Will Organic Solar Cells Emerge... Manufacturing Cost Reduced to 1/20

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] A technology that can reduce the manufacturing cost of organic solar cells to one-twentieth has been developed. The simple manufacturing method is expected to contribute to the commercialization of organic solar cells.

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology announced on the 29th that the research teams of Dr. Chang-eun Song and Dr. Won-seok Shin, along with Professor Eun-hee Lim from Kyonggi University, have developed a new material suitable for the photoactive layer that absorbs light and generates charge in organic solar cells.

The research team developed a new photoactive layer material (T2-ORH) with a simple molecular structure. It can absorb short-wavelength regions (ultraviolet) that electron donor materials cannot absorb, resulting in high photoelectric conversion efficiency. Additionally, it is a material that can be synthesized in just two steps, significantly reducing synthesis time and cost. The actual synthesis cost of the new material is $40 per gram, which is one-twentieth of the cost of existing non-fullerene material synthesis methods.

Organic solar cells are next-generation solar cells that use organic materials in the photoactive layer. The cell consists of an electron donor and an electron acceptor device. When light is irradiated onto the photoactive layer, holes (positive charges) and electrons (negative charges) generated inside move to the anode and cathode respectively, causing current to flow due to this potential difference. However, since the electron acceptor device absorbs little light, the development of new materials has been actively pursued.

Through experiments, the research team reported that the photoelectric conversion efficiency of an organic solar cell made by mixing the electron acceptor new material (T2-ORH) and the electron donor material (PTB7-Th) at an optimal ratio (2:1) reached 9.33% based on 0.1㎠. The efficiency of organic solar cells using the existing electron acceptor material (ITIC) and electron donor material (PTB7-Th) mixed at a 2:1 ratio was 7.46% (0.1㎠).

Furthermore, the researchers improved solubility to enable solution processing with non-halogen solvents instead of halogen solvents, which are harmful to humans and the environment. Typically, organic solar cells are made by dissolving solid photoactive materials in organic solvents and coating them onto substrates.

Professor Eun-hee Lim explained, "The significance lies in realizing high-performance organic solar cells using a material synthesized cheaply in just two steps with a simple synthesis method at the undergraduate organic chemistry experiment level."

Dr. Chang-eun Song commented, "The development strategy of new materials that break away from the existing complex chemical structures will play a major role in the future commercialization of high-performance organic solar cells."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.