Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) are 2D or 3D porous molecules made entirely from light atoms that form covalent bonds with each other such as B, C, N, S and H. Due to their light weight, high surface area, and crystalline characteristics, they have a variety of applications including gas storage or even as an electron donor in solar cells. Their high crystallinity and ability to be fully conjugated over a large area shows promise for solar cell applications. The problem is that COFs themselves are not great at absorbing light, so they need to be modified to do so. Polythiophene has been extensively studied as a polymer that can absorb a large portion of the visible light spectrum. Our plan is to incorporate individual thiophene units into a COF to synthesize a fully conjugated material that can be an exceptional electron donor in a solar cell. The goal of this research is to synthesize similar COFs and find what makes a more crystalline COF, and consequently, a better solar cell.
