, the scientists explain that PNRs are ribbon-like strands of the 2D material phosphorous, which, like graphene, are made of single-atom-thick layers of atoms. They were first created in 2019 by a team led by Chris Howard of UCL following over a hundred theoretical papers predicting that they would have a range of fascinating and useful properties.PNRs quickly found a role in their first energy device in solar cells in 2021.
“Last year we showed that PNRs can be printed onto perovskite solar cells to improve their efficiency and allow low-cost printing into thin, flexible films compared to traditional inflexible silicon-based solar cells,” Macdonald said in a media statement.