Chiral liquid crystals improve organic solar cell efficiency and stability by 50 times

https://chbe.illinois.edu/news/stories/liquid-crystal-structures-key-organic-solar-cell-performance-study-finds

"processing conditions manipulated printing films force molecules to adopt different structures, ink evaporates depending on printing speed locking assembly into different stages... slow forces polymers assemble into liquid crystals before film forms, for better stability/ efficiency distinguished from cells random aggregation pathways... further manipulation for either achiral, which is an improvement, or chiral, which is best"

Related:

Novel synthesis method boosts efficiency of organic solar cells
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-03-synthesis-method-boosts-efficiency-solar.html

Green solvent innovation: High-speed doctor-blading boosts organic solar cell efficiency
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-03-green-solvent-high-doctor-blading.html

Synergistic Interface Engineering via o-Difluorobenzene-Mediated HPWO Crystallization and ITO Fluorination for 20.57% Efficiency Organic Solar Cells
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202503072?af=R

Scientists use roll-to-roll printing to mass-produce durable solar cells at record speed
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/roll-to-roll-printed-solar-cell

Mirror-image molecules boost organic solar cell performance
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-mirror-image-molecules-boost-solar.html

Organic solar cells achieve 20.02% efficiency with new giant acceptors
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-solar-cells-efficiency-giant-acceptors.html

Pushing organic solar cell efficiency past 18%
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-solar-cell-efficiency.html

Allylrhodanine-processed all-small-molecule organic solar cell achieves 18.43% efficiency
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68924-0

Solar efficiency increased >25% with reduced production costs
https://ozarab.media/innovative-solar-technology-set-to-revolutionize-renewable-energy