Highly efficient plastic solar cells take a step closer.

Plastic solar cells made from what are known as heterojunction materials produced from fullerenes and semiconducting polymers are already known to have extremely promising energy output.

Unfortunately scientists have yet to determine how to take control of the nano-scale morphology. They are researching into ways of optimising the plastic solar cell performance to allow it to be used in a commercial environment.

Leader of the scientific team performing research is Nobel Prize for Chemistry winner Professor Heeger. The professor won the Nobel Prize for his research into energy conducting polymers.
In a new study, Professor Heeger and his colleagues have discovered that adding a type of chemicals known as alkanedithiols as processing additives. To the existing formula, improves both the morphology and the solar cell energy output performance.

Professor Heeger has shown that the addition of alkanedithiols drastically increases the energy efficiency of the plastic solar cells from 3.4% up to 5.1%, the highest efficiencies achieved so far for plastic solar cells.

The professor stated, “These data provide a better understanding of correlation between the nano-scale morphology of the bulk heterojunction film and the solar cell performance,” the report states.