Organic solar cells are flexible and semi-transparent, making them a promising technology for use in buildings; for example, they could be wrapped around corners or integrated into windows. They work better under artificial light than silicon solar cells, meaning they could even be used indoors. But organic solar cells are also less efficient than silicon solar cells overall, which has prevented their widespread use.
Now, researchers have identified a major Achilles heel in organic solar cells, and a way to repair it. The new study finds that organic solar cells are prone to a problem in which free electrons and electron holes form bound states called triplet excitons. Once the electrons and holes are bound into this low-energy state, it’s impossible to recover any electric current, says Alexander Gillett, a research associate in optoelectronics at the Univ. of Cambridge.
However, Gillett and his colleagues also found that by altering the combination of electron donor and electron acceptor material within the solar cells, they could reduce the risk of triplet excitons forming and boost the solar cells’ efficiency.
“They really need that last push to get them into commercialization,” says Gillett.
The best organic solar cells achieve about 19% efficiency in converting...
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