# US 2013/0153032 A1 · Polymer wrapped carbon nanotube near-infrared photovoltaic devices

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- Number: US 2013/0153032 A1
- Document ID: US20130153032A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/112,596
- Filed: 2011-05-20
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2008-05-01
- Assignees: The Regents of the University of Michigan
- Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest; Michael S. Arnold; Jeramy D. Zimmerman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153032A1

## CPC

- H10K 30/30: comprising bulk heterojunctions, e.g. interpenetrating networks of donor and acceptor material domains
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- H10K 30/211: {comprising multiple junctions, e.g. double heterojunctions}
- H10K 30/50: Photovoltaic [PV] devices
- H10K 85/114: {Poly-phenylenevinylene; Derivatives thereof}
- H10K 85/211: {Fullerenes, e.g. C60}
- H10K 85/221: {Carbon nanotubes}
- H10K 85/621: {Aromatic anhydride or imide compounds, e.g. perylene tetra-carboxylic dianhydride or perylene tetracarboxylic di-imide}
- Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A photovoltaic device includes a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to two electrodes where the photoactive region includes photoactive polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes that create excitons upon absorption of light in the range of about 400 nm to 1400 nm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein the photoactive region comprises a photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within an organic semiconductor material, whereby the organic semiconductor material and the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes form a bulk heterojunction layer,
wherein the carbon nanotubes themselves are photoactive.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron acceptor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes create excitons upon absorption of light in the range of about 400 nm to 1400 nm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the electron acceptor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of evaporated C60, [84]PCBM ([6,6]-Phenyl C84 butyric acid methyl ester), F16-CuPc, PTCBI, PTCDA, Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline), TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), and F4-TCNQ (tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron donor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes create excitons upon absorption of light in the range of about 400 nm to 1400 nm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein the electron donor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of BTEM-PPV (Poly(2,5-bis(1,4,7,10-tetraoxaundecyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), Poly(3-decyloxythiophene), CuPc (copper phthalocyanine), NPD (4,4′-bis(N-(1-napthyl)phenylamino)biphenyl), pentacene, and tetracene.

### Claim 12

A photovoltaic device comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the photoactive region further comprising:
a donor layer formed above the first electrode;
a bulk heterojunction layer formed above the donor layer, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within an organic semiconductor material; and
an acceptor layer formed above the bulk heterojunction layer, wherein the carbon nanotubes themselves are photoactive.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the donor layer comprises a donor material of photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the acceptor layer comprises an acceptor material of photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron acceptor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein the electron acceptor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of evaporated C60, [84]PCBM ([6,6]-Phenyl C84 butyric acid methyl ester), F16-CuPc, PTCBI, PTCDA, Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline), TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), and F4-TCNQ (tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane).

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron donor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein the electron donor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of BTEM-PPV (Poly(2,5-bis(1,4,7,10-tetraoxaundecyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), Poly(3-decyloxythiophene), CuPc (copper phthalocyanine), NPD (4,4′-bis(N-(1-napthyl)phenylamino)biphenyl), pentacene, and tetracene.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, further comprising an exciton blocking layer provided between the acceptor layer and the second electrode.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, further comprising an exciton blocking layer provided between the donor layer and the first electrode.

### Claim 23

A device comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein the photoactive region comprises a first bulk heterojunction layer and a second bulk heterojunction layer,
the first bulk heterojunction layer comprising photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within a first organic semiconductor material that is an electron donor type material with respect to the polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes,
the second bulk heterojunction layer comprising photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within a second organic semiconductor material that is an electron acceptor type material with respect to the polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes,
wherein the carbon nanotubes themselves are photoactive.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein the polymer-wrapped single wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein the electron acceptor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of evaporated C60, [84]PCBM ([6,6]-Phenyl C84 butyric acid methyl ester), F16-CuPc, PTCBI, PTCDA, Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline), TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), and F4-TCNQ (tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane).

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein the electron donor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of BTEM-PPV (Poly(2,5-bis(1,4,7,10-tetraoxaundecyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), Poly(3-decyloxythiophene), CuPc (copper phthalocyanine), NPD (4,4′-bis(N-(1-napthyl)phenylamino)biphenyl), pentacene, and tetracene.