Solar energy can be made more widely accessible by creating versatile solar cells that can be implemented in novel applications. Current materials being used for flexible solar cells are unstable, expensive, inefficient, or toxic. The goal of our project was to synthesize flexible absorber, buffer, and blocking layers out of earth-abundant, non-toxic materials to achieve solar cells that are both flexible and efficient. We chose antimony sulfide, copper (I) thiocyanate and titanium dioxide for these respective layers on the basis of efficiency, mechanical flexibility, cost, stability and safety. We explored low-temperature synthesis methods to realize this flexible design on a plastic substrate, and evaluated the design by observing the microstructural changes that occurred due to bending.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Peglow, Edward Robert
• LaRovere, Francis Joseph
• McMahon, Michael James

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042617-104124

Advisor

• Onal, Cagdas
• Rao, Pratap M.
• Rahbar, Nima

Year

• 2017

Date created

• 2017-04-26

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright