IMEC plans partnership on boosting longevity of organic photovoltaics

Independent nanoelectronics research institute IMEC and specialty chemicals and materials firm Cytec Industries Inc. are to collaborate on research to extend to the lifespan of organic photovoltaics beyond the current five years to make them more viable in the market. Research will focus on the intrinsic stability of organic solar cells by improving nanomorphology of the active material blend. The Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders is cosponsoring the research, which will run for two years and will end in March 2011.

“Organic solar cell technology is one of the most exciting emerging technologies for low-cost photovoltaic cells,” commented Jef Poortmans, IMEC’s Program Director Photovoltaics. “IMEC is very pleased to have the opportunity to combine its process technology expertise with the excellent skills of Cytec in the field of synthesis and coatings to address the crucial issue of device stability and encapsulation.”

“We are convinced that Cytec’s capabilities in coatings, adhesives, inks and energy curing technology combined with IMEC’s outstanding processing and technology capabilities will make this project a success,” noted Martin Court, Cytec’s Specialty Chemicals Vice President of R&D.

IMEC said that it had demonstrated that the photoactive blend of conjugated polymers and fullerene acceptor molecules was prone to phase segregation under the influence of time and temperature, so efforts will concentrate on the development of barrier and encapsulation technology with Cytec due to their expertise in chemical synthesis and materials processing.