Wet-process Fabrication of Low-cost All-solid Wire-shaped Solar Cells on Manganese-plated Electrodes

• All-solid wire-shaped flexible solar cells are firstly assembled on low-cost Mn-plated fibers.
• Energy efficiency improved by >27% after coating a layer of Mn on various substrates.
• The cell is fabricated via wet process under low temperature and mild pH conditions.
• Stable flexible solar cells are realized on lightweight and low-cost polymer fiber.

All-solid wire-shaped flexible solar cells are assembled for the first time on low-cost Mn-plated wires through wet-process fabrication under low temperature and mild pH conditions. With a price cheap as the steel, metal Mn can be easily plated on almost any substrates, and evidently promote the photovoltaic efficiency of wire-shaped solar cells on various traditional metal wire substrates, such as Fe and Ti, by 27% and 65%, respectively. Flexible solar cell with much lower cost and weight is assembled on Mn-plated polymer substrate, and is still capable of giving better performance than that on Fe or Ti substrate. Both its mechanical and chemical stability are good for future weaving applications. Owing to the wire-type structure, such low-cost metals as Mn, which are traditionally regarded as unsuitable for solar cells, may provide new opportunities for highly efficient solar cells.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide