Developing a Portable Organic Solar Cell Kit Suitable for Students to Fabricate and Test Solar Cells in the Laboratory

Abstract

An organic solar cell fabrication kit has been developed for demonstration in both undergraduate teaching classes and high school laboratories to promote the growing field of renewable energy and to facilitate empirical comprehension of solar technology. The laboratory focuses on fabricating organic photovoltaics (solar cells) and testing the efficiency of power generation. By restricting substances to nontoxic coating inks, and a Pb-free alloy for the cathode, chemical hazards are minimized. Usually, organic solar cell fabrication requires the use of expensive laboratory equipment only found in a university or an industry environment, such as fume hoods, large spin coaters, nitrogen glove boxes, and metal evaporation systems. Importantly, the solar cell kit has been specifically developed to remove the need for accessing this large and expensive equipment: nontoxic inks are used such that fume hoods are not necessary, a portable miniature spin coater has been developed such that large spin coaters with a vacuum connection are not required, and a low-melting-point (62 °C) Pb-free alloy has been trialed such that access to high-vacuum metal evaporation equipment is not necessary. The exercise utilizes a pedagogical framework of preliminary predictive exercises, practical verification of device optimization and engineering to illuminate the key working principles of a solar cell, and a post-exercise quiz to provide feedback and assess embedded knowledge. This experiment is an introductory lesson in renewable energy and gives students exposure to the chemistry, physics, and materials science concepts of organic electronics.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Metal-Free Organic Dye-Sensitizer for Solar Cell: An Advanced Organic Chemistry Research-Based Laboratory

“…In order to test the solar cell, students measure the current using a digital multimeter in the presence and absence of light (Figure ). Experiments characterizing the parameters for solar cells have extensively been reported in this Journal ; therefore, the parameters of a solar cell produced in this lab are not delineated. − Instead, students see that the molecule they synthesized could capture the solar energy and be used in a solar cell. Therefore, they learn about the application of organic chemistry in everyday life.…”

“…In this Journal , many laboratory experiments have been reported on the use of berry fruit juice, flowers, and the commercially available ruthenium dye Z907 as dye-sensitizers for solar cells. The majority of these lab activities have focused on fabricating the solar cells and measuring the current. − However, to the best of our knowledge, no lab experiment involving the synthesis of a metal-free organic dye-sensitizer for solar cells has appeared in this Journal despite the extensive research that has been conducted in the synthesis of metal-free organic dye-sensitizers for solar cells over the past two decades. − Therefore, we have developed an organic chemistry lab-based research project for the synthesis of a metal-free organic dye-sensitizer for solar cells bearing triphenylamine end-capped with pyrene as an electron-donating moiety, and the cyanoacrylic acid as the acceptor group (Scheme ) utilizing the D−π–A molecular structure (Figure b). A simple methine unit is chosen as a linker to circumvent the synthetic challenges, and procedures associated with the lengthening of the linker.…”

Trendbericht Chemiedidaktik 2021

“…22) Weitere Beispiele für Themen mit BNE-Bezug sind Stick-stoffproblematik 23) oder Photochemie. 24) Photochemie findet sich auch in internationalen Arbeiten zur Nutzung regenerativer Energiequellen, etwa zur photoinduzierten Synthese eines Fluorophors ohne Photoredoxkatalysator 25) oder zur Herstellung und Nutzung organischer Solarzellen im Lernlabor 26) . Ein Themenheft der Naturwissenschaften im Unterricht -Chemie stellte Schülerprojekte zu Nachhaltigkeit vor.…”

Remote Learning Facilitated by MyScope Explore

“…The University of Newcastle Centre for Organic Electronics (COE) Spring and Winter Schools were developed as a platform for teaching undergraduate students from a range of disciplines and for developing and testing laboratory exercises that can be used beyond this event at other teaching institutions [ 4 ]. The electron microscopy component of the 3-day workshop is usually comprised of 45-minute excursions to the electron microscopy and X-ray (EMX) facility, whereby the undergraduate students participate in an electron microscopy demonstration of all stages of data collection, including sample loading, alignment, and detector selection—to careful selection of aperture size, working distance, brightness, contrast, focus, and magnification settings for image optimization.…”