German speciality chemicals producer Merck is embarking on a partnership with Nano-C, a developer of nano-structured carbon, for use in energy and electronics applications.
The companies will work together to develop and commercialise advanced semiconducting materials, and formulations for applications in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The collaboration will target the development of material systems to overcome the performance limitations of current-generation OPV materials, with potential efficiencies exceeding 10%. OPVs, commercialised in small volumes for niche applications, have efficiencies well below 6%.
Adding to its base of OPV materials, Merck will also distribute PCBM fullerene derivative products, a family of semiconducting materials commonly used in OPVs. Nano-C has amassed knowledge and IP concerning fullerene derivatives.
Under its Lisicon brand, Merck is working on novel organic semiconducting materials for electronic and PV applications at its Chilworth Technical Centre in the UK. Merck recently added new chemistry and OPV application testing laboratories to the centre, to accelerate new material and formulation developments for the PV industry.
Nano-C announced an exclusive licence in 2009 for Unidym (now part of South Korean firm Wisepower) of PCBM, a fullerene derivative widely used in OPVs.
Further investment
Plextronics, another US-based plastic electronics materials specialist, is accelerating its strategy to supply the OPV and other promising plastic electronics markets with €10 million financing from Solvay.
Like Merck, Solvay is investing in the emerging plastic electronic materials industry, to develop markets for advanced chemicals and nanomaterials with semiconducting properties. Current market shares of OPVs, OLED displays and lighting are small compared with more established microelectronics technology, but are forecast to see significant growth in the coming years, as device performances and manufacturing processes improve.
Solvay is Plextronics' largest minority shareholder. The Belgian company has investments in other plastic electronic materials developers, including Polyera - another US firm developing printable semiconductor inks, but focusing on logic and transistors.
Plextronics develops polymer-based materials and technologies for printed electronics devices, such OLED displays and lighting, and OPVs.
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Solvay
Belgian chemical supplier that has invested in printed electronics companies like Polyera
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Nano-C
The nanomaterials company, which supplies materials suitable for organic photovoltaics, has announced a licensing agreement with Merck
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Solvay invests in organic solar cell firm
Printed electronics company Plextronics has secured €10 million in funding from Solvay, a European industrial group
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