科大学者研发新物料 高效太阳能电池有望面世
智能手机功能日趋多样化，社会上渐有以手机取代电脑趋势。长时间使用手机加重电池负荷，令便携式充电器大行其道。不少用家外出除了要找电源为手机充电，还需要为充电器充电，若能利用太阳能作能源供应，必可省却不少功夫。科大化学系颜河教授的研究团队早前成功研发新物料，提升高分子物料的光电转化率，制成的高分子太阳能电池，大大加快了便式太阳能充电设备的商业化进程。
颜教授指研究团队成功研发出三种新的高分子材料以及超过十种高分子富勒烯材料组合，能够实现高达10.8%的光电转化效率，是迄今世界上最高效的单节高分子太阳能电池。
采用 制造的传统太阳能电池，缺点是较重、不易弯曲、成本高及生产复杂。高分子太阳能电池相对上是成本低且环保的太阳能技术，制成的太阳能电池板不但轻巧灵活，更可透过类似报章印刷的技术大量生产。颜教技指出∶「日後印制高分子太阳能电池就像印刷报章一样。」
虽然是项研究尚在初步发展阶段，新的高分子太阳能电池目前可为激光笔等小型电器充电。颜教授预期，十年内将可以实现高分子太阳能电池商业化，使之成为覆盖面最大的清洁可再生能源之一。
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is ranked as the world’s best young university in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2019. Its graduates were ranked 16th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global University Employability Survey 2018.
