Development of singlet fission materials for improved solar cells

• Main Author: Wong, Magdalene Chia Ling
• Other Authors: Andrew Clive Grimsdale
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/147832
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Singlet fission is the process of the conversion of a singlet exciton to two triplets that provides the opportunity to improve the efficiency of the solar cells. It has become of interest to the researchers due to its potential to exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit for solar energy utilization. Many materials had been shown to exhibit singlet fission, ranging from small molecules to polymers. In this project, new heteroacene materials will be made and tested to see if they do show singlet fission and the ability to enhance solar cell efficiency. A few different reactions were used to synthesize the molecules. These include Friedlander synthesis, Suzuki coupling, DDQ oxidation, and Yamamoto coupling. The progress of the reactions was tested by TLC to check whether it is fully completed. Dimerization has been tried by both Suzuki and Yamamoto coupling to make the final product.