Ithaca College

 Kathleen Sampson of Toronto University will present

From Chemistry to Engineering: New Materials for Organic Solar Cells

Tuesday, October 24th 12:10 pm in CNS 333

 Pizza and Drinks Provided

 One of the greatest potential sources for renewable energy is the sun; more energy from the sun strikes the Earth than the world consumes in one year. Organic solar cells (OSCs) are a type of solar energy technology that convert sunlight into electricity using Earth-abundant, carbon-based materials and cheaper manufacturing processes compared to current commercially available solar technology. In addition, OSCs are low in weight and can be printed onto flexible materials similar to an inkjet printer. In the Bender Lab at University of Toronto, our research is focused on a class of materials called boron subphthalocyanines (BsubPcs) as they can absorb large amounts of light in the visible energy spectrum – a strong indication of its capability of harvesting sunlight and converting it into current. As well, its properties can be tuned by altering the substituents on the BsubPc using the vastness of organic chemistry. They have shown great potential in OSCs as small molecules as well as when incorporated in polymers. My project focuses on altering the electronic and solubility properties of small molecule and polymer BsubPcs in order to solution-process high-performance OSCs. Solution processed OSCs are at the cusp of mass production due to their promise as a cheaper alternative with high efficiencies.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Paula Larsen at plarsen@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3238. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.