Scientists have spent decades trying to build flexible plastic solar
cells efficient enough to compete with conventional cells made of
silicon. To boost performance, research groups have tried creating new
plastic materials that enhance the flow of electricity through the solar
cell. Several groups expected to achieve good results by redesigning
pliant polymers of plastic into orderly, silicon-like crystals, but the
flow of electricity did not improve.
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| These X-ray images reveal the microscopic structure of two semiconducting plastic polymers. The bottom image, with several big crystals stacked in a row, is from a highly ordered polymer sample. The top image shows a disordered polymer with numerous tiny crystals that are barely discernible. (Credit: Jonathan Rivnay (Stanford) and Michael Toney (SSRL/SLAC)) |
Credit: http://news.stanford.edu