TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The photovoltaic cells comprises absorber layer having inorganic materials chosen from titania, nanocrystalline titanium oxide, zinc oxide, copper oxide (CuO, Cu2O or CuxOy), zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium-tin oxide, vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide and other oxide, sodium titanate, potassium niobate, cadmium selenide, cadmium suflide, copper sulfide, cadmium telluride, cadmium-tellurium selenide (CdTeSe), copper-indium selenide (CuInSe2), cadmium oxide (CdOx), copper iodide, copper-sulfur-cyanide (CuSCN), semiconductive material and silicon. The absorber layer comprises oligimeric material, micro-crystalline silicon, inorganic nanorods dispersed in an organic matrix, inorganic tetrapods dispersed in an organic matrix, quantum dot materials, ionic conducting polymer gels, sol-gel nanocomposites containing an ionic liquid, ionic cerium oxide and/or other small molecules.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The pottant layer comprises ethyl vinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, ionomer, silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer polyolefin, tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene vinylidene, fluorinated ethylene-propylene, saturated rubber, butyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, flexibilized epoxy, epoxy, amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, urethane acrylic, acrylic and/or other fluoroelastomers. The absorber layer comprises organic materials chosen from conjugated polymer, poly(phenylene) and its derivative, poly(phenylene vinylene) and its derivatives (e.g. poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-l,4-phenylene vinylene), poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV)), PPV copolymers, poly(thiophene) and its derivatives (e.g. poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom), poly(thienylenevinylene) and its derivatives, and poly(isothianaphthene) and its derivatives, 2,2'7,7'-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene(spiro- Me OTAD), organometallic polymer, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines) and their derivatives, and discotic liquid crystals, organic pigments or dyes, ruthenium-based dye, liquid iodide/triiodide electrolyte, azo-dyes having azo chromofores (-N=N-) linking aromatic group, phthalocyanines including metal-free phthalocyanine, (HPc), perylene, perylene derivative, copper pthalocyanine (CuPc), zinc pthalocyanines (ZnPc), naphthalocyanine, squaraine, merocyanine and their respective derivatives, poly(silane), poly(germinate), 2,9-di(pent-3-yl)-anthra(2,l,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f)diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone, and 2,9-bis-(1-hexyl-hept-1-yl)-anthra(2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f )diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone and pentacene, pentacene derivatives and/or pentacene precursors, an N-type ladder polymer, and poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder) (BBL).