Applications of polymer nanocomposites as encapsulants for solar cells and LEDs: Impact of photodegradation on barrier and optical properties

Recent research focused on nanocomposites is based on various kinds of nanofillers, such as phosphors or zeolites. Phosphor particles display an emission in the visible domain upon a UV excitation, and the luminescent polymer/phosphor nanocomposites can be used for eco-energetic lighting devices such as LEDs or as multifunctional coatings for Organic Solar Cells. Zeolites as nanofillers are expected to improve water barrier properties, which makes polymer/zeolite nanocomposites good candidates for encapsulation of organic solar cells. The photostability of the materials and the durability of the barrier properties are then challenging for developing new applications in this domain.