The specific topics of this workshop will include (i) materials design and synthesis: optical and electronic tuning in materials design and synthesis, (ii) device physics: characterization and control of internal charge dissociation, transport, and collection in device physics, and (iii) device fabrication: interface engineering issues, new electrode materials, and printing techniques. The goal of this workshop is to review recent research progress and prepare a strategic report that can address key issues and five-year research plan for the development of next-generation organic solar cells with device efficiencies greater than 15 %. The specific intellectual merit includes (i) interdisciplinary participants from academic universities, government labs, and industries, (ii) comprehensive discussions on critical issues in molecular structure (light harvesting versus photovoltaic loss), morphological structure (charge dissociation versus charge recombination), and device interface (charge collection versus charge trapping) and (iii) interdisciplinary effort from materials synthesis, device fabrication, and fundamental studies. The educational impact will include the following aspects. First, this workshop plans to establish a website to publish the workshop presentations and reports to public to enhance student learning and training at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Second, this workshop will summarize the recent research progress for the use in future materials summer camp organized annually at the University of Tennessee. Third, the experimental results reported by this workshop will become public domain through designed website, which can be used by various universities to enhance class teaching.
Intellectual Merit: This workshop has identified the important aspects for enabling high efficiency organic solar cells by addressing light harvesting, bulk photovoltaic processes, and interface gain and loss. The specific intellectual merit includes (i) interdisciplinary participants from academic universities, government labs, and industries, (ii) comprehensive discussions on critical issues in molecular structure (light harvesting versus photovoltaic loss), morphological structure (charge dissociation versus charge recombination), and device interface (charge collection versus charge trapping) and (iii) interdisciplinary effort from materials synthesis, device fabrication, and fundamental studies. In particular, this workshop has developed a roadmap with interdisciplinary approach to address bottle-neck issues with the goal of significantly improving photovoltaic efficiencies up to 20 % within ten years. Broader Impact: This workshop is expected to promote the education in organic solar cells. The educational impact will come from (i) public domain of workshop presentations and workshop reports for graduate and undergraduate students, (ii) workshop-related materials summer camp for high-school students, and (iii) the graduate and undergraduate teaching enhancements. First, this workshop has established a website to publish the workshop presentations and reports to public. This can enhance student learning and training at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Second, the recent research progress and fundamental discussions in this workshop has been summarized for the use in future materials summer camp organized annually in the department of materials science and engineering at the University of Tennessee which can be disseminated to other academic institutes around the country. Third, the experimental results reported by this workshop could become public domain through designed website, which can be used by various universities to enhance class teaching.
