Flexible, Polymer-Supported, Si Wire Array Photoelectrodes

Arrays of oriented, crystalline Si wires are transferred into flexible, transparent polymer films. The polymer-supported Si wire arrays in liquid-junction photoelectrochemical cells yield current-potential behavior similar to the Si wires attached to the brittle growth substrate. These systems offer the potential for attaining high solar energy-conversion efficiencies using modest diffusion length, readily grown, crystalline Si in a flexible, processable form.