Wearable Solar Cells
Using all printable electronic polymers, we have designed ultra-flexible solar cells capable of conforming to something as dynamic and unpredictable as the human body. These wearable solar cells are low cost, amenable to high-throughput manufacturing techniques, and convert more than enough energy to power other wearable electronics, like this digital watch shown here, or to one day provide power for wearable biomedical devices.
Schematic rendering of the biaxially stretchable solar cell transfer printed on the surface of a glass hemisphere.
Biaxially stretchable solar cells
These solar cells were more than just flexible, they were stretchable to over 24% strain!
The fundamentals
Here is where we get down to the nitty gritty to the micro- and nano-scopic scales. The key aspect of materials engineering that enables us to build these new devices is a deep understanding of the way molecular structure and thin-film microstructure determine the charge-transport and mechanical properties of each layer of the device. Using th
