in the data taking and data analysis. Methods will include determination of crystallinity and domain size; as well as developing methods for in-situ characterisation of the structures during vacuum deposition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Diamond, ISIS and Oxford provide the academic drive for the project on organic photovoltaics. The other companies will develop chemicals, processes and equipment to help enable the project. The grant has only just started so developments are at an early stage. |
| Impact | Formal collaboration agreement. Design of in-situ chamber underway. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | CLASP Industrial Partners |
| Organisation | Eight19 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Kick-off and various other meetings, specifications and preparation of samples, planning of experiments, exchange of expertise, ongoing discussions |
| Collaborator Contribution | Industrial expertise and definition of industrial needs, specifications and supply of samples, ongoing discussions |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration, exchange of samples specifications |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | CLASP Industrial Partners |
| Organisation | Kurt J Lesker Company |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Kick-off and various other meetings, specifications and preparation of samples, planning of experiments, exchange of expertise, ongoing discussions |
| Collaborator Contribution | Industrial expertise and definition of industrial needs, specifications and supply of samples, ongoing discussions |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration, exchange of samples specifications |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | CLASP Industrial Partners |
| Organisation | Merck |
| Department | Merck UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Kick-off and various other meetings, specifications and preparation of samples, planning of experiments, exchange of expertise, ongoing discussions |
| Collaborator Contribution | Industrial expertise and definition of industrial needs, specifications and supply of samples, ongoing discussions |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration, exchange of samples specifications |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | CLASP Industrial Partners |
| Organisation | Oxford Photovoltaics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Kick-off and various other meetings, specifications and preparation of samples, planning of experiments, exchange of expertise, ongoing discussions |
| Collaborator Contribution | Industrial expertise and definition of industrial needs, specifications and supply of samples, ongoing discussions |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration, exchange of samples specifications |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | GCRF START project |
| Organisation | Ain Shams University |
| Country | Egypt |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | These collaborations were put together for a GCRF funded grant that grew out of this project. Access to synchrotrn techniques for inexpoerienced research groups. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research collaborations on new photovoltaic materials. |
| Impact | STFC Funded Grant ST/R002754/01 and all outputs from that grant. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | GCRF START project |
| Organisation | National University of Lesotho |
| Country | Lesotho |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | These collaborations were put together for a GCRF funded grant that grew out of this project. Access to synchrotrn techniques for inexpoerienced research groups. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research collaborations on new photovoltaic materials. |
| Impact | STFC Funded Grant ST/R002754/01 and all outputs from that grant. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | GCRF START project |
| Organisation | University of Cape Town |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | These collaborations were put together for a GCRF funded grant that grew out of this project. Access to synchrotrn techniques for inexpoerienced research groups. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research collaborations on new photovoltaic materials. |
| Impact | STFC Funded Grant ST/R002754/01 and all outputs from that grant. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | GCRF START project |
| Organisation | University of the Witwatersrand |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | These collaborations were put together for a GCRF funded grant that grew out of this project. Access to synchrotrn techniques for inexpoerienced research groups. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research collaborations on new photovoltaic materials. |
| Impact | STFC Funded Grant ST/R002754/01 and all outputs from that grant. |
| Start Year | 2018 |