Konarka and Evident to Develop Ultra High Performance Power Plastic
Companies' novel polymers and quantum dots target capturing broad spectrum of both visible and invisible light
Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and commercializing power plastics that convert light to energy, and Evident Technologies, a leader in quantum dot development and applications, today announced the companies are collaborating on research to increase the sensitivity of plastic solar cells to a wider range of the light spectrum. Using Konarka鈥檚 proprietary polymers and Evident鈥檚 quantum dots, the team is developing novel materials that improve the overall performance of power plastic.
鈥淎s part of our continuing efforts to push photovoltaic science forward, we鈥檝e learned how to get sensitivity outside the visible light spectrum, including the infrared, with our polymers,鈥� said Russell Gaudiana, Ph.D., vice president of research and development, Konarka. 鈥淭his collaboration is focused on determining the best materials to capture more light and how to manufacture them outside the lab environment.鈥�
Evident鈥檚 proprietary EviDots鈩�, which are high performance semiconductor nanocrystals active throughout the visible spectrum and into the near鈥搃nfrared, are being combined with Konarka鈥檚 conductive polymers to create ultra high performance solar cells that exceed the capabilities of today鈥檚 best silicon-based technologies. The project is in keeping with both companies鈥� stated missions to offer high-efficiency, low-cost materials in new form factors. The quantum dot power plastic could be used for demanding energy, communications and military applications, such as battlefield or off-grid power generation.
鈥淭hrough our proprietary nanotechnology, we uniquely design the optical and electronic properties of our EviDots. Our quantum dots are tuned to absorb light over the solar spectrum from the visible through the infrared. This leads to harvesting a greater portion of energy, resulting in greater efficiencies for solar cells,鈥� commented Michael LoCascio, chief technology officer, Evident Technologies. 鈥淏y combining our quantum dots with Konarka鈥檚 innovative solar cell technology, together we are going to lead the way in making ultra high performance plastic solar cells a commercial reality.鈥�
This program with Evident complements Konarka鈥檚 ongoing efforts to develop different coat-able and printable chemistries for its light-activated power plastic. Each chemistry can be tuned to a specific purpose, enabling customers to choose the performance that best suits the power requirements of their devices, systems or structures.
