Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Addressing technology's environmental impacts is imperative. Virtually all technological devices, including solar panels, have profound effects on the environment, extending beyond the physical space they occupy for photovoltaic (PV) cell installation. The consequences ripple through the ecosystems beneath and around these panels. When PV cells are installed on land, they can disrupt terrestrial ecosystems. The weight and shading from these panels can smother and even annihilate the plant and animal life below them, causing harm to the environment. In aquatic settings like lakes and rivers, PV cells can similarly disrupt the delicate balance of these ecosystems. The panels obstruct sunlight, adversely affecting aquatic organisms and fish populations, thus endangering biodiversity. A solution to mitigate these environmental concerns lies in the integration of transparent photovoltaic cells (PVT). Transparent PVT technology offers an innovative approach to lessen the environmental repercussions of solar panels. By enabling the dual utilization of surfaces, such as the windows of towering skyscrapers or the surfaces of high-performance mobile devices, we can maximize energy generation while minimizing ecological disruptions to natural surroundings. This not only reduces the ecological footprint of technology but also contributes to the preservation and sustainability of our ecosystems. The overarching goal of the proposed research program is to modify the structure of thin films used in the fabrication of transparent PV cells. The short-term objectives (over the next five years), the program aims to dope thin films of C60 and AlClPc with lithium ions and explore other ions to enhance both the transparency and efficiency of the PV cell. The organic photovoltaic (OPV) panels developed within this program will be designed to be transparent in the visible spectrum while highly absorbent in the near-infrared range. One of the targeted objectives is to optimize optical interference between the thin films used to improve energy efficiency while maintaining high visible transparency of over 60%. All thin films will be manufactured using thermal evaporation, except for the last ITO layer. The order of layer fabrication is critical, as the light must follow a unidirectional path. MoO3, ClAlPc, C60, and ZnO will be sequentially deposited via thermal evaporation at a slow rate. The second ITO cathode will be deposited via radiofrequency cathodic sputtering directly on the ZnO film at a slow deposition rate. The pre-coated ITO film on the glass substrate is used to reflect solar rays in the near infrared, forming a stopband. As for the long-term objective, a complementary project will investigate multilayer coatings of PVO via the sol-gel method for commercialization. The success of this research program will have a significant impact on the advancement of knowledge in the field and its industrial applications.