# US 8,772,629 B2 · Fiber photovoltaic devices and applications thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,772,629 B2 - Document ID: US8772629B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/298,936 - Filed: 2007-05-01 - Published: 2009-12-10 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2006-05-01 - Assignees: Wake Forest University; Arrowhead Center, Inc. - Applicants: Seamus A. Curran; David L. Carroll; James Lee Dewald, Sr. - Inventors: Seamus A. Curran; David L. Carroll; James Lee Dewald, Sr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772629B2 ## 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 30/81: Electrodes - C08G 2261/91: Photovoltaic applications - C08L 65/00: Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain (C08L7/00 - C08L57/00, C08L61/00 take precedence); Compositions of derivatives of such polymers - H10K 30/53: in the form of fibres or tubes, e.g. photovoltaic fibres - H10K 85/113: {Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene} - H10K 85/1135: {Polyethylene dioxythiophene [PEDOT]; Derivatives thereof} - H10K 85/215: {comprising substituents, e.g. PCBM} - H10K 85/221: {Carbon nanotubes} - H10K 85/30: Coordination compounds - H10K 2102/103: {comprising indium oxides, e.g. ITO} - 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 - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The present invention relates to organic optoelectronic devices and, in particular, to organic photovoltaic devices having a fiber structure. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device comprises a first electrode comprising an indium tin oxide fiber, at least one photosensitive organic layer surrounding the first electrode and electrically connected to the first electrode, and a second electrode surrounding the organic layer and electrically connected to the organic layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photovoltaic apparatus comprising: an optical fiber core; a radiation transmissive first electrode surrounding the optical fiber core; at least one photosensitive organic layer surrounding the first electrode and electrically connected to the first electrode; and a second electrode fully enclosing the photosensitive organic layer and electrically connected to the photosensitive organic layer, wherein the organic layer comprises at least one upconverter material, anti-Stokes material, laser dye, anti-counterfeiting dye, quantum dot, or combination thereof, wherein (a) the second electrode is a continuous reflective metal layer having a thickness of about 100 nm to about 1 μm; or (b) the apparatus comprises a reflective and continuous external metal contact fully enclosing the second electrode; or (c) the second electrode is reflective and the apparatus comprises a reflective and continuous external metal contact fully enclosing the second electrode; and wherein the apparatus is operable to pass radiation into the photosensitive organic layer from the interior of the fiber core. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation transmissive first electrode comprises a radiation transmissive conducting oxide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The photovoltaic device of claim 2, wherein the radiation transmissive conducting oxide comprises indium tin oxide, gallium indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, or zinc indium tin oxide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photosensitive organic layer comprises a photoactive region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 4, wherein the photoactive region comprises at least one bulk heterojunction between a donor material and an acceptor material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the donor material comprises a polymeric phase and the acceptor material comprises a nanoparticle phase. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the polymeric phase comprises a conjugated polymer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the conjugated polymer comprises poly(3-hexylthiophene), poly(3-octylthiophene), or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the nanoparticle phase comprises fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the fullerenes comprise 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl(6,6)C61. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the donor material comprises organometallic compounds. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the organometallic compounds comprise phthalocyanines, porphyrins, or derivatives thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one upconverter material comprises a Lanthanide series element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one upconverter material comprises erbium, ytterbium, dysprosium, holmium, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one quantum dot comprises a III/V semiconductor material, a II/VI semiconductor material, or mixture thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one counterfeiting dye comprises a phosphor, fluorophor, thermochromic chemical species, photochromic chemical species, or a mixture thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one end of the optical fiber core is beveled. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein both ends of the optical fiber core are beveled. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber core has a diameter ranging from about 10 μm to about 1 mm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exciton blocking layer adjacent to the photosensitive organic layer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 20, wherein the exciton blocking layer is etched. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic apparatus of claim 1 comprising a plurality of photosensitive organic layers. ### Claim 23 A photovoltaic apparatus comprising: an optical fiber core; a radiation transmissive first electrode surrounding the optical fiber core; at least one photosensitive organic layer surrounding the first electrode and electrically connected to the first electrode; a second electrode surrounding the organic layer and electrically connected to the organic layer, wherein the organic layer comprises at least one upconverter material, anti-Stokes material, laser dye, anti-counterfeiting dye, quantum dot, or combination thereof; and a reflective external metal contact fully enclosing the second electrode, wherein the apparatus is operable to pass radiation into the photosensitive organic layer from the interior of the optical fiber core.