UV-absorbing Organic Materials for Transparent Photovoltaic Windows

Organic solar cells are ideal for semi-transparent applications due to their “peaky” absorption, which allows them to selectively absorb non-visible photons while transmitting visible light. This talk will focus on the development of a novel series of photovoltaic donor molecules that selectively absorb UV-light, and the integration of these molecules into high-performance transparent solar cells. We find that by modifying the absorption cutoff wavelength of the materials through chemical synthesis, we can tune both the power generation capability of the solar cells, as well as their aesthetic properties like color neutrality and transparency.