Fine-tuned molecular orientation is key to more ef

Fine-tuned molecular orientation is key to more efficient solar cells
Wako, Japan | Posted on May 26th, 2015
Polymer-based solar cells offer a number of potential advantages. They are made of polymers that are inexpensive and flexible, and can be deposited on glass or plastic substrates, allowing the construction of large-scale structures. They are cheaper to manufacture, and more environmentally-friendly, than their silicon counterparts. Unfortunately, they have lower power efficiency due to their structure and also tend to degrade more quickly.

In the research published in Nature Photonics, a collaboration including Itaru Osaka and Kazuo Takimiya of the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science managed to create a type of polymer solar cell called a bulk-heterojunction solar cell—where the electron donor and acceptor layers are mixed together—with a power conversion efficiency of 10%, close to what will allow these materials to be commercially viable.
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=51546


.....Looking forward to see what QMC has to say about their rugged new and improved QD