Submitted on November 14, 2008
Accepted on February 23, 2009
Solar Power Wires Based on Organic Photovoltaic Materials
Michael R. Lee 1, Robert D. Eckert 1, Karen Forberich 1, Gilles Dennler 1, Christoph J. Brabec 1, Russell A. Gaudiana 1*
1 Konarka Technologies, Incorporated, Lowell, MA 01852, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Russell A. Gaudiana , E-mail: rgaudiana{at}konarka.com
Organic photovoltaics (OPV) in a flexible wire format has potential advantages that are described in this paper. A wire format requires long-distance transport of current that can be achieved only with conventional metals, thus eliminating the use of transparent oxide semiconductors. A phase-separated, photovoltaic layer, comprising a conducting polymer and a fullerene derivative, is coated onto a thin metal wire. A second wire, coated with a silver film, serving as the counter electrode, is wrapped around the first wire. Both wires are encased in a transparent polymer cladding. Incident light is focused by the cladding onto the photovoltaic layer even when it is completely shadowed by the counter electrode. Efficiency values of the wires range from 2.79% to 3.27%.
