Intrinsically Stretchable Organic Solar Cells with Efficiencies of over 11%

Abstract

Stretchable organic solar cells (SOSCs) are attracting considerable attention as an off-grid power source for wearable electronics, including biosensors, electronic skins, and stretchable displays. Although SOSCs possess promising properties such as high power-per-weight output and strong durability under repetitive tensile strains, they remain proof of concept, as they do not satisfy the required performance for wearable electronics. Reconciling high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and reasonable stretchability is a difficult task. This study reports intrinsically SOSCs of over 11% by integrating multiple stretchable layers with strong bindings. Our SOSC achieved impressive stretchability; it maintained over 74% of the initial PCE when subjected to 10% strain for 1,000 cycles. Particularly, high-performance and mechanical endurance demonstrate that SOSCs are one step closer toward practical utilization in wearable electronics.