Konarka Technologies Inc. (Lowell, MA), a developer of photovoltaic (PV) nanomaterials, and Solaris Nanosciences, a developer of advanced nanomaterials for devices that harvest light, announced that they have entered into a joint development agreement. The companies will evaluate the performance and efficiency of solar cells made with Konarka's light-activated power plastic and Solaris' metal structures.
Solaris' nanoscale metallic structures will serve as an additive to Konarka's light-sensitizing materials. The structures act as "nano-antennas" for light-sensitive molecules. Since the structure is much smaller than the wavelength of light, it concentrates, absorbs and potentially transfers the light more efficiently, resulting in enhanced energy conversion efficiencies.
"One of Konarka's goals is to push PV science as far and as fast as possible, and exploring how well our materials work with Solaris' in a shared program is one way to make that happen," said Konarka Vice President of Research and Development Russell Gaudiana. "Konarka's solutions are chemistry-agnostic. We believe in finding the best possible combination of materials to create power plastic that meets the performance needed for a specific application, and this project with Solaris holds promise."
