Cambridge discovery helps solar panels capture more sunlight power

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered a groundbreaking organic semiconductor molecule, P3TTM, that enables solar panels to achieve nearly 100% charge collection efficiency. This molecule, featuring a single unpaired electron at its core, exhibits a light-harvesting mechanism previously thought exclusive to inorganic materials like metal oxides. When tightly packed, the unpaired electrons in P3TTM align alternately, triggering a Mott-Hubbard behavior that facilitates immediate generation of positive and negative charges upon light absorption, producing a highly efficient photocurrent without needing multiple materials. This discovery challenges nearly a century of physics by demonstrating that a single organic material can independently generate electrical charges, simplifying solar cell design and potentially lowering manufacturing costs. The research honors physicist Sir Nevill Mott, whose foundational work on electron interactions underpins this new application in organic semiconductors. The findings, published in a scientific journal, open a promising avenue for creating lighter, simpler, and more efficient solar panels, accelerating progress toward