Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to Ge comprising heterocyclic compounds which can be used for the preparation of homopolymers and copolymers. The copolymers can be donor-acceptor (DA) alternating copolymers where the donor unit is a Ge comprising heterocyclic unit. The polymers can be used as materials in solar cells and other photovoltaic devices, transistors, diodes, light emitting devices (LEDs), conductors, supercapacitors, batteries, and electrochromic devices.

Abstract: A composition of matter comprises a polymer with a fully conjugated backbone or a conjugated block with a plurality of binding groups connected to the backbone by a linking moiety. The binding groups permit a non-covalent binding to a graphitic surface such as a carbon nanotube. A composition of matter where an electroactive polymer with binding groups connected to a conjugated backbone through a linking moiety is bound to carbon nanotubes. Such compositions can be used for a variety of applications using electroactive materials.

Abstract: A solar-powered lighting module is provided, including a solar cell for generating electricity when exposed to light, a battery for storing charge from the generated electricity, and a light generating device powered by the stored charge. In an embodiment, the module further includes a controller that regulates the current transmitted between the components of the module. In a further embodiment, the module is incorporated into an interface to an environmentally controlled space and can be positioned to light an interior portion of the space. In another embodiment, the solar cell and light generating device are transparent to allow light to pass through the interface. In a further embodiment, tinted-color conjugated polymers incorporated into the module limit the spectrum of light that can pass through the interface. In yet another embodiment, a method of modifying an existing interface with such a module is provided.

Abstract: An electrochromic device (ECD) includes an electrochromic cell and, optionally, one or more additional electrochromic cells where all cells are parallel, and where at least one of the electrodes of one of the cells comprises a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) film The electrochromic cells allow the control of transmittance of two or more different portions of the electro-magnetic spectrum through the ECD. One cell can control the transmittance of visible radiation while the other cell can control the transmittance of IR radiation. The ECD can be employed as a “smart window” to control the heat and light transmission through the window. The ECD can be in the form of a laminate that can be added to an existing window.

Abstract: A degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant comprises a multiplicity of NT associative groups that are connected to a polymer backbone by a linking group where there are cleavable groups within the polymer backbone and/or the linking groups such that on a directed change of conditions, bond breaking of the cleavable groups results in residues from the degradable polymeric NT dispersant in a manner where the associative groups are uncoupled from other associative groups, rendering the associative groups monomelic in nature. The degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant can be combined with carbon NTs to form a NT dispersion that can be deposited to form a NT film, or other structure, by air brushing, electrostatic spraying, ultrasonic spraying, ink-jet printing, roll-to-roll coating, or dip coating. The deposition can render a NT film that is of a uniform thickness or is patterned with various thicknesses.

Abstract: A SolarTurf unit has a plurality of solar blades, each blade comprising a donor-acceptor conjugated polymer (DA-CP) disposed between and electrically contacting a working electrode and a counter electrode where at least one of electrodes is transparent and where the plurality of solar blades have like or different DA-CPs having like color or different colors, for example, green. The SolarTurf unit includes an interconnect strip having a first electrically conductive surface and a second electrically conductive surface separated by an insulator. The working electrodes are electrically connected to the first electrically conductive surface and the counter electrodes are electrically connected to the second electrically conductive surface. The SolarTurf units can be combined into a device for harvesting light energy to provide an electric output. The SolarTurf device can have the appearance of a lawn or other plant, fungi, rock, sand or animal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to Ge comprising heterocyclic compounds which can be used for the preparation of homopolymers and copolymers. The copolymers can be donor-acceptor (DA) alternating copolymers where the donor unit is a Ge comprising heterocyclic unit. The polymers can be used as materials in solar cells and other photovoltaic devices, transistors, diodes, light emitting devices (LEDs), conductors, supercapacitors, batteries, and electrochromic devices.

Abstract: Green to transmissive soluble electrochromic polymers are conjugated polymers having a plurality of repeating units where repeating units are a plurality of substituted dioxyheterocycle based donor groups coupled to an acceptor group. The conjugated polymer absorbs radiation within a first band of the visible spectrum and a second band of the visible spectrum when in a neutral state resulting in a green color and is transmissive when in an oxidized state. The polymers are soluble allowing processing of films and coatings from solution.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to yellow-to-transmissive conjugated polymers, a method to prepare the yellow conjugated polymers, the use of the yellow conjugated polymers in an electrochromic and/or electroluminescent device comprising neutral state primary subtractive colored conjugated polymers, and a method to prepare the device comprising the yellow conjugated polymer. The yellow conjugated polymers comprise a sequence of dioxythiophene units alternating with aromatic units, thiophene units, furan units, and/or pyrrole units. The yellow conjugated polymers are prepared by cross-condensation reactions. The yellow conjugated polymers can be soluble and preparation of the device involves deposition of the yellow conjugated polymer from solution onto a surface.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an assembly of photovoltaic cells having at least two different earth-toned colors, where different colors are situated in different cells, the cells color being defined by the donor-acceptor (DA) ?-conjugated polymer and an acceptor moiety combination comprising the photoactive layer of the cell, and where the different colored solar cells are coupled into an assembly. The assembly can be flexible and can have colors specifically arranged in a camouflage or other pattern.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to alternating donor-acceptor (DA) polymers that are soluble and display a blue or green neutral state that oxidizes to a transmissive state for use as an electrochromic polymer. The D units have 3,4-dioxythiophene, 3,6-dialkoxythieno[3,2-b]thiophene or 3,5-dialkoxy-dithieno[3,2-b:2?,3?-d]thiophene groups. Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method for preparation of the alternating DA polymeric sequences of the DA polymers by a cross-condensation of a nucleophilic acceptor monomer and an electrophilic donor monomer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to random conjugated copolymers comprising a plurality of one or more different donor (D) repeating units and a plurality of at least one acceptor (A) repeating unit. At least one of the D units has a solubilizing substituent, statistically a portion of the A repeating units are separated from each other by only one D units and a plurality of the A unit are adjacent to one the D units having the solubilizing substituents. The random conjugated copolymers are black or colored in the neutral state and highly transmissive in the oxidized state. The random conjugated copolymers have the structure -[(D)xA]n-, where x>1 and n(x+1)?10 or the structure -[(DA))x-(D?A)y]n-, where D represents one substituted D unit and D? represents another D units and where x?1, y?1 and 2n(x+y)?10.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to yellow-to-transmissive conjugated polymers, a method to prepare the yellow conjugated polymers, the use of the yellow conjugated polymers in an electrochromic and/or electroluminescent device comprising neutral state primary subtractive colored conjugated polymers, and a method to prepare the device comprising the yellow conjugated polymer. The yellow conjugated polymers comprise a sequence of dioxythiophene units alternating with aromatic units, thiophene units, furan units, and/or pyrrole units. The yellow conjugated polymers are prepared by cross-condensation reactions. The yellow conjugated polymers can be soluble and preparation of the device involves deposition of the yellow conjugated polymer from solution onto a surface.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to alternating donor-acceptor (DA) polymers that are soluble and display a blue or green neutral state that oxidizes to a transmissive state for use as an electrochromic polymer. The D units have 3,4-dioxythiophene, 3,6-dialkoxythieno[3,2-b]thiophene or 3,5-dialkoxy-dithieno[3,2-b:2?,3?-d]thiophene groups. Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method for preparation of the alternating DA polymeric sequences of the DA polymers by a cross-condensation of a nucleophilic acceptor monomer and an electrophilic donor monomer.

Abstract: Green to transmissive soluble electrochromic polymers are conjugated polymers having a plurality of repeating units where repeating units are a plurality of substituted dioxyheterocycle based donor groups coupled to an acceptor group. The conjugated polymer absorbs radiation within a first band of the visible spectrum and a second band of the visible spectrum when in a neutral state resulting in a green color and is transmissive when in an oxidized state. The polymers are soluble allowing processing of films and coatings from solution.

Abstract: A soluble fused donor-acceptor conjugated polymer (fDA-CP) is prepared that absorbs light throughout nearly all the visible spectrum and is essentially black to the human eye when in the neutral state. The conjugated polymer has acceptor units that are isolated by a plurality of fused donor units. The fDA-CP assumes a conformation that results in a close ?-stacking between adjacent lamella with a separation of less than 4.5 ? in the solid state and extended conjugation to promote high charge carrier mobilities. The fDA-CP is prepared by the polycondensation of a plurality of at least one fused donor-acceptor oligomer (fDA-oligomer) that has a flat internal acceptor unit and at least one fused donor unit incorporated in the oligomers, and optionally, an additional conjugated aromatic monomer or oligomer copolymerized with the fDA-oligomers.

Abstract: A donor-acceptor (DA) ?-conjugated polymer with high charge transfer mobility has a plurality of D1kAD1k portions, where k is 1 or 2, D1 is a donor unit having at least one solubilizing side chain, and A is an acceptor unit, and the donor-acceptor (DA) ?-conjugated polymer has a plurality of D2m spacer sequences situated between the D1kAD1k portions, where m is 1 to 6 and D2 is a second donor unit where all atoms of the unit are coplanar in at least one conformation that the unit can assume. The DA ?-conjugated polymer can reflect a blue tinted green, deep green, or yellow tinted green color. The DA ?-conjugated polymers have space-charge limited (SCL) zero field hole mobilities of at least 1×10?6 cm2V?1s?1.

Abstract: Photovoltaic cells, methods of fabricating photovoltaic cells, and methods of using photovoltaic cells to capture light energy are provided. A photovoltaic cell can include an electron transporting layer, a photoactive layer, and a hole transporting layer. The electron transporting layer can be ultraviolet ozone treated. The photovoltaic cell can have an inverted configuration.

Abstract: A polymer based solar cell having an inverted geometry includes a transparent cathode and a double interlayer that has a hole extracting layer and a hole transport/electron blocking layer situated between an active layer, for example, a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) layer, and an anode. The inverted solar cells according to embodiments of the invention display significant efficiency improvements over polymer based solar cells that do not have the inverted geometry and lack the double interlayer.

Abstract: A dual active electrochromic device is a combination of at least two working electrodes that contain electrochromic materials and at least one counter electrode where the potentials between each working electrode and a counter electrode are independently supplied. No more than one electrode is reflective. The color of the device results from the additive color of the electrochromic materials and varies according to the potentials applied independently. The electrochromic materials can be electrochromic polymers that are deposited as film on substrates to form the working electrodes. The electrochromic device can be used for display or window applications.