Synthesis and incorporation of graphene and/or metallized or metal oxide-modified graphene to improve organic solar cells and hydrogen fuel cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10700282-B2
Application number	US-201515127108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2012
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A composition used to form the active layer of a solar cell or hydrogen fuel cell that comprises, consists of or consists essentially of a homogenous dispersion, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl[6,6]C61 (PCBM). The homogenous dispersion comprises, consists of or consists essentially of graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and sulfonated polystyrene (PSS) or para-methoxy-N-methylamphetamine (PMMA). The GO or RGO can be functionalized with a metal, preferably gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or ferric oxide (Fe2O3).

First claim

We claim:

1. A composition used to form an active layer of a solar cell or hydrogen fuel cell, the composition comprising:
a homogeneous dispersion comprising graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and a polymer that is not miscible in P3HT; and
a polymer layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl[6,6]C 61 (PCBM), wherein the polymer layer is treated by ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O 3 ) exposure to form a hydrophilic, exterior surface,
wherein the homogeneous dispersion is disposed onto the hydrophilic, exterior surface of the polymer layer.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the GO or RGO is functionalized with gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ).

3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer that is not miscible with P3HT is a styrenic polymer, an acrylic polymer, a carbonate, an olephin or a polyelectrolyte.

4. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of GO or RGO to polymer that is not miscible in P3HT in the homogeneous dispersion is from 0.5:20 to 4:20.

5. The composition according to claim 4 , wherein the GO or RGO is functionalized with gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ).

6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of GO or RGO to P3HT and PCBM in the composition is from 0.5:20:20 to 4:20:20.

7. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises about 25-40 wt. % homogeneous dispersion, wherein the wt. % is based on the total weight of homogeneous dispersion, P3HT and PCBM in the composition.

8. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises 25-40 wt. % P3HT and 25-40 wt. % PCBM, wherein the wt. % is based on the total weight of homogeneous dispersion, P3HT and PCBM in the composition.

9. A composition used to form an active layer of a solar cell or hydrogen fuel cell, the composition comprising:
a homogeneous dispersion comprising graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and sulfonated polystyrene (PSS) or para-methoxy-N-methylamphetamine (PMMA); and
a polymer layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl[6,6]C 61 (PCBM), wherein the polymer layer is treated by ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O 3 ) exposure to form a hydrophilic, exterior surface,
wherein the homogeneous dispersion is disposed onto the hydrophilic, exterior surface of the polymer layer.

10. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the GO or RGO is functionalized with gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ).

11. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the ratio of GO or RGO to PSS or PMMA in the homogeneous dispersion is from 0.5:20 to 4:20.

12. The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the GO or RGO is functionalized with gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ).

13. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the ratio of GO or RGO to P3HT and PCBM in the composition is from 0.5:20:20 to 4:20:20.

14. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the composition comprises about 25-40 wt. % P3HT, wherein the wt. % is based on the total weight of PSS or PMMA, P3HT and PCBM in the composition.

15. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the composition comprises about 25-40 wt. % P3HT and about 25-40 wt. % PCBM, wherein the wt. % is based on the total weight of PSS or PMMA, P3HT and PCBM in the composition.

Assignees

• Univ New York State Res Found

Inventors

• Rafailovich Miriam
• Isseroff Rebecca
• Li Hongfei
• Chen Andrew
• Chittabathini Sneha
• Tse Alexandra

Classifications

• H10K30/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] devices · CPC title

• H10K30/30

  comprising bulk heterojunctions, e.g. interpenetrating networks of donor and acceptor material domains · CPC title

• H10K85/113

  Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene · CPC title

• H10K71/12 Primary

  using liquid deposition, e.g. spin coating · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title