“I think it’s going to be very important to a lot of different scientific communities.”
In Science, UMass Amherst researchers tell how they broke the ‘electrode barrier’
For decades, polymer scientists and synthetic chemists working to improve the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells were hampered by the inherent drawbacks of commonly used metal electrodes, including their instability and susceptibility to oxidation. Now for the first time, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a more efficient, easily processable and lightweight solar cell that can use virtually any metal for the electrode, effectively breaking the “electrode barrier.”
This barrier has been a big problem for a long time, says UMass Amherst’s Thomas Russell, professor of polymer science and engineering. “The sun produces 7,000 times more energy per day than we can use, but we can’t harness it well. One reason is the trade-off between oxidative stability and the work function of the metal cathode.” Work function relates to the level of difficulty electrons face as they transfer from the solar cell’s photoactive layer to the electrode delivering power to a device.
Russell likes to use a lock-and-dam analogy to talk about electron transfer. “People have thought you’d need to use tricks to help electrons, the water in the lock, over an obstacle, the electrode, like a dam. Tricks like sawing the dam apart to allow the flow. But tricks are always messy, introducing a lot of stuff you don’t need,” he says. “The beauty of the solution reached by these synthetic chemists is to just move the dam out of the way, electronically move it so there is no longer a difference in energy level.”
The Latest on: Organic solar cell
via Google News
The Latest on: Organic solar cell
- Dopant-free, humidity-stable organic layers give perovskite solar cells 21% efficiencyon January 18, 2021 at 4:21 am
Durable, high-performing perovskite solar cells also require durable, high-performing charge-transporting layers. Scientists have developed the first organic hole transporter that does not need a ...
- Chemical that makes chilli peppers spicy boosts solar panel cellson January 13, 2021 at 8:42 am
Many natural organic compounds are being tested to see if they have the same effect as capsaicin, says Tsutomu Miyasaka at the University of Yokohama in Japan, who invented perovskite solar cells in ...
- Chili Pepper Compound Is Spicing Up Solar Cell Performanceon January 13, 2021 at 8:18 am
We don't recommend licking solar cells, but soon you might get a familiar tingle if you do, as researchers improved solar cells efficiency and stability us ...
- Solar panels capture more sunlight with capsaicin - the chemical that makes chili peppers spicyon January 13, 2021 at 8:11 am
Researchers have found a secret ingredient for making solar panels that absorb the sun’s energy more efficiently. Depending on what you like to eat, there’s a good chance you can find it at home.
- Antioxidants Improve Nanoscale Visualization of Polymerson January 12, 2021 at 8:07 am
Engineers find that antioxidants can prevent imaging damage to conducting polymers that comprise soft electronic devices, such as organic solar cells ...
- Which materials work best for solar? NCSU researchers lay out framework for discoveryon January 12, 2021 at 3:30 am
North Carolina State University-led researchers have developed an analytical measurement "framework" which could allow organic solar cell researchers and manufacturers to determine which mat ...
- Analytical measurements can predict organic solar cell stabilityon January 11, 2021 at 12:11 pm
researchers have developed an analytical measurement ''framework'' which could allow organic solar cell researchers and manufacturers to determine which materials will produce the most stable solar ...
- What if our smartphone screens could produce solar energy?on January 9, 2021 at 1:05 am
Scientists are trying to create transparent solar panels that could be deployed on a large scale and integrated into everyday items.
- Herbicide may improve organic cell efficiency by up to 1.6%on January 7, 2021 at 5:47 am
Scientists at Saudia Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have claimed that they have raised the conversion efficiency of organic solar cells by up to 1.6% with diquat ...
- Herbicide added to organic solar cells to boost efficiencyon January 6, 2021 at 3:02 am
Researchers at KAUST in Saudi Arabia have shown how a known herbicide can boost the efficiency of organic solar cells to 18.3 per cent.
via Bing News