Organic solar modules (OSMs) hold significant potential for integration into architectural photovoltaic designs, yet challenges persist in achieving uniform, large-area active layers via non-halogenated solvent coating processes. In response, researchers led by Li Changzhi from Zhejiang University have published a study in Advanced Materials, titled “Colorful and Semitransparent Organic Solar Modules via Air-Blade Assisted Coating of Active Layers.” The research introduces a room-temperature air-blade-assisted (RT/A) coating technology capable of producing uniform active layers under ambient conditions and with non-halogenated solvents.
The study demonstrates that the RT/A coating technique effectively mitigates film inhomogeneities commonly encountered during hot-substrate coating. Unlike the uneven liquid-to-solid transitions observed in hot-substrate processes due to temperature differentials, the RT/A strategy utilizes directed airflow to control the transition time during film formation, resulting in high-quality active layer blends under room-temperature coating conditions. Large-area active layers prepared using the RT/A strategy exhibit excellent consistency and uniformity. The resulting OSMs achieve a high efficiency, with a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.5% over an area of 19.31 cm² (a result recorded in the 60th edition of the Solar Cell Efficiency Tables). By further integrating Fabry–Pérot transparent electrodes, the team successfully developed colorful and semitransparent modules with a PCE of 12.80%. Overall, this research offers a promising approach for the scalable fabrication of organic photovoltaics.
Coating Technology: The air-blade-assisted coating technique represents an emerging and potentially transformative method for thin-film deposition, facilitating large-area, uniform film formation.
Performance Enhancement: By optimizing the coating process and material formulations, the study achieves high PCE while maintaining excellent transparency and color rendering.
Color and Transparency Control: The development of colorful and semitransparent organic solar modules opens new possibilities for applications in building-integrated photovoltaics, smart windows, and beyond.
This research provides a novel and efficient method for fabricating organic solar cells, advancing the technology toward large-scale commercialization.
The availability of a wide range of colors and semitransparent organic solar modules offers new directions for photovoltaic applications in architecture, interior design, and other fields, better meeting the dual demands of aesthetics and performance.
