singlet fission

Singlet fission is a process where one high-energy molecule in an excited state splits its energy to create two lower-energy, excited molecules. This allows for more efficient use of light energy by generating multiple excitations from a single photon. When a molecule absorbs light, it enters a singlet excited state; through singlet fission, this energy is transferred to a neighboring identical molecule, resulting in two triplet excited states. This process can enhance the performance of solar cells by increasing the number of charge carriers produced from sunlight, potentially leading to more energy being converted into electricity with less waste.