Advanced Materials for Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting

Design of novel materials is the key to ground breaking advancements in energy conversion. Solar radiation is a clean energy source with low environment impact but is still a difficult technology to be implemented on a large scale because of being an expensive technology. If global demands are to be met, new classes of solar cells with increased efficiency, reduced cost and new form factors must be developed. A lot of research is ongoing to find efficient materials which can supplement or supersede the existing silicon technology. In this review a general introduction covers the current scenario of energy demands of the world and where we stand in the search for alternative energy resources. A brief look into the working of photovoltaic systems and the conditions required to fabricate an ideal solar cell follows. Some of the advanced systems incorporated in solar cells over the past 20 years.