History of the coordination action

OrgaPVnet is the result of an amalgamation and streamlining of a number of Expressions of Interest (EoI) that were submitted to the 6th framework program in March 2004.

One of those was the “PhotoMOHSC” initiated by Universidad Complutense of Madrid and focussing on a Network of Excellence towards the development of new photoactive materials and nanoparticles for an improvement of the efficiency, stability and technological aspects of organic based solar cells. A second EoI was “ORGANISOLNET” initiated by Johannes Kepler University of Linz and focussing on a Coordination Action towards a better cohesion of the European Organic Solar Cells research community and towards a new world wide web portal to be used as “virtual academy for organic PV” and as teaching platform.

A third EoI was the “EUROCELL” initiative, which focused on a European Integrated Project to pave the way towards outdoor application of low-cost stable organic solar cell technologies. It was initiated by IMEC, Imperial College of London, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, EPFL, ECN and CEA. It is also worthwhile to note that these three EoIs are the result of one initiative of Prof. Serdar Sariciftci from Johannes Kepler University of Linz who organized one of the first international meetings to bring together scientists of each organic based solar cells research communities “Science Bazaar” in September 2003 to which 75 research groups from 19 European countries have indicated their strong interest by attending the meeting.

As a result, we are able to provide a fairly elaborated proposal, including a clear description of activities and tasks, and persons and bodies responsible for them. Solar energy conversion based on organic materials is an emerging research field with substantial future prospects. A broad range of distinct device technologies are currently being developed, including dye-sensitized nanocrystalline solar cells, polymer/fullerene blends, small molecule thin films and hybrid polymer/nanocrystal devices. Several European groups have already established themselves as world leaders in this field with for example world record efficiencies for both dye-sensitized and polymer/fullerene devices currently being published by research groups in Lausanne and Linz (Siemens) respectively. Major national research programmes are under way with extensive European industrial investment.