Nat. Mater.: New small molecule solar cell developed successfully

Researchers have developed a solution-processed small molecule solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 6.7%, which is comparable to the best polymer solar cells and has the potential to achieve large-scale production with better stability. The new results were published in the journal Nature Materials published online in November.

Organic bulk heterojunction solar cells are made of a mixture of organic semiconductors and can convert sunlight into electricity. The possibility of storing organic semiconductors in processes such as printing makes these materials potentially applicable to the mass production of flexible large-area photovoltaic devices. Today, the most efficient organic bulk heterojunction solar cells are made of semiconducting polymers. Due to the synthesis process, the mass production of semiconducting polymers leads to greater batch-to-batch variability in structure and device performance compared to small-molecule solar cells.

Through careful design, Guillermo Bazan and colleagues have developed a small-molecule semiconductor that can be used for mass production of highly efficient heterojunction solar cells, with performance of these devices approaching that of the best polymer solar cells.