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45751-SE
Science & Technology of Next Generation Photovoltaics, at the ACS National Meeting, September 2006, San Francisco, CA

Zakya H. Kafafi, National Science Foundation and Gerald Meyer, Johns Hopkins University

ACS-PRF Final Report for ACS'06 Symposium on

Next Generation Photovoltaics

Introduction. ACS-PRF funds were utilized for the first American Chemical Society (ACS) symposium on the “Science & Technology of Next Generation Photovoltaics” held at the 2006 Meeting of the ACS in San Francisco September 10-14. The Symposium served as a forum to discuss the science and technology of molecular, polymeric and hybrid photovoltaics, with particular focus on high performance light-harvesting and carrier transporting materials. Additional topics included: characterization of nanoscale processes; photoelectrochemical solar cells; chemistry of organic dyes and semiconductors; encapsulation techniques; and future prospects for organic solar cell technology. Because of the ubiquity of solar energy and its importance to our collective futures, photovoltaics research is a world-wide effort with leading scientists in the field spread across the globe. The aim of this meeting was to bring together chemists, physicists, material scientists, and engineers from academia, national laboratories and industry, in order to discuss and review the state-of-the-art science and technology of organic and hybrid photovoltaics. Funds were requested to offset the travel costs of international scientists. The scope of the conference covered these areas:

• light-harvesting materials in the visible and near-infrared

• polymer composites and interpenetrating polymer networks

• hybrid organic/inorganic nanostrucures

• characterization of nanoscale processes

• electron and hole transporting materials

• primary processes, carrier generation, and transport

• molecular and polymeric solid state organic photovoltaics

• dye-sensitized (photoelectrochemical) solar cells

• chemistry of organic dyes and semiconductors

• processes for large area fabrication of solar cells

• encapsulation techniques for flexible devices

• future prospects for organic solar cell technology

The Symposium was a great success that included a press conference led by three experts in the field. There were a three-day symposium with five thematic sessions of oral presentations and one evening poster session was organized. We estimate that the attendance at each oral session was about 150 persons. The poster session was even larger. A list of the eminent international and national speakers that were invited to this Symposium is given at the end of this report. We note also that the Economist wrote a special article in their Sept 14 issue that highlighted the presentations of the Heeger/Lee, Grätzel, and Kamat research groups presented at this Symposium.

Objectives.

1) To bring together chemists, physicists, material scientists, and engineers from academia, national laboratories and industry, to discuss and review the state-of-the-art science and technology of organic and hybrid photovoltaics. It was our contention that from such discussions come information exchanges that seed new ideas, educate junior scientists, and lead to technological breakthroughs. This expectation was realized at the meeting.

2) A team of principal investigators, with complimentary expertise in next generation photovoltaics, have come together to co-organize this Symposium: Zakya H. Kafafi, Naval Research Laboratory, and Gerald J. Meyer, Johns Hopkins University. Our approach was to invite an international group of distinguished and junior chemists, physicists, material scientists, and engineers from academia, national laboratories and industry, who discussed and reviewed the state-of-the-art of organic and hybrid photovoltaics at the ACS in San Francisco September 10-12, 2006. Special efforts were made to invite world experts as well as new scientists interested in entering this field.

3) Based on the excellent responses, the Symposium served as a forum to develop the science & technology of next generation organic photovoltaics and may eventually lead to renewable energy sources and integrated power supplies for use in remote locations.

4) It is the PIs' perspectives that the existing photovoltaic technologies are insufficient and cannot meet future energy requirements. Break-through technologies that are low cost and environmentally friendly with high efficiencies and stabilities are critically needed. It is our conjecture that molecular approaches, particularly molecules organized at interfaces, will eventually replace the semiconductor-based inorganic photovoltaics of today and will end the current energy crisis. There have in fact been notable advances in ‘molecular solar cells' however, there is still a long way to go. It is likely that break-through next generation technologies will be an integrated device, i.e. one composed or organic, inorganic, and nano-scale components. Thus, molecular expertise from far-reaching fields of physical and organic chemistry, materials science, photochemistry, nano-technology, condensed matter physics, inorganic chemistry, and electrochemistry will be required to make notable advances. The PIs belief are that organized discussions and dissemination of recent results from these broad areas will lead to new ideas and approaches for next generation photovoltaic technologies. An American Chemical Society Meeting was a natural place to have such discussions and it is surprising that this Symposium was the first in history.

5) The success of this Symposium was determined by the ideas and collaborations that emerged from intellectual discussions following oral and poster presentations. The enthusiasm expressed by the invited speakers showed that there was a real need for this type of Symposium.

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