Semitransparent polymer solar cells

Bulk heterojunction based polymer: fullerene solar cells have attracted intensive research interest both in academic and industrial communities in the last two decades, mainly related to their potential low-cost production process. A power conversion efficiency of over 10% has been reported recently, making the commercialization of this clean and cheap solar energy convertor a realistic prospect for the near future. The intrinsic features of semitransparency and color tunability of the thin polymeric photoactive films are the greatest asset for polymer solar cells. Recently, aesthetic semitransparent polymer solar cells (ST-PSCs) that can be integrated into transparent windows, roofs, glass and other semitransparent architectural elements have received much attention. In this perspective paper, we present the progress in achieving high performance ST-PSCs, discuss the requirements for transparent electrodes, focusing on alternatives to tin-doped indium oxide, and address the challenges ahead to make ST-PSC viable for real applications. (C) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry