An unexpected change in polymer structure opens a new avenue in the search for improved solar cell efficiency
Thursday, July 25, 2013 - 16:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Solar cells based on organic polymers are of great interest because the materials are both cheaper to make and easier to process than those used in traditional inorganic solar cells. To date, however, the very best power conversion efficiencies for polymer solar cells remain below the threshold for practical application. Itaru Osaka from the Emergent Molecular Function Research Group at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and co-workers have now serendipitously discovered that changing the polymer's structure results in a significant enhancement of power conversion efficiency1.