Conjugated Polymers as Lightweight, Efficient Photovoltaic Devices

Lightweight, low cost efficient photovoltaic devices are needed for use in platform technologies for Earth Science. To be technically feasible, these photovoltaic arrays must have efficiencies that are comparable to or greater than those of amorphous silicon with low areal densities. Polymeric devices offer an advantage over conventional photovoltaic materials due to their inherent low density and ease of processing. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes an improved lightweight photovoltaic device which utilizes a novel polymeric system. The system consists of an electroactive polymer which is derivatized with an electron-acceptor molecule to maximize the heterojunction surface area and the carrier efficiency. The photovoltaic devices constructed with the polymer are predicted to have weight efficiencies of over 1000 W/kg.