Penn Scientists Demonstrate New Design for Solar Cell Construction

Researchers at Penn have experimentally demonstrated a new paradigm for solar cell construction that may ultimately make solar panels less expensive, easier to manufacture, and more efficient at harvesting energy from the sun.

The study was led by Professor Andrew M. Rappe and Research Specialist Ilya Grinberg of the Department of Chemistry, along with Class of 1942 Term Professor  and Chair Peter K. Davies of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Professor Jonathan E. Spanier of Drexel’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. It was published in the journal Nature.

They have created a new class of ceramic material, one that would be less expensive and composed of materials which are not rare, toxic, or expensive, as are those that make up “thin-film” panels. This new material contains potassium, niobium, barium, and nickel, which are relatively abundant and environmentally benign.

The research was supported by the Energy Commercialization Institute of Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Sciences, the Army Research Office, the American Society for Engineering Education, the Office of Naval Research, and the National Science Foundation.

Gaoyang Gou of Chemistry; D. Vincent West, David Stein and Liyan Wu of Materials Science and Engineering; and Maria Torres, Andrew Akbashev, Guannan Chen and Eric Gallo of Drexel also contributed to the study.