Search
Menu
PI Physik Instrumente - Revolution In Photonics Align LW LB 3/24

Spray-On Solar Cells Pursued

Facebook X LinkedIn Email
Creating solar cells you can wear, fold and bend – even spray onto surfaces – is the goal of a four-year research program set to begin next month under a consortium of eight UK universities.

The £3.4 million (about $4.7 million) SUPERGEN Excitonic Solar Cell Consortium is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and brings together the universities of Warwick, Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Imperial College, Loughborough and Oxford.

The University of Warwick is leading the effort to prepare and characterize new solar cells using the processes of light absorption, exciton movement and current generation, which can be studied on a time scale extending down to femtoseconds (quadrillionths of a second).
ExcitonicSolarCell.jpg
This excitonic solar cell, based on conjugated polymers, shows the simple sandwich structure. The active layer is a mixture of two polymers that separate to give a nanostructured interface. (Image: EPSRC)
Standard solar cells tend to be heavy and are silicon-based, while excitonic solar cells (ESCs) are made from organic compounds, dyes, gels or liquids. Light absorption leads to electronically excited molecular states called excitons. Excitons transfer energy between molecules for a few tens of nanometers until they reach an interface between two materials where the energy is used to create an electron in one material (phase) and a hole in the other, creating current.

Lumencor Inc. - ZIVA Light Engine 3-24 MR

They can be made using low-cost methods that could deposit or even spray onto both rigid and flexible bases. One could wear them, use them to power electronic products bent to fit a space or a body shape, or even spray them onto the roof of a vehicle that could easily not take the weight of conventional solar cells.

“There have also been initial steps to commercialize some ESCs, with the first manufacturing plant to produce dye-sensitized excitonic cells opening in the UK in 2007,” said lead researcher and University of Warwick research chemist Tim Jones. “However, it is widely recognized that much fundamental research still needs to be carried out, in particular on the less well developed organic and hybrid excitonic cells.”

Under the program, Bath and Imperial College are developing dye-sensitized and nanoparticle-sensitized solar cells, while Cambridge and Imperial College are investigating organic solar cells, including polymer blends, molecular heterojunctions and hybrid organic/inorganic systems. Edinburgh’s contribution is in the molecular design and synthesis of new materials such as dyes and hole-transporting organic compounds.

For more information, visit: www2.warwick.ac.uk

Published: March 2009
Glossary
electron
A charged elementary particle of an atom; the term is most commonly used in reference to the negatively charged particle called a negatron. Its mass at rest is me = 9.109558 x 10-31 kg, its charge is 1.6021917 x 10-19 C, and its spin quantum number is 1/2. Its positive counterpart is called a positron, and possesses the same characteristics, except for the reversal of the charge.
exciton
An exciton is a quasiparticle that represents the bound state of an electron and a hole in a solid-state material, typically a semiconductor or an insulator. In simpler terms, an exciton is a paired electron and hole created when an electron absorbs a photon and is promoted to a higher energy state, leaving behind an empty state called a hole. Key characteristics of excitons include: Formation: Excitons are formed when an electron in the valence band of a material is excited to the...
fold
1. A flaw in a blank caused by folding the blank's surface during its formation. 2. The change in the direction of a system's optical axis caused by a reflective component.
nano
An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
nanometer
A unit of length in the metric system equal to 10-9 meters. It formerly was called a millimicron.
nanoparticle
A small object that behaves as a whole unit or entity in terms of it's transport and it's properties, as opposed to an individual molecule which on it's own is not considered a nanoparticle.. Nanoparticles range between 100 and 2500 nanometers in diameter.
phase
In optics and photonics, "phase" refers to a property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the position of a wave at a given point in time within its oscillation cycle. More specifically, it indicates the position of a wave relative to a reference point, typically the starting point of a cycle. When discussing phase in optics, it's often described in terms of the phase difference between two waves or the phase of a single wave. The phase difference between two waves is the...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
polymer
Polymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded together to form long chains or networks, creating a macromolecular structure. The process of linking monomers together is known as polymerization. Polymers can be classified into several categories based on their structure, properties, and mode of synthesis. Some common types of polymers include: Synthetic polymers: These are human-made polymers produced through...
BathbendBristolCambridgedye-sensitizedEdinburghelectronenergyEPSRCESCexcitonexcitonic solar cellfoldgreen photonicsheterojunctionsholehybridImperial CollegeindustrialnanonanometernanoparticleNews & Featuresorganicphasephotonicspolymersiliconspray-on solar cellSUPERGENSUPERGEN Excitonic Solar Cell ConsortiumTim JonesUniversity of Warwickwear

We use cookies to improve user experience and analyze our website traffic as stated in our Privacy Policy. By using this website, you agree to the use of cookies unless you have disabled them.