Combining traditional silicon with perovskite materials offers higher efficiency solar cells, but further innovation is needed to make them commercially viable.

The efficiency of tandem solar cells is boosted with improved optical design and a careful selection of the material that connects them together.

Multicomponent mixtures could provide organic solar cells that defy heat and achieve record efficiency.

Energizing Change: KAUST and NewDigit team up to support energy security in developing nations

The molecular structure of organic semiconductors is key to the outdoor stability of organic solar cells.

High-resolution microscopy takes an eye for detail and enormous reserves of patience.

Inspiration for scientific research can come from unexpected surprising sources — even family movie night.

An innovative device could pave the way for more convenient diabetes monitoring.

Daniel Corzo and coauthors replace the solvents for fabrication of organic solar cells and printed organic electronics. Normally, researchers fabricate these devices using aromatic solvents that contain chlorine, known for their severe acute toxicity, causing cancer, and to induce birth defects. Friendlier alternative solvents are hard to use because they tend to reduce the performance of organic printed electronics. D. Corzo introduced the Hansen Solubility framework to screen over 100 k compounds, thus finding that some terpenoids can do the job. These compounds are extracted from plants or recombinant bioreactors as a byproduct of the photosynthesis from CO2. Their safe nature allows their usage as food and cosmetic additives. This is a big step forward towards making safer organic electronics that can be incorporated as part or a circular carbon economy.

Associate Professor Derya Baran was recently listed as one of the Forbes’ 20 Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands for her contribution to the KAUST startup RedSea.

Cutting-edge research into new technologies for photovoltaic cells, a favorable climate and strong collaborations with industry are key factors in Saudi Arabia’s development of solar power.

KAUST researchers Lujia Xu and Stefaan De Wolf have developed a measurement scale called a "cooling score" to quantify parasitic heating for photovoltaic technologies. © 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Image

Since joining Stefaan De Wolf’s lab in the KAUST Solar Center, Aydin has played a leading role in developing the technology and demonstrating the ultra-high efficiency of perovskite-based tandem solar cells.

Ultrathin phosphorus semiconductors that become metallic when stacked can tackle resistance issues and boost transistor performance.

Salt-rejecting microchannels help make seawater drinkable using the power of the sun.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recently welcomed 83 Members as new Fellows of the Society. Qiaoqiang Gan was among the new inductees elected to the Society's 2023 Fellows Class.

Dr. Erkan Aydin, a research scientist based in the KAUST Solar Center (KSC), has been awarded the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.

Environmentally friendly renewable biosolvents could help clean up the manufacture of solar panels.

Wirelessly powered large-area electronics could enable a cheaper and greener internet of things.

Rechargeable batteries to benefit from the development of lithium-loving foams.

An inspirational science teacher sparked a career in solar energy.

Compliant and conductive carbon nanomaterial could be the perfect fit for on-skin electronics.

A new short course for engineers in Saudi Arabia is helping to develop the expertise in photovoltaic solar design to achieve Vision 2030 sustainability goals.

Derya Baran, who heads the Organic Materials for Energy Applications (OMEGA) research group at KAUST, has been appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

Frederic Laquai, interim director of the KSC was interviewed for the Al-Arabiya TV documentary-“The Green Promise” which explores the Kingdom’s path to a clean and green future.

Precisely determining the energy levels of different solar materials leads to high performance devices.

Real-world testing enables local industry to profit from the unique climate of the Middle East.

Pulses from an atom-sharp tip enable researchers to break and form chemical bonds at will.

A simple reordering of the layers in solar-cell modules can help improve efficiency.

An extra metal fluoride layer facilitates charge separation and boosts performance in perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells.

Built-in heterojunctions enhance the ability of nanoparticle photocatalysts to produce hydrogen fuel from water.

Light causes small rapid distortions in solar cell material, affecting how charge carriers behave.

A novel device architecture makes organic electronics applicable to 5G telecommunications.

Tunable perovskite-based multilayered films provide long-term stability for high-performing solar cells.

A deeper understanding of efficiency-limiting processes provides design rules for organic solar cell materials.

Pulses of intense light could clean organic pollutants from wastewater.

Transistor-based sensors offer hope for rapid diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 and other infections.

Damage from adding electrical contacts to sensitive semiconductors can be mitigated using a buffer layer and optimized deposition.

Solar power innovator is creating organic materials for cheaper, more efficient photovoltaics

Two-sided technology collects more energy to make solar more efficient and less expensive.

Clever contacts enhance perovskite/silicon tandem solar-cell performance.

A simple holistic solution plugs the performance-sapping defects that hamper new alternative solar materials.

Conquering a chemical challenge to control the structure of a polymer opens a path to better biosensors.

Calculations predict that atom-thin sheets of carbon chalcogenides will grow wider when stretched in any direction.

Rational molecular design produces air-stable polymer-based semiconductors to better exploit waste heat for electricity.

Combining two light-absorbing materials and optimizing the flow of current improves the performance of solar cells.

Modeling shows the true cost of heat on PV system performance.