Nanowerk January 17, 2023
Organic semiconductors have the potential to replace their silicon predecessors in many applications. However, the manufacturing processes of solar cells that achieve such efficiencies are not yet compatible with mass production. An international team of researchers (Denmark, Germany) used roll-to-roll methos to print the organic semiconductor (poly(3-hexylthiophene) or P3HT), used for flexible solar cells, and organic electronics directly on a polymer film. In solution without illumination or under red light, the polymer chains quickly aggregated and formed ordered domains. When illuminated under green or blue light, the more rigid polymer chains, excited by the light, were prevented from aggregating, even to the extent of breaking up existing aggregates. According to the researchers the green light or light with even shorter wavelength excited the polymer in such a way that it interacted differently with the solvent during production, preventing it from curling up with itself. Their hypothesis was supported by theoretical simulations and by measurements with neutrons and terahertz spectroscopy. They showed that visible light makes the morphology of organic semiconductors in an excited state manipulable…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Illustration of the fabrication method… Credit: Advanced Functional Materials, 15 January, 2023