A Liquid Crystalline Blend,Device Thereof and Method Thereof

KSU.339

Abstract: This invention provides a liquid crystalline blend, a device such as a photovoltaic using the blend, and a method.  The liquid crystalline blend comprises at least an electron donor such as halo-substituted porphyrin, another electron donor, and an electron acceptor.  The molar ratio between the donor and the acceptor is in the range of from about 1:20 to about 20:1.  The donor or the electronic acceptor can be excited by an electromagnetic radiation such as solar light to induce electron transfer between the donor and the acceptor.  The photovoltaic cell is improved in that favorable molecular arrangement in the blend gives more interfaces between the donor and the acceptor and thus a viable path for dissociation and electrons and/or holes; as well as larger light-harvesting area toward the coming light.

Applications: An organic semiconducting material, a photovoltaic device such as a bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cell, a solar cell, a homeotropically aligned blend thin film, a photo-sensitive electric resistor, and an organic light emitting device, and other like applications.

Advantages: This organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology would hold a great promise for the cost reduction since the OPV materials are potentially cheap, easy to process, and capable of being deposited on flexible substrates such as plastics and bending where their inorganic competitors e.g. crystalline silicon would crack.

Inventors: Dr. Quan Li

Licensing Contact

Suguna Rachakonda

Associate Director, Technology Commercialization

Office: 330-672-3553  Fax: 330-672-7991

Email: srachako@kent.edu