Extending the lifetime of plastic-based solar cells

A team of researchers from the University of Alberta (Canada) and the National Institute of Nanotechnology managed to extend the duration of activity of a plastic-based solar cell from several hours to eight months.

The development of cheap and readily available plastic-based solar cell technology hit a dead end due to the problem of chemical leakage within the prototype body. The chemical coating on the electrode was unstable and dispersed within the electrical circuit in the cell.

The team of scientists, led by chemistry researcher David Rider, developed a more durable polymer coating for the electrode. The electrodes are a key component in the field of solar energy since they are responsible for the flow of electricity in the cell. Until the development of the researchers' innovative polymer coating, the plastic-based solar cell was capable of operating at high voltage for only ten hours.

The new solar cell was able to operate at high voltage for 500 hours - according to the article describing the findings and published in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials. In addition, the cell continued to operate for another seven months. The team claims that the system stopped working when it was damaged during its transfer between laboratories.

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