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Emerging Design Principles for Enhanced Solar Energy Utilization with Singlet Fission

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry. C

Singlet fission (SF), the generation of two triplet excitons per the absorption of one photon, is a promising strategy for increasing the efficiency of solar cells beyond the theoretical Shockley-Queisser limit of 34%. Upon photon absorption by a SF molecule, the initially created singlet excited state (S1) interacts with a neighboring chromophore and is first transformed into a triplet pair (TT), which can be subsequently separated into independent triplet excitons (2T1). These independent triplet excitons can be harvested through triplet charge extraction or triplet energy transfer to an acceptor. Research on SF systems has revealed rates and efficiencies of triplet formation and triplet pair decorrelation that are strongly dependent on interchromophore coupling, which is dictated by molecular structure and the resulting geometrical arrangement of chromophores adopted in covalent (e.g., dimers) and noncovalent (e.g., films and crystals) systems. Incorporation of SF materials into realistic device architectures introduces a host of new challenges to consider regarding the efficient extraction of triplets generated through SF. In this Feature Article, we review our work that has led to some degree of understanding and control of inter- and intramolecular SF rates placed in the context of solar energy harvesting architectures, including dye-sensitized solar cells, conjugated polymer films, and ligand-exchanged quantum dots. We emphasize the importance of understanding and manipulating interactions between SF molecules with each other and with the charge or energy collectors across an interface in order to strike a kinetic balance that leads to efficient utilization of triplet excitons.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1496846
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA--5900-72782
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry. C, Journal Name: Journal of Physical Chemistry. C Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 123; ISSN 1932-7447
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (2)

Modulating the Electronic and Solid‐State Structure of Organic Semiconductors by Site‐Specific Substitution: The Case of Tetrafluoropentacenes journal March 2020
Lessons from intramolecular singlet fission with covalently bound chromophores journal January 2020