Carbon-based materials are at the heart of these devices, rather than silicon.

These are made of made from carbon and plastic, promise a cheaper way of generating electricity.

These can be made of compounds that are dissolved in ink so they can be printed on thin rolls of plastic, they can bend or curve around structures or even be incorporated into clothing.

A molecular tweak has improved organic solar cell performance, bringing us closer to cheaper, efficient, and more easily manufactured photovoltaic.

Organic photovoltaic, expected to become the next generation of solar cells as they use cheaper components, and are more lightweight, flexible and easily manufactured compared to currently used inorganic solar cells.

The power-generating layer in organic photovoltaic contains molecules that either donate or accept electrons.

This thin layer, exciting the molecules, which generate charges that go on to form an electric current, absorbs light. But for light to be efficiently converted to electricity, the electron-accepting component needs to stay excited.

One type of organic cell is very good at absorbing a broad spectrum of light, but doesn’t stay excited for long. To try to address this, targeting of the molecular backbone of the cell’s electron-accepting component is done. Specifically, replacement of central ring with a molecule called thienoazacoronene is done, creating a new molecule called TACIC.

TACIC could absorb a broad spectrum of visible and near-infrared light. Significantly, it maintained its excited state 50 times longer, converting more than 70% of light particles into current. The design achieved this by stabilizing the vibration and rotation that normally occur when light is absorbed, saving kinetic energy and facilitating intermolecular interaction.

The cell continues to have a power conversion efficiency of just under 10%, which is comparable to other organic solar cells being researched. It is believed that modifications to the side chains and core structure of the thienoazacoronene molecule could further improve the efficiency of organic photovoltaics.