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A thin film of plastic which conducts electricity and produces solar power could be the basis for a revolution in the way we light our homes and design clothes.
The devices exploit a discovery made around 15 years ago that some polymers have the unusual property of either turning electricity into light, or light into electricity, depending on how the devices are made.

Because these polymers are thin and flexible, they could be used in a multiplicity of ways:

• as a transparent window. This is like a conventional window during the day, but when it gets dark a switch is turned on and the entire window area emits light in a more efficient way than conventional or energy saving bulbs, promising huge savings (see Related Links for an animation of this).

• in garments which could change colour at the press of a button

• in clothing which displays strips of the polymer which run off solar power, allowing electronic messages to be displayed which can be updated. This could be useful for the emergency services such as police or ambulance (see Related Links for an animation of this).

• in packaging for common goods that could be made to display electronic messages such as health warnings and recipes, or could emit light (see Related Links for an animation of this).

• as a source of solar power to top up mobile phones batteries

• as lightweight, solar power sources that could be rolled up and stored and which would also be ideal for people requiring electricity in remote locations, such as field researchers, mountaineers, sailors and military personnel.

Video which new uses can bring OLED-Light