The chemist Guillermo Bazan and Alan Heeger of the University of
California at Santa Barbara have developed a novel low molecular
weight compound, is to make the organic solar cells far more powerful,
Technology Review reported in its online edition. The prototype comes
at an efficiency of 6.7 percent. Bazan expects it to increase to 9
percent. Thus the cells would convert light into electricity more than
already on the market products such as "Power Plastic" by Konarka,
whose peak value is currently at 8.3 percent.
Although their efficiency is lower by about one-third than that of
conventional silicon cells, organic solar cells have a major
advantage: The molecules that make up its light-collecting layer, can
be in liquid form inexpensively imprinted on flexible substrate films.
Solar cells are thus possible, which are lightweight, flexible and
versatile.
