photovoltaic devices tagged posts

Displayed over roof tops and in solar farms, silicon-based solar cells are, so far, one of the most efficient systems in generating electricity from sunlight, but their fabrication can be expensive and energy demanding, aside from being heavy and bulky. The alternative solution of lower-cost thin film solar cells also brings the caveat of being mainly composed of toxic elements such as lead or cadmium, or containing scarce elements such as indium or tellurium.

In the search for new technologies for thin photovoltaic systems, solar cells based on AgBiS2 nanocrystals have emerged as a star player in the game, consisting of nontoxic, earth-abundant elements, p...

The influence of plasmonic hotspots on Au nanoprism growth.

Uni of Florida team has figured out how gold can be used in crystals grown by light to create nanoparticles, a discovery that has major implications for industry and cancer treatment and could improve the function of drugs, medical equipment and solar panels. Nanoparticles can be “grown” in crystal formations with special use of light, ie plasmon-driven synthesis. However, scientists have had limited control unless they used silver, but silver limits the uses for medical technology. The team is the first to successfully use gold, which works well within the human body, with this process.

Gold is highly desired for nanotechnology because it is malleable, does not react with oxygen and conducts heat well...

(Top) Moth eyes are highly antireflective due to their nanostructured surface. (Middle) An image of a silicon “moth eye” fabricated by polymer self-assembly. (Bottom) A polished, highly reflective silicon solar cell (right) turns completely black (left) after the application of surface nanotexture. Credit: Image courtesy of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, BNL

Mimicking the texture found on the highly antireflective surfaces of the compound eyes of moths, scientists from Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory have utilized block copolymer self-assembly to produce precise and tunable nanotextured designs in the range of ~20 nm across macroscopic silicon-based solar cells...