Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/J33241/01
Title:	POLYMERIC PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES
Principal Investigator:	Friend, Professor Sir R
Other Investigators:	Holmes, Professor AB
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Physics
Organisation:	University of Cambridge
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 December 1993	Ends:	30 November 1995	Value (£):	182,159
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Synthesis & Growth Solar Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The aim of this project is to develop an understanding of the fundamental operation of photovoltaic cells based on conjugated polymers. We consider that the improved materials which we are able to produce now offer the prospect of useful photovoltaic devices (from our preliminary measurements we have found a quantum efficiency as high as 10% for monochromatic illumination). We also consider that the range of measurements that we will be able to carry out will provide important characterisation of the electronic processes involved. This is a collaborative project between the Chemistry Department and the Cavendish Laboratory. Chemical synthesis is directed to new polymers with properties selected to optimise performance in photovoltaic cells intended for solar light conversion. This requires tuning of the bandgap in the range 1.4 - 1.8 eV and optimisation of structural order.Work in the Cavendish covers device fabrication and measurement. Polymer films of poly(arylenevinylenes) will be processed as soluble precursor polymers and converted in-situ to form thin films of the conjugated polymer. Selection of metal contact layers and development of devices with several polymer layers of different bandgaps will be carried out. Measurements of photovoltaic response, of optical constants and photoconductivity will be performed.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.cam.ac.uk