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Oxford study explores a material that could limit solar-energy losses
A team led by Oxford reports in Nature on 28 October 2026 that bismuth sulfide combines strong light absorption with delayed electrical charge recombination.
Researchers examined thin films with laser pulses and modelled their electronic structure. Closely spaced energy states would allow charges to persist longer before cancelling each other out.
The authors say this mechanism could guide the design of better solar materials. However, the study establishes a physical principle: it presents neither a commercial panel nor demonstrated industrial efficiency. Translation into improved solar cells remains to be established.