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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A 2012 research team used the frame-and-paper construction of a traditional Korean door as inspiration for a flexible dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). In its prototype, stainless-steel mesh acted like the frame and porous glass paper like the paper. The reported cell converted 2% of incoming light energy, and retained 90% of its flat-form efficiency when bent. Those were experimental results, not evidence of a commercial product.
What Korean doors have to do with a solar cell
The researchers borrowed a structural idea, not a door material. Seung Cha described a traditional Korean interior door as having a wooden frame and traditional paper called Hanji. In the solar cell, stainless-steel mesh played the frame-like role, while porous glass paper provided a paper-like support. The report does not say that the device used Hanji.
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The work was reported in 2012 by Chemistry World. The Royal Society of Chemistry identified the research paper as “Dye-sensitized Solar Cells on Glass Paper: TCO-free Highly Bendable Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Inspired by Traditional Korean Door Structures,” by Seung Il Cha and colleagues, published in Energy & Environmental Science (DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03096A). The RSC blog also highlighted the work.
How the glass-paper cell was built
Conventional DSSCs were described in the 2012 coverage as two transparent conductive oxide (TCO)-coated substrates separated by a spacer, leaving a gap for electrolyte. The researchers sought to avoid that sandwich construction, which the report says can be vulnerable to bending: the electrodes may experience strain in opposing ways and separate from the spacer.
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The prototype instead arranged its materials around a porous sheet:
- Stainless-steel mesh was attached to one side of the glass paper.
- Platinum was deposited on the other side.
- A titanium-dioxide photoelectrode was deposited on the mesh.
- Electrolyte occupied pores in the glass paper.
Because the structure did not rely on the TCO films used in the described conventional arrangement, the design could bend without those films. Cha told Chemistry World: “The structure is flexible, and expensive and fragile TCO films are not required.” This describes the design rationale; it does not establish that every TCO-free solar cell is flexible or commercially practical.
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What the reported performance means
Chemistry World and the RSC reported a measured energy-conversion efficiency of 2% for the prototype. They also reported that the bent cell retained 90% of the flat version’s efficiency. That is a relative comparison between the prototype’s bent and flat configurations, not a claim that it produced 90% efficiency.
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The 2012 coverage placed those numbers in a historical context:
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| Approach described in 2012 coverage | Reported efficiency | Structure or bend information | Commercial status in the coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass-paper prototype | 2% measured; bent configuration retained 90% of flat-form efficiency | Stainless-steel mesh, glass paper, platinum, titanium-dioxide photoelectrode, and electrolyte in paper pores | Experimental; no market deployment established |
| Glass-substrate DSSCs | Above 10% | Glass substrate; no bend result stated | Historical comparison only; no product-readiness conclusion stated |
| Flexible TCO-coated plastic-substrate DSSCs | Above 5% | Flexible plastic substrate with TCO-coated electrodes | Historical comparison only; no product-readiness conclusion stated |
The comparison figures for glass and plastic cells are those given in the 2012 reporting, not current industry benchmarks. At the time, Cha said 5% efficiency was needed for commercial applications and projected that the glass-paper concept might eventually reach 4–5%. That was a forecast, not a later verified result in the sources cited here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the idea was interesting—and what remained difficult
The frame-and-paper arrangement offered a route to a bendable cell without the fragile TCO films described in the report. But flexibility alone did not solve the efficiency gap. Michael McGehee, a Stanford University DSSC expert quoted by Chemistry World, noted: “Using paper, instead of conventional substrate materials like glass, metal or plastic, is very attractive, but has proven to be difficult because paper is rough.”
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The researchers were working to improve efficiency in 2012. The accessible reporting does not establish what performance the design later achieved, whether it entered production, or whether it is commercially available. The article described advertising and small portable power as possible applications, not confirmed deployments.
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- Extremely Flexible: Update to latest version size: 36.22inch*23.22inch*0.11inch/920*590*3MM, The minimum radius of the arc that a 100 watts flexible solar panel can reach is 45cm (17.7 in). It is capable of meeting a wide range of applications where standard solar panels can be inconvenient to mount, suitable for off-grid applications that include trailers, marine, boats, cabins, tents, cars, trucks, yachts, RVs, campervans, caravans, sheds, residential rooftop, home garden outdoor, or any other irregular surface.
- Lightweight & Easy to Install: It is only 0.1 inches in height and weighs only 4.4LB (2KG), the solar panel is easy to transport, install, hang and remove. The metal pre-drilled holes and PV solar connectors help you install easily and quickly.
- 9 Busbars Solar Cell, High Conversion Efficiency: 9BB & A Grade Monocrystalline silicon solar cell provides high conversion efficiency up to 23%. The narrower busbar space and more cells receiving surface bring lower cost and increase the output of the PV module. Compared with 5BB panel, the 9BB solar panel ensures lower risks of microcracks and longer service life.
- Waterproof & Dustproof: This flexible solar panel is equipped with IP67-rated junction box to effectively block water splashes and dust from outside, making it perfect to be used outdoors. It is much more durable than traditional glass and aluminum model solar panels. 2 pieces bypass-diodes are built in the junction box.
- Excellent Quality: The flexible solar panel is made of ETFE material, which has a higher light transmission and longer service life than ordinary materials. The back panel is made of TPT, which is good for heat dissipation, waterproof, high temperature resistant and easy to clean.
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