There are two key elements that control the efficiency of a solar cell. How many electrons can we generate for a given illumination level (sunlight) and how much useful work can we get out of those electrons. In this project we study the transport of electrons through organic solar cells using a mixture of mathematical and computational modelling. We will seek to answer questions such as do the electrons hop or tunnel through the active layers, what is the energy costs associated with such transport, and are there molecular designs that can optimise the processes....Read more

Purely organic molecules usually absorb or emit (fluorescence) light only via their singlet states because transitions to the triplet state are ‘forbidden’.  However, in organometallic complexes with heavy metals such as iridium or platinum strong relativistic effects (such as spin-orbit coupling) mean that transitions to and from triplet states are allowed. However, at this stage it is not possible to predict or even explain why some complexes perform very well, e.g., are highly luminescent while others with only slight structural changes are not. We have been working on a method that will allow this to be done for the first time. The projects in this area will compare the solutions of the Schrodinger and Dirac equations to study the role of relativistic quantum-mechanical effects in the materials to expla

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Everyone knows that climate change and the cost/availability of fossil fuel are going to change the way that mankind produces and uses energy. Organic solar cells are seen as a lead "next generation" solar cell technology and will undoubtedly have a significant role in the future energy mix. In the Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE) we design and synthesise new materials for photon harvesting in organic solar cells. We also fabricate and test prototype devices in state-of-the-art clean room facilities....Read more