Fine-tuned molecular orientation is key to more efficient solar cells

(RIKEN) Polymer solar cells are a hot area of research due to both their strong future potential and the significant challenges they pose. It is believed that thanks to lower production costs, they could become a viable alternative to conventional solar cells with silicon substrates. Now, using carefully designed materials and an 'inverted' architecture, a team of scientists has achieved efficiency of 10 percent, bringing these cells close to the threshold of commercial viability.