Posted: September 10, 2008

BASF Podcast: Organic Photovoltaics - flexible and transparent solar cells

(Nanowerk News) In this podcast you will learn how organic photovoltaics helps to produce solar cells with completely new qualities.
In organic photovoltaics dyes are used that are able to convert light into electrical energy. Due to the extremely thin photovoltaic layer, flexible or even transparent organic solar cells can be produced. For instance, windows could be coated with organic solar cells and produce electricity.
A glass substrate is spin-coated
A glass substrate is spin-coated. This involves coating the substrate with a material film, which is only a few nanometers thin, suitable for use in the color solar cell. The previously sprayed substrate is placed on an aluminum plate and coated with the prepared solution. The plate is rotated at up to 6,000 revs/min, which ensures that the solution is evenly distributed on the substrate.
Organic photovoltaics is an innovative field of research for scientists at BASF’s Joint Innovation Lab: solar cells based on organic materials are produced and tested here. The advantage of organic over inorganic solar cells is that they are as flexible and thin as plastic film. This means they could one day be used as environmentally friendly sources of energy on roofs, computer screens and cell phones.
The Joint Innovation Lab – Organic Electronics (JIL) acts as a cooperation platform for BASF and its partners from industry and academia. The lab focuses on the research and development of new materials for organic electronics. BASF contributes its expertise in materials research, and its partners their expertise in the development and manufacture of electronic components. Current activities in the JIL focus on organic photovoltaics and organic light emitting diodes. The Joint Innovation Lab was inaugurated in September 2006.
BASF Corporate Communications started a regular bilingual Podcast service in April 2007 to report on BASF's innovations and research and development activities in an easy-to-understand, informative and entertaining way.
Listen to the audio reportage with Dr. Peter Erk (Technical coordinator of the Organic Photovoltaic Project at BASF), Dr. Karl Hensen (BASF Future Business GmbH).
Direct subscription via RSS-Feed or iTunes (search for "basf"): http://www.corporate.basf.com/en/podcast/innovation.xml
Podcast Chemistry of Innovations, English editions: http://www.basf.com/podcast
Source: BASF