There is currently an immense demand for novel p- and n-type semiconductors that can function as hole & electron transport layers (HTL, ETL respectively) in the emerging field of 3rd generation solar cells.

There is currently an immense demand for novel p- and n-type semiconductors that can function as hole & electron transport layers (HTL, ETL respectively) in the emerging field of 3rd generation solar cells. This is primarily due to the significant improvements in device performance demonstrated when suitable HTL/ETL are incorporated between the metallic electrodes of the device and the photoactive material. An ideal interlayer should combine several desirable characteristics that include; low cost, chemical stability, optical transparency, appropriate energy level alignment with the active material, and compatibility with low-temperature and large-area processing methods. Due to the numerous requirements, the choice of readily available HTL & ETL materials still remain limited. In this talk I will discuss the development of alternative HTL/ETL technologies that combine several attractive characteristics including, processing versatility and extreme optical transparency with strictly selective charge carrier transport. I will show how the use of such unconventional materials enable the facile manufacturing of high performance optoelectronics including solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes, while at the same time pave the way to novel device concepts.