Organic photovoltaic elements

Claim 2

A photovoltaic element, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising an electrically insulating binder, a pyrylium-type dye salt and an organic photoconductor; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 3

An element as defined in claim 1 wherein said photoconductive composition is a P-type composition, one of said conductors is a layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of indium, aluminum, magnesium, tin, chromium, copper and silver, and the other of said conductors is a semitransparent layer of indium tin oxide, tin oxide or nickel coated over a transparent support.

Claim 4

An element as defined in claim 1 wherein said composition is an N-type composition, one of said conductors is a layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of indium, aluminum, magnesium, tin, chromium, copper, and silver, and the other of said conductors is a semitransparent layer of indium tin oxide, tin oxide or nickel coated over a transparent support.

Claim 5

An element as defined in claim 1 wherein said photoconductive composition is an N-type composition and includes a dopant dispersed throughout said composition.

Claim 6

An element as defined in claim 1, and further including a nucleating layer of copper phthalocyanine between said composition and one of said conductors.

Claim 7

A photovoltaic element, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising an electrically insulating binder, a pyrylium-type dye salt and an organic photoconductor; said dye being selected from one having the structure: ##STR6## wherein: R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are the same or different and are each hydrogen, aryl, alkyl containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, cyano or nitro; X and Q are the same or different and are each selected from the group consisting of O, S or Se; n is 1 or 0; R 4 , r 5 , r 6 and R 7 are the same or different and are each phenyl, alkyl or alkoxy containing from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, at least two of R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 being phenyl; and Z.sup.θ is an anionic moiety; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 8

A photovoltaic element, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising an electrically insulating binder, a pyrylium-type dye salt and an organic photoconductor; said dye being selected from one having the structure: ##STR6## wherein: R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are the same or different and are each hydrogen, aryl, alkyl containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, cyano or nitro; X and Q are the same or different and are each selected from the group consisting of O, S or Se; n is 1 or 0; R 4 , r 5 , r 6 and R 7 are the same or different and are each phenyl, alkyl or alkoxy containing from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, at least two of R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 being phenyl; and Z.sup.θ is an anionic moiety; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 9

A photovoltaic element, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising an electrically insulating binder, a pyrylium-type dye salt and an organic photoconductor; said dye being selected from one having the structure: ##STR7## wherein: R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are each phenyl, alkyl containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, or a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring; with the proviso that at least one of R 8 , R 9 and R 10 is an alkylamino-substituted phenyl or an alkylamino-substituted 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety; X is oxygen, selenium or sulfur; and Z.sup.θ is an anionic moiety; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 10

A photovoltaic element, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising an electrically insulating binder, a pyrylium-type dye salt and an organic photoconductor; said dye being selected from one having the structure: ##STR7## wherein: R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are each phenyl, alkyl containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, or a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring; with the proviso that at least one of R 8 , R 9 and R 10 is an alkylamino-substituted phenyl or an alkylamino-substituted 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety; X is oxygen, selenium or sulfur; and Z.sup.θ is an anionic moiety; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 11

A photovoltaic cell of enhanced conversion efficiency comprising: a layer of an aggregate photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising a binder having an alkylidenediarylene moiety in a recurring unit thereof, a thiapyrylium dye salt, and an organic photoconductor, said composition being a multiphase organic solid having a continuous phase including said binder and said photoconductor and a discontinuous phase including said dye and said binder, said layer having a thickness between its opposed surfaces that is no greater than about 0.5 micron; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 12

A photovoltaic cell of enhanced conversion efficiency comprising: a layer of an aggregate photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising a binder having an alkylidenediarylene moiety in a recurring unit thereof, a thiapyrylium dye salt, and an organic photoconductor, said composition being a multiphase organic solid having a continuous phase including said binder and said photoconductor and a discontinuous phase including said dye and said binder, said layer having a thickness between its opposed surfaces that is no greater than about 0.5 micron; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 13

A cell as defined in claim 8 wherein one of said conductors comprises a transparent layer of indium tin oxide, tin oxide or nickel coated over a transparent support; and the other conductor comprises a layer of indium.

Claim 14

A photovoltaic element, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising an electrically insulating binder, a pyrylium-type dye salt and an organic photoconductor; said dye being selected from one having the structure: ##STR8## wherein: R 1 is hydrogen, aryl, alkyl containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, cyano or nitro; X and Q are either S, O; S, S; Se, O; or S, Se respectively, n is 1 or 0; R 4 , r 5 , r 6 and R 7 are the same or different and are each phenyl, alkyl or alkoxy containing from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, at least two of R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 being phenyl; and Z.sup.θ is an anionic moiety; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 15

A photovoltaic element, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising an electrically insulating binder, a pyrylium-type dye salt and an organic photoconductor; said dye being selected from one having the structure: ##STR8## wherein: R 1 is hydrogen, aryl, alkyl containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, cyano or nitro; X and Q are either S, O; S, S; Se, O; or S, Se respectively, n is 1 or 0; R 4 , r 5 , r 6 and R 7 are the same or different and are each phenyl, alkyl or alkoxy containing from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, at least two of R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 being phenyl; and Z.sup.θ is an anionic moiety; and an electrical conductor adjacent each of said layer surfaces; said element having a conversion efficiency when exposed to sunlight of at least about 0.05 percent.

Claim 16

A photovoltaic cell of enhanced conversion efficiency, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising: an alkylidenediarylene polycarbonate binder, 4-[(2,6-diphenyl-4H-thiapyran-4-ylidene)methyl]-2,6-diphenylthiapyrylium perchlorate, and 4-di-p-tolylamino-4'-[4-(di-p-tolylamino)styrene]stilbene, said layer having a thickness between its opposed surfaces that is no greater than about 0.5 micron; adjacent one of said layer surfaces a transparent layer of indium tin oxide, tin oxide or nickel coated over a transparent support; and adjacent the other of said layer surfaces a layer of indium.

Claim 17

A photovoltaic cell of enhanced conversion efficiency, comprising: a layer of a photoconductive composition having opposed surfaces, said composition comprising: an alkylidenediarylene polycarbonate binder, 4-[(2,6-diphenyl-4H-thiapyran-4-ylidene)methyl]-2,6-diphenylthiapyrylium perchlorate, and 4-di-p-tolylamino-4'-[4-(di-p-tolylamino)styrene]stilbene, said layer having a thickness between its opposed surfaces that is no greater than about 0.5 micron; adjacent one of said layer surfaces a transparent layer of indium tin oxide, tin oxide or nickel coated over a transparent support; and adjacent the other of said layer surfaces a layer of indium.