Composite organic-inorganic energy harvesting devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9508944-B2
Application number	US-201313828708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Apr 11, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film is provided. The hybrid organic-inorganic thin film comprising: an organic-phase comprising a porous organic nanostructure comprised of an interpenetrating network having at least one dimension between 0.1 and 100 nm; and an inorganic phase at least partially distributed within the porosity of the organic phase. In a first aspect, the organic phase has a first band gap and the inorganic phase has a second band gap different from the first band gap. A method of producing an organic-inorganic energy harvesting device and a device therefrom comprising the hybrid organic-inorganic thin film is provided.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film comprising:
an organic-phase comprising a porous organic nanostructure comprised of an interpenetrating network of one or more conjugated polymer fibers, the network having a plurality of voids of dimension between 0.1 and 100 nm, wherein the one or more conjugated polymer fibers comprises branching and/or roping; and
an amorphous inorganic phase at least partially distributed within the plurality of voids of the organic phase.

2. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film of claim 1 , wherein the organic phase has a first band gap and the inorganic phase has a second band gap different from the first band gap.

3. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film of claim 1 , wherein the organic layer is an organogel of one or more conjugated polymer fibers.

4. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic phase comprises one or more semiconducting inorganic materials.

5. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film of claim 4 , wherein the one or more semiconducting inorganic materials are dispersed or distributed within the plurality of voids of the interpenetrating network.

6. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film of claim 1 , wherein the interpenetrating network is poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-dodecylthiophene-2,5-diyl); or poly(9,9-dioctyl fluorene).

7. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film of claim 1 , wherein the interpenetrating network is poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-dodecylthiophene-2,5-diyl); or poly(9,9-dioctyl fluorene) and the inorganic phase is TiO 2 , ZnO, Fe 2 O 3 , WO 3 , SnO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , V 2 O 3 , MoO 3 , NiO, SrTiO 3 , Cs(CO 3 ), AlN, or BN.

8. A hybrid organic-inorganic thin film of claim 1 , wherein the interpenetrating network is poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) fibers and the inorganic phase is plasma deposited TiO 2 or SrTiO 3 .

9. A hybrid organic-inorganic energy harvesting device comprising:
a first electrode;
an organic layer deposited on the first electrode, the organic layer comprising a porous interpenetrating network of one or more conjugated polymer fibers defining a plurality of voids of dimension between 0.1 and 100 nm to the substrate; and
an amorphous inorganic semiconducting material at least partially distributed within the interpenetrating network of fibers; and
a second electrode, wherein the organic layer and the inorganic semiconducting material are sandwiched between the first and the second electrodes.

10. A hybrid organic-inorganic energy harvesting device of claim 9 , wherein the organic layer is an organogel of the one or more conjugated polymer fibers.

11. A hybrid organic-inorganic energy harvesting device of claim 9 , wherein the organic layer is an organogel of one or more conjugated polymer fibers having a first band gap and the inorganic semiconducting material has a second band gap different from the first band gap.

12. A hybrid organic-inorganic energy harvesting device of claim 9 , wherein the device is a solar cell.

13. A hybrid organic-inorganic energy harvesting device of claim 9 , wherein the interpenetrating network is poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-dodecylthiophene-2,5-diyl); or poly(9,9-dioctyl fluorene).

14. A hybrid organic-inorganic energy harvesting device of claim 9 , wherein the interpenetrating network is poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl); poly(3-dodecylthiophene-2,5-diyl); or poly(9,9-dioctyl fluorene) and the inorganic phase is TiO 2 , ZnO, Fe 2 O 3 , WO 3 , SnO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , V 2 O 3 , MoO 3 , NiO, SrTiO 3 , Cs(CO 3 ), AlN, or BN.

15. A hybrid organic-inorganic energy harvesting device of claim 9 , wherein the interpenetrating network is poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) fibers and the inorganic semiconducting material is plasma deposited TiO 2 or SrTiO 3 .

Assignees

• Boeing Co
• Univ Of Washington Center For Commercialization

Inventors

• Matos Marvi A
• Ranade Alpana N
• Pozzo Danilo C

Classifications

• H10K30/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] devices · CPC title

• H10K30/151

  the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 · CPC title

• H10K30/152 Primary

  the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising zinc oxide, e.g. ZnO · CPC title

• H01L51/0037

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/4213 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic