A new class of solar sensitive nanoparticless have been tested that could eventually lead to the development of cheaper and more flexible solar cells.

The newly designed solar sensitive nanoparticles called colloidal quantum dots are stable, solid, light-sensitive nanoparticles that will help make flexible and cheaper outdoor solar cells compared to the ones sold currently.

The nanoparticles could also lead to better gas sensors, infrared light emitting diodes, and infrared lasers.

The dots were developed by post-doctoral researcher Zhijun Ning and Professor Ted Sargent.

The tiny, colloidal quantum dots collect sunlight by using two types of semiconductors, mainly p-type that are poor in electrons and n-type that are rich in electrons, according to a University of Toronto press release.

The main issue is that on exposure to air, n-type materials bind with oxygen atoms and lose their electrons to convert into p-type.

Researchers demonstrated a new colloidal quantum dot n-type material that does not bind with oxygen on exposure to air in order to overcome this issue.

Maintaining stable n and p type layers at the same time allowed researchers to boost the efficiency of absorption of light, which could help build new optoelectronic devices that take advantage of light and electricity, according to the release.

"This is a material innovation, that's the first part, and with this new material we can build new device structures," said Ning. "Iodide is almost a perfect ligand for these quantum solar cells with both high efficiency and air stability-no one has shown that before."

The new hybrid n and p type material achieved 8 percent solar power conversion efficiency when tested, according to the release. The researchers believe that these dots could further be combined into inks and painted or printed on thin, flexible surfaces like roofs.

This would reduce the cost and accessibility of solar power.

"The field of colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics requires continued improvement in absolute performance, or power conversion efficiency," said Sargent. "The field has moved fast, and keeps moving fast, but we need to work toward bringing performance to commercially compelling levels."

Researcher was published in Nature Materials.

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