Small, Flexible Solar Cells May Bring New Energy Opportunities
Scientists have reported the development of tiny solar cells that are only a quarter of the size of a grain of white rice.
The team of researchers, led by Xiaomei Jiang of the University of South Florida, foresee the solar cells may be used as a coating on a variety of surfaces, including clothing. They might generate energy to power small electronic devices or charge a cell phone, for example.
"They could be sprayed on any surface that is exposed to sunlight — a uniform, a car, a house," said Jiang.
Most conventional solar cells are made up of silicon wafers, a brittle substance that limits where they can be placed. Researchers have been searching for new ways to develop more flexible solar cells.
"Because it is in a solution, you can design a special spray gun where you can control the size and thickness. You could produce a paste and brush it on," she said.
Solar cells, which convert energy from the sun into electricity, are in increasing demand amid unstable gas prices and worries over global warming.
So far, the team has pulled 11 volts of electricity from a small group of the cells.
The tiny cells from Jiang’s lab are made from an organic polymer that has the same electrical properties of silicon wafers but can be dissolved and applied to flexible materials.
"The main components are carbon and hydrogen — materials that are present in nature and are environmentally friendly," Jiang said.
In research published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Jiang and colleagues showed an array of 20 of these cells could generate 7.8 volts of electricity, about half the power needed to run a microscopic sensor for detecting dangerous chemicals and toxins.
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