A recently invented new type of organic solar cell has been designed to maintain its functions even when folded over a number of times.
A new solar cell is as flexible as paper. It was created by a team at Postech led by Professor Cho Kilwon.
This flexible solar cell was created by a team at the Pohang University of Science & Technology (Postech) led by Professor Cho Kilwon of the Department of Chemical Engineering. The technology is now attracting academic attention, as the research results were introduced on the cover of the March 4 edition of Advanced Energy Materials.
Previously, most types of solar cells were able to bend a little, but not to be folded over a number of times. Inside the solar cells were a plastic substrate, electrodes and photoactive layers, all wired in a top-down manner. Therefore, it was easily broken or developed cracks when it was forced to fold constantly back and forth.
However, the components in the new organic solar cells developed by Cho's team are layered laterally. At the base, two electrodes are laterally connected to each other and photoactive layers are placed on top of that, making it much thinner. The photoactive layers receive sunlight directly and generate electrons.
These new cells are capable of maintaining their photoelectric efficiency even after being folded several times. Also, as sunlight can directly touch the layer, it doesn't need a transparent substrate any longer to concentrate the sunlight.
Energy efficiency of the new solar cells remains at only about two to five percent of older solar cells. The research team said that they expect to improve the new type of cells performance, making it as great or greater than that of older solar cells.
By Lee Seung-ah Korea.net Staff Writer slee27@korea.kr
The March 4 edition of Advanced Energy Materials features new flexible solar cells on its cover.