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Inexpensive, mass-produced plastic solar cells could be realised within five to seven years thanks to new research by Canada’s National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and the University of Alberta.

Plastic solar cells have a sandwich-like structure of layers of different materials, each with a particular function. One layer absorbs the light, another generates the electricity, and others draw the electricity out of the device, explains researcher Jillian Buriak.

But one of the problems with plastic solar cells is that the many different layers to not stick well together, reducing the performance of the device.

“We are working on the mayonnaise, the mustard, the butter and other 'special sauces' that bring the sandwich together, and make each of the layers work together. That makes a better sandwich, and makes a better solar cell, in our case,” says Buriak.

Only working on one of elements of the sandwich structure, the researchers have managed to improve the efficiency of devices by 30%.

The researchers believe that the advance opens the way for mass production of plastic solar cells using techniques similar to ink-jet printers.

The next generation of solar technology belongs to plastic, says Buriak.

For further information:
David A. Rider, Ken D. Harris, Dong Wang, Jennifer Bruce, Michael D. Fleischauer, Ryan T. Tucker, Michael J. Brett and Jillian M. Buriak. Thienylsilane-Modified Indium Tin Oxide as an Anodic Interface in Polymer/Fullerene Solar Cells. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces (2009) 1 (2), 279–288
nint-innt.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/
www.ualberta.ca/