New Solar Technology is More Efficient and Versatile

April 1, 2013- Yale researchers have developed a cost-effective technology that increases the efficiency of solar cells by creating hybrid cells made of carbon nanotubes and silicon. The result is a physically robust, flexible and “optically thin” material, which makes solar cells more suitable for a wider range of applications.

In two papers published in the science journals Energy and Environmental Science and Nano Letters in December, the team of researchers details its new technology. The new cells convert sunlight to electrical energy more efficiently than traditional solar cells, researchers said, and they may also pave the way for innovative solar technology.

Applications are not limited to solar panels — the cells may be used in photo detectors, sensors and displays, too. The cells also could be used on a range of surfaces, said applied physics student Nitin Rajan, co-author of one of the papers.

“Imagine your automobile if paint was a solar cell,” said Andre Taylor, assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering and a principal investigator of the study. “Imagine rooftop shingles and other nonfunctional surfaces where you can integrate photovoltaic cells.”

Silicon-based solar cells are highly efficient due to silicon’s optical properties, allowing it to absorb sunlight easily and convert it into energy, researchers said. But processing silicon is costly and requires “extremely high” temperatures.

To create their hybrid solar cell, the research team developed a low-cost method that can be performed at room temperature. Researchers applied thin, smooth carbon nanotube films to silicon, then used an acid wash to dissolve the carbon, allowing the nanotubes to collapse together to form a highly conductive network.

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