Plastic solar cells: Self-assembly of bulk heterojunction nano-materials by spontaneous phase separation

I will describe the discovery of ultrafast photoinduced electron transfer as the scientific foundation for the creation of a technology for low cost "plastic" solar cells. The initial charge separation occurs at a time scale three orders of magnitude faster than the first step in photo-synthesis in green plants. Charge collection at the electrodes is accomplished through self-assembly of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) nano-materials by spontaneous phase separation.