Sweden sets a new record for the efficiency of fullerene polymer solar cells

Scientists from Sweden's Linköping University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have said that solar PV cells do not use expensive and unstable fullerenes, and polymer solar PV cells may be cheaper and more reliable
.

A team of chemists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences combined PBDB-T polymer with ITIC small molecules, setting a new record
for fullerene-free polymer-free solar photovoltaic cells.

The new solar cells are more efficient than all fullerene-free solar cells

Through the combination of technology, the solar energy conversion efficiency reaches 11%, and the efficiency value exceeds that of most fullerene-containing solar cells and more than all fullerene-free cells
.

Mr Gao, a physicist from the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology at Linköping University, said: "We have shown that high efficiency can be achieved without the use of fullerenes, which are highly stable
to heat.
Because solar cells operate under continuous solar radiation, good thermal stability is very important
.
The combination of high efficiency and good thermal stability shows that polymer solar cells are now one step
closer to commercialization.
”