Carbon nanotube 'ink' may lead to thinner, lighter transistors and solar cells
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using a simple chemical process, scientists at Cornell and DuPont have invented a method of preparing carbon nanotubes for suspension in a semiconducting "ink," which can then be...
View ArticleQuantum dots with built-in charge boost solar cell efficiency by 50%
(PhysOrg.com) -- For the past few years, researchers have been using quantum dots to increase the light absorption and overall efficiency of solar cells. Now, researchers have taken a step further,...
View ArticlePolymer scientist is laying groundwork for next-generation flexible...
University of Massachusetts Amherst polymer scientist Ryan Hayward recently received a five-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to improve understanding of the fundamentals for the...
View ArticleDevelopment of a new method for the boron-doping of two dimensional carbon...
Kyoto University researchers have developed a new method for the boron-doping of two dimensional carbon materials, which is expected to be a promising approach towards the development of highly...
View ArticleScientists discover bilayer structure in efficient solar material
Detailed studies of one of the best-performing organic photovoltaic materials reveal an unusual bilayer lamellar structure that may help explain the material's superior performance at converting...
View ArticleNovel technique to synthesize nanocrystals that harvest solar energy
One reason that solar energy has not been widely adopted is because light absorbing materials are not durable. Materials that harvest solar radiation for energy often overheat or degrade over time;...
View ArticleScientists demonstrate high-efficiency quantum dot solar cells
Research shows newly developed solar powered cells may soon outperform conventional photovoltaic technology. Scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have demonstrated the first...
View ArticleResearchers use earthworms to create quantum dots
(Phys.org)—British researchers at King's College in London have succeeded in creating quantum dots by feeding earthworms soil laced with certain metals and then collecting the material excreted. They...
View ArticleRevolutionary atmospheric-pressure plasma boosts adhesion of polymer films...
Mass manufacture of photovoltaic materials is often achieved inexpensively by screen printing organic solar cells onto plastic sheets. The polymer known as poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET, is a...
View ArticleNanostructures improve efficiency of solar cells
Researchers have been able to improve the efficiency of solar cells by coating the cell surface with extremely small nanoscale structures. The new technology has been shown to nearly eliminate the...
View ArticleSolar panels as inexpensive as paint? It's possible due to new research
(Phys.org) —Most Americans want the U.S. to place more emphasis on developing solar power, recent polls suggest. A major impediment, however, is the cost to manufacture, install and maintain solar...
View ArticleNew hybrid molecules could lead to materials that function at the nanoscale
Synthetic chemists today have the ability to construct molecules of almost any atomic composition, creating new materials with any number of promising applications that range from sustainable energy...
View ArticleLike a hall of mirrors, nanostructures trap photons inside ultrathin solar...
In the quest to make sun power more competitive, researchers are designing ultrathin solar cells that cut material costs. At the same time they're keeping these thin cells efficient by sculpting their...
View ArticleResearch team finds that the ratio of component atoms vital to performance
There has been great interest in recent years in using tiny particles called quantum dots to produce low-cost, easily manufactured, stable photovoltaic cells. But, so far, the creation of such cells...
View ArticleInnovative solar cell structure stores and supplies energy simultaneously
(Phys.org) —The potential energy available via solar power might seem limitless on a sunny summer day, but all that energy has to be stored for it to be truly useful. If you see a solar panel on a...
View ArticleNew additive offers near-perfect results as nucleating agent for organic...
(Phys.org) —Pixie dust may be the stuff of fanciful fiction, but for scientists at UC Santa Barbara's Department of Materials, a commonly used sugar-based additive has been found to have properties...
View ArticleFuture looks bright for carbon nanotube solar cells
(Phys.org) —In an approach that could challenge silicon as the predominant photovoltaic cell material, University of Wisconsin-Madison materials engineers have developed an inexpensive solar cell that...
View ArticleBringing color to solar facades
Until now, designers of buildings have no choice but to use black or bluish-gray colored solar panels. With the help of thin-film technologies, researchers have now been able to turn solar cells into...
View ArticleNew nanoscale imaging method finds application in plasmonics
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland have shown how to make nanoscale measurements of critical properties of plasmonic...
View ArticleTeam makes breakthrough in solar energy research
The use of plasmonic black metals could someday provide a pathway to more efficient photovoltaics (PV) —- the use of solar panels containing photovoltaic solar cells —- to improve solar energy...
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