Solar cells are extremely inefficient at converting solar energy to electricity. Their efficiency currently lies at just 20 to 25 percent. When a photon is absorbed by a molecule, the energy level of one of the electrons in the molecule is increased. Using the energy from this excited state, solar cells can store and generate electricity. Using a new process called Singlet Fission, we can significantly boost the efficiency of solar cells. Singlet Fission is a spin-allowed process whereby one excited singlet state, a system in which all electrons are paired, is transformed into two triplet states. This phenomenon has been observed in molecular crystals, aggregates, disordered thin films, and covalently-linked dimers(structures containing two identical or similar units held together by covalent bonds.
Credit goes to:
Mike McMahon mike.mcmahon@northwestern.edu
Prof. Dr. Dirk Guldi dirk.guldi@fau.de
Prof. Dr. Tim Clark tim.clark@fau.de
Prof. Dr. Thomas Fauster thomas.fauster@physik.uni-erlangen.de
