Researchers from the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) have recently unveiled a groundbreaking development in the field of photovoltaics, with the creation of a highly efficient tandem organic solar cell (OSC) that boasts an unprecedented power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.6%.
Ternary Active Layer and Improved Performance
The new OSC is constructed using a ternary active layer that contains a polymer (PBDB-TCl) and two small molecule acceptors (AITC and BTP-eC9). This unique morphology of the ternary active layer enables efficient charge generation, improved carrier migration, and reduced voltage loss, resulting in a PCE of 19.1% (certified as 18.9%). The tandem OSCs based on this ternary active layer have achieved a PCE of 20.6% (certified as 20.3%), which is the highest value reported in the OSC field to date.