A new type of material for next-generation solar cells eliminates the need to use lead, which has been a major roadblock for this technology.
Solar cells, incorporating the mineral perovskite, have been the focus of attention since the material was first shown to work in 2009. Solar cells that are built using this material are more efficient than current solar panels. Current solar panels capture 15% to 18% of the solar energy on average, while perovskite solar cells have been found to be as much as 28% efficient.
But there are major obstacles to using these materials commercially: The materials are not stable, and they contain water-soluble lead, which is a health hazard.
Now a team of scientists and engineers led by Letian Dou, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Purdue University, have developed a sandwich-like material incorporating organic and inorganic materials to form a hybrid structure that doesn’t use lead and has much improved stability.
“These structures are very exciting,” Dou said. “The sandwich structures are like semiconductor quantum wells that are widely used today in many electronic and optoelectronic devices, but they are much easier to produce and more tolerant to defects,”
The research was published Monday (Nov. 11) in the journal Nature Chemistry.
In a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in September, the scientists had incorporated the material into an essential component of many electronic devices, a field effect transistor.
Yao Gao, lead author of both research papers and a postdoctoral fellow in Dou’s research group, said the new organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials are cheaper and perform better than a traditional inorganic semiconductor. Also, Gao said, the new material’s design strategy could serve as a blueprint for many other functional hybrid materials.
“Solar cells, as many people have demonstrated, can be highly efficient,” he said. “With our new technology, we can make the hybrid perovskite materials intrinsically more stable. By replacing the toxic lead, these new materials are better for the environment and can also be safely used for bioelectronics sensors on the body.”
Learn more: New material points toward highly efficient solar cells
The Latest on: Solar cells
- How Many Solar Panels Does It Take To Power An RV/Motorhome?on April 26, 2024 at 6:15 pm
Solar power for RVs is taking off, so if you're looking to add some solar panels to your vehicle, it can take some math to figure out exactly what you need.
- Solar panel plant coming to eastern North Carolina with 900 jobson April 26, 2024 at 1:26 pm
A Vietnamese-based company will build its first North American solar panel manufacturing plant in eastern North Carolina, creating over 900 jobs.
- 4,000 solar panels will help fuel innovation at Rockford aerospace facilityon April 26, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Eric Cunningham of Collins Aerospace says the company plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,500 metric tons in the coming year..
- Researchers outline path forward for tandem solar cellson April 26, 2024 at 7:22 am
As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one. The same is true when it comes to solar cells working in tandem. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy ...
- Solar panels in the eyes: reality or distant future?on April 26, 2024 at 4:44 am
Implanting tiny solar cells in people's eyes might sound like a futuristic idea, but it's what Australian scientists are exploring. This advanced technology could greatly help those with eye diseases.
- Scientists develop material with potential to revolutionize solar panel efficency: 'Significant leap forward'on April 26, 2024 at 3:15 am
Researchers at Lehigh University have developed a solar panel that is nearly twice as efficient as most existing solar panels, using something called "quantum material." External quantum efficiency ...
- US solar panel makers seek import tariffs to protect new domestic factorieson April 25, 2024 at 1:20 pm
Some of the world's largest solar equipment makers on Wednesday asked President Joe Biden's administration to impose tariffs on panels and cells from four Asian countries to protect billions of ...
- Key Solar Panel Ingredient Is Made in the U.S.A. Againon April 25, 2024 at 8:17 am
REC Silicon says it will soon start shipping polysilicon, which has come mostly from China, reviving a Washington State factory that shut down in 2019.
- New AD/CVD petition filed against solar cells and panels from Southeast Asiaon April 25, 2024 at 8:12 am
A new antidumping/countervailing duty petition has been filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) and the Dept. of Commerce concerning ...
- The Myths And Truths About Why Electric Cars Don't Have Solar Panelson April 25, 2024 at 7:00 am
Although solar energy alone cannot fully power a car for real-world usage, manufacturers are overcoming challenges and getting closer by the hour.
via Bing News
The Latest on: Perovskite solar cell
- Victoria-based Companies Solaires Enterprises and XLYNX Materials Collaborate to Build High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cellson April 26, 2024 at 7:53 am
Two Victoria-based companies, Solaires Enterprises and XLYNX Materials, have announced a collaboration of efforts to build high-efficiency, high-stability perovskite solar cells that will unlock the ...
- Researchers outline path forward for tandem solar cellson April 26, 2024 at 7:23 am
As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one. The same is true when it comes to solar cells working in tandem. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy ...
- Ultra-thin, flexible solar cells demonstrate their promise in a commercial quadcopter droneon April 24, 2024 at 9:27 am
Whether on Earth or in space, autonomous energy is critical in order to keep power systems running independently for extended periods of time, particularly in remote or unpredictable environments.
- Perovskite cells power palm-sized droneon April 24, 2024 at 4:19 am
Researchers at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz and the Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells in Austria have developed ultra-lightweight quasi-2D perovskite solar cells with a power output of ...
- Researchers design tin-germanium-based perovskite solar cell with potential efficiency of 31.49%on April 22, 2024 at 1:39 am
Researchers in Malaysia have simulated a mixed cation perovskite solar cell integrating tin and germanium in the absorber. By modulating the perovksite layer thickness, they were able to achieve an ...
- Solar-cell-packin' drone uses sunlight for on-the-spot rechargingon April 19, 2024 at 12:19 pm
Multirotor drones may one day be able recharge their batteries while out and about, instead of having to return to a charging station. They could do so via onboard ultra-thin solar cells, which have ...
- Researchers develop ‘half-tandem’ perovskite solar cells with conversion efficiency of 27.63%on April 19, 2024 at 2:53 am
Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology reserachers have developed ‘half-tandem’ solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 27.63% ...
- Solar cells 20 times thinner than a strand of human hairon April 18, 2024 at 12:42 am
Solar-Powered Drones Support Sustainable Aviation. Developed by researchers at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, the new and ...
- New vapor deposition tech could accelerate commercialization of perovskite solar cellson April 17, 2024 at 9:15 am
A U.S.-based team developed a vapor deposition technique to fabricate outperforming all-inorganic perovskite thin films in under 5 minutes in a continuous process. The adoption of the proposed ...
- “Extraordinary Potential” – The New Dawn of Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Solar Cellson April 15, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Commercial solar panels currently have the capability to transform approximately 15% to 20% of the sunlight they capture into electrical power. However, experts at Soochow University suggest there's ...
via Bing News