A discovery by University of Melbourne researchers could lead to improved solar cell performance and printed electronics.

The research, published in Nature Communications, discovered nematic liquid crystals that researchers say will be easier to manufacture and able to work in cells that are twice as thick as the previous 200-nanometer limit.

“We have improved the performance of this type of solar cell from around 8% efficient to 9.3%, finally approaching the international benchmark of 10%,” says lead author Dr. David Jones of the University’s School of Chemistry and Bio 21 Institute.

Jones says that the discovery will mean more competitive pricing in the solar energy sector, and is a “shot in the arm” for the organic materials sector.

The grasping of the current generation of organic solar cells has trailed behind silicon-based models mainly because of performance differences, although organic solar cells show great versatility. Jones says this research shows these high-performing materials for the first time.

The research was conducted with international researchers in China, Germany and Singapore and received funding from the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics and the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium.

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