Polymer-based photovoltaics show promise against silicon and germanium

Yan Jin, a UC doctoral student in the materials science and engineering program, Department of Biomedical, Chemical, and Environmental Engineering, reported results of the research on March 2, at the American Physical Society Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

Jin described how a blend of conjugated polymers resulted in structural and electronic changes that increased efficiency three-fold, by incorporating graphene into the active layer of the carbon-based materials. The technique is said to have resulted in better charge transport, short-circuit current and a more than 200-per cent improvement in the efficiency of the devices.

‘We investigated the morphological changes underlying this effect by using small-angle neutron scattering [SANS] studies of the deuterated-P3HT/F8BT with and without graphene,’ Jin said in a statement.

The partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee is exploring how to improve the performance of carbon-based synthetic polymers, with the ultimate goal of making them commercially viable.

Unlike the silicon-or germanium-powered solar cells on the market, polymer substances are less expensive and more malleable.