The sun provides vast amounts of energy to Earth, but solar cells always lose some of this energy. This is an obstacle in the use of organic solar cells, especially for those viable in innovative applications.
A crucial factor in improving their efficiency is improving the transport of the solar energy accumulated in the material. A research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now demonstrated that certain organic dyes can help build virtual highways for the energy.
Organic solar cells are light, extremely thin energy collectors and as a flexible coating are a perfect fit on almost any surface: Solar cells based on organic semiconductors open up a range of application possibilities, for example, as solar panels and films which can be rolled up, or for use on smart devices.
But one disadvantage in many applications is the comparatively poor transport of the energy collected within the material. Researchers are investigating the elementary transport processes of organic solar cells in order to find ways to improve this transport.
One of these researchers is Frank Ortmann, Professor of Theoretical Methods in Spectroscopy at TUM. He and his colleagues from Dresden focus more than anything on the mutual interaction between light and material – especially the behavior of what are called excitons.
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