New U of T research looks to create organic solar cells by using special quantum effect
DailyTech/Jason Mick/1.18.09
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Imagine having cheap, printable solar cells at your fingertips, woven into your clothing,streaming power into your mobile electronics. Organic electronics, a field which includes organic solar cells and organic transistor circuits, has many advantages, the biggest of which is the ability to be printed easily, and the ability to flex without breaking.
The team looked at conjugated polymers, one of the most efficient organic materials available for solar power production. These long molecules can be also used in transistors and LEDs. They behave roughly like semiconductors, while retaining important organic characteristics. When exposed to light, they produce energy, which is transferred down their chain, eventually reaching other molecules and finally leaving the cell.
The findings are reported in the Jan. 16 edition of the journal Science. The work was sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.