University of Wisconsin-Madison Geology Museum
This crystal of iron pyrite shows the characteristic cubic crystals of “fool’s gold.” A new study led by Song Jin at the University of Wisconsin-Madison identifies defects in pyrite’s crystal structure as a critical obstacle to building commercial solar cells from the cheap and abundant iron pyrite material.
As the installation of photovoltaic solar cells continues to accelerate, scientists are looking for inexpensive materials beyond the traditional silicon that can efficiently convert sunlight into electricity.
Theoretically, iron pyrite — a cheap compound that makes a common mineral known as fool’s gold — could do the job, but when it works at all, the conversion efficiency remains frustratingly low. Now, a University of Wisconsin-Madison research team explains why that is, in a discovery that suggests how improvements in this promising material could lead to inexpensive yet efficient solar cells.
“We think we now understand why pyrite hasn’t worked,” says chemistry Professor Song Jin, “and that provides the hope, based on our understanding, for figuring out how to make it work. This could be even more difficult, but exciting and rewarding.”
Although most commercial photovoltaic cells nowadays are based on silicon, the light-collecting film must be relatively thick and pure, which makes the production process costly and energy-intensive, says Jin.
A film of iron pyrite — a compound built of iron and sulfur atoms — could be 1,000 times thinner than silicon and still efficiently absorb sunlight.
Like silicon, iron and sulfur are common elements in the Earth’s crust, so solar cells made of iron pyrite could have a significant material cost advantage in large scale deployment. In fact, previous research that balanced factors like theoretical efficiency, materials availability, and extraction cost put iron pyrite at the top of the list of candidates for low-cost and large-scale photovoltaic materials.
The Latest on: Iron pyrite
via Google News
The Latest on: Iron pyrite
- Electra identifies new cobalt-copper target near Iron Creekon August 2, 2022 at 11:29 am
Electra Battery Materials (NASDAQ: ELBM; TSXV: ELBM) has provided a positive update on its 2022 exploration program at the Ruby prospect, located 1.5 km from ...
- Inside a toxic hellhole, Iron Mountain Mineon July 29, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Iron Mountain, about 9 miles northwest of Redding ... a 200-foot-thick by 3,000-foot-long underground deposit of pyrite, the metallic mineral known as fool's gold. The destruction of the mountain ...
- GoldON Completes Phase I Exploration at Its Springpole East Property in the Red Lake Mining District, Ontarioon July 26, 2022 at 5:35 am
Veins and wall rock appear to contain up to 1-2% pyrite, with locally minor chalcopyrite ... with the possibility of hidden bands of chert-magnetite iron formation as have been observed elsewhere.
- Pyrite Market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 4.65% during the forecast periodon July 24, 2022 at 10:41 pm
Pyrite is considered a ubiquitous mineral due of its easy availability. It is mined as a source of sulfur and iron. Pyrite is readily oxidized to create sulfuric acid, both commercially and naturally.
- Life Helps Make Almost Half of All Minerals on Earthon July 24, 2022 at 3:15 pm
“Pyrite forms in 21 fundamentally different ways,” Hazen said. Some pyrite crystals form when chloride-rich iron deposits heat up deep underground over millions of years. Others form in cold ...
- Is Earth's core rusting? Research hints at catastrophic changes under the surfaceon July 15, 2022 at 5:00 pm
it forms iron peroxide with the same structure as pyrite indicating the formation of rust. The experiment is concerning as the pressure at which it has been conducted matches the conditions in the ...
- Superfund money to clean 'mouth of the beast'on July 8, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Water that flowed out of the shaft where the pyrite lay formed bluish blocks of ... The water in the debris dam was blood red from a mixture of iron and copper. Desperate, the EPA built the ...
- Bitcoin Vs. Digital Fool's Goldon October 16, 2021 at 4:32 am
Pyrite is not composed of any precious metal, but rather is a mixture of iron and sulfur, forming an iron sulfide. The color and brightness of pyrite resembles that of gold and can deceive beginners ...
- Manufactured Light: Mirrors in the Mesoamerican Realmon May 26, 2021 at 5:29 pm
73-106) Brigitte Kovacevich This chapter details the evidence for pyrite production at Cancuén, which most often includes reflective mirrors (ceremonial in nature), as well as beads and dental inlays.
- Nanotechnology applications can boost agricultural output in emergencieson May 18, 2020 at 4:59 am
Nanotechnology application to boost crop productivity can be a locally-implemented strategy for emergencies, a team of Indian scientists has said - A trace amount of nano iron pyrite can pump up ...
via Bing News
