Future of Solar Cells with Nanotechnology

We mentioned in our “Harvesting Solar Power with Nanomaterials” blog how the introduction of nanomaterials in solar technology improves the efficiency, and reduces the cost of solar systems. This is due to the unique properties of the nanomaterials which lead to band gap adjustments, higher absorption, and less charge recombination. Here, we discover the new features that nanotechnology can introduce to the solar cells and solar technology.

Extensive research have been done in different universities and facilities to develop solar cells and to introduce new materials in order to improve their performance and create new properties such as flexibility, transparency, and self-cleaning. Flexibility is a new and important property of solar cells that can be achieved by nanotechnology. An example of these research, is the research done in MIT to develop solar cells that are made from single molecule thick sheets of graphene and other nanomaterials such as molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2). These solar cells are predicted to give 1000 times more power for a given weigh of material than conventional solar cells.

Besides flexibility, transparent solar cells can also be made. MIT researchers study the applicability of graphene coated with zinc oxide nanowires to solar cells. The researchers believe that these nanomaterials will allow the production of low cost flexible solar cells at high enough efficiency to be competitive. These flexible and transparent solar cells can be installed on different sites of buildings including windows. Self-cleaning solar cell panels are another type of solar cells that can be developed by nanotechnology. This can be achieved by coating the solar panel with a self-cleaning nanohydrophobic material that maintain peak efficiency over longer periods of time. This reduces the cleaning costs as well as maintaining the efficiency. These new properties can revolutionize the way of harvesting solar power by enabling the installation of the solar cells in different buildings with affordable costs and accepted efficiencies.http://nanografi.com/blog/future-of-solar-cells-with-nanotechnology/

Comments

Carbon Nanotube Threads

Since its discovery, carbon nanotube (CNT) has attracted many interests in different technology fields due to its extraordinary properties. Properties such as, high strength, great electrical and thermal conductivity, light weight and flexibility made CNT one of the best materials for wide range of applications. However, from its name it can be understood that CNT is a nanoscale material which is very small to be applied for the production of daily products. Researchers all around the world are working on finding methods and techniques which could produce new materials with the extraordinary properties of CNT. Image retrieved from: https://worldindustrialreporter.com/strong-light-flexible-carbon-nanotubes-threads-with-ultrahigh-conductivity/ One of these research is focusing on the production of high strength threads that can be used in the manufacturing of fabrics, cables and ropes. An international group of scientists were able to produce a flexible conductive thread th...

Multi Walled Carbon Nanotube Dispersions

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted enormous attention in recent years due to its unique physical, electronic, optical and potential applications in materials science and nanotechnology. The van der Waals interaction between tubes, however, makes CNTs aggregate in most organic solvents and aqueous solutions, which is the major limitation of their practical applications.Various approaches have been studied to alter the CNT surface to promote the dispersion of individual nanotubes and prevent their reaggregation. On the basis of this widely accepted viewpoint, numerous techniques such as covalent bonding, surfactant coating and polymer wrapping have been developed for surface modification or sidewall functionalization.These methods, however, are complicated, time-consuming and cause permanent damage to the CNT structure and properties of the surface, which produces residues of the dispersion agent for the final product. Figure: Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) It ha...

Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles/Nanopowder and Applications

General Information about Magnesium Oxide Magnesium oxide which has the chemical formula of MgO, is a white hygroscopic solid mineral that occurs naturally as periclase and is a source of Magnesium. It is a white powder at room temperature. Magnesium Oxide has very high melting point (2825 o C) and boiling point (3600 o C). Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles/Nanopowder an...

Nanografi Nanotechnology

Search This Blog