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Discotic Liquid Crystals for Self-organizing Photovoltaics

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Nanomaterials for Sustainable Energy

Part of the book series: NanoScience and Technology ((NANO))

Abstract

Development of photovoltaic solar cell s using organic materials as active components is an emerging area of contemporary research endeavor toward sustainable energy harvesting. Among the organic optoelectronic material s, disc-shaped polycyclic aromatic compounds capable of exhibiting columnar liquid crystal (LC) properties are unique. Liquid crystalline materials simultaneously display the anisotropic properties of crystalline solids and flow properties of isotropic liquids. The order and dynamics of the molecules of liquid crystalline materials make them stimuli responsive smart soft materials. LCs are ubiquitous in our daily life as the active switching materials in flat panel display such as the screens of laptops, computers, cameras and mobile phones. Interestingly, the nematic LC phase of disc-like molecules has been used to fabricate optical compensation films which enable enlarging the viewing angle of LC display devices. However the columnar LC phase of disc-like compounds has been found to possess remarkable semiconducting properties. Like other LCs, they show promising characteristics such as controllable alignment and self-healing of structural defect s which render them appealing candidates for use in organic semiconducting devices. In this chapter, we present the state-of-the-art of organic photovoltaics employing discotic LC s as active components as well as facilitating additives in the active layer of photovoltaic devices. Various discotic cores such as phthalocyanine, porphyrin, hexabenzocoronene, triphenylene, perylene diimide and others with different electronic properties have been used in organic photovoltaic s. The discotic LCs act as electron and/or hole transporting materials in the active layer, which have been tested both in bilayer and bulk heterojunction device configurations. Though this research enterprise is in early stage, with adequate attention these fascinating self-organizing material s could contribute toward the sustainable energy harvesting from solar radiation in future.

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Acknowledgements

The preparation of this chapter benefited from the support to Quan Li by Ohio Third Frontier, US Department of Energy (DOE), US Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (DoD MURI), US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), US Army Research Office (ARO), US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and US National Science Foundation (NSF).

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  1. Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA

    Hari Krishna Bisoyi & Quan Li

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  1. Hari Krishna Bisoyi
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  2. Quan Li
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  1. Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Prog, Kent State Univ, Liquid Crystal Inst, Kent, Ohio, USA

    Quan Li

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Bisoyi, H.K., Li, Q. (2016). Discotic Liquid Crystals for Self-organizing Photovoltaics. In: Li, Q. (eds) Nanomaterials for Sustainable Energy. NanoScience and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32023-6_6

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