Food additive is vital ingredient for environmentally benign solar cells

The solar cells, developed by a team from North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, can be manufactured at room temperature, which has implications for large-scale commercial production.

Plastic solar cells - or organic photovoltaics - are lightweight, flexible, transparent and inexpensive to manufacture, making them useful in multiple applications.

However, the halogen-containing solvents used in their manufacture present obstacles to large-scale commercialisation. These solvents ensure that the solar cell’s morphology maximises its energy efficiency but they are deemed environmentally hazardous. Additionally, the use of these chemicals requires a controlled environment, which adds to production costs.

Long Ye, a postdoctoral research scholar in physics at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the work, wanted to find out if non-toxic solvents could provide equally efficient morphology in the manufacturing process. Ye and his colleagues developed a proof of concept semi-printed plastic solar cell that utilised o-methylanisole (o-MA) as the solvent. O-MA is a commonly used flavouring agent in foods, and is non-toxic to humans.