Flexible photoelectrochemical devices based on conducting polymers

In this work, we have investigated the photoelectrochemical behavior of conjugated polymers in flexible solid-state devices exploring some unique features that they exhibit: the possibility of adjusting the band gap energy by employing different structures and improving the light harvesting by the addition of an organic dye. We also report the use of these materials as photoactive materials and counter-electrodes in optical devices, depending on their oxidized or reduced state. The overall conversion efficiency is higher than for other photoelectrochemical devices, which exploit the photoconductivity and photosensitivity of organic materials, and the performance remains constant when the devices are Bent; however, it is low in comparison to solid-state devices using inorganic materials. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.