The Department of Chemistry, Strathclyde University, has reportedly developed a new type of high-efficiency organic polymer.
Called polythiophene-tetrathiafulvalene or PTV-TTF, this new polymer can be utilised in solar panels, solar powered batteries, capacitors and transistors.
The University says when sunlight falls on the organic solar cell it is absorbed, and the energy then generates a positive and negative charge. These positive and negative charges are then separated and migrated to different electrodes and hence, a current begins to flow.
The use of the low band gap polymer, PTV-TTF, expands the absorption spectrum and thus increases the efficiency of the solar cells, whilst also having good solubility. Moreover, the polymer has the advantage of being inexpensive relative to currently available alternatives. PTV-TTF powered batteries could be ideal for various tools utilised by paramedics, such as heart defibrillators. The use of these light-weight solar powered batteries in such devices would mean easier and quicker mobility.
According to a report filed by The Engineer, the polymer has a band gap of 1.44eV, unlike the most common polymers used in organic photovoltaics, which sport a band gap of approximately 2eV. The low band gap means that the photocurrent observed at a wavelength of light of 650nm has around 3% efficiency.
Polymer’s benefits include: relatively inexpensive / cost effective ($0.2 - $0.5/watt); low band gap material which is desirable for PV applications for excellent light-harvesting characteristics; strong absorption in red/near IR region of the EM spectrum.
The technology is protected by a patent application filed by the University of Strathclyde.
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