Solar Paint-On Cells Developed
How about this thought for an invention for the future, how
about the next paint job you have for the outside of your house actually
generates electricity that can be used for the powering up of appliances,
computers, flat screens, that are on the inside. How much would you pay for
such a treatment?
It Is Already Here
The University of Notre Dame has a team of researchers that
has made a major step forward with this invention by manufacturing a
"solar paint" that makes use of semiconducting nanoparticles that
manufactures electrical energy. Put your head around that and noodle that for a
while. Great idea that has already been put into action and shown to work just
as planned, what a concept right?
Nano Science & Technology
"We want to do
something trans-formative, to move beyond current silicon-based solar
technology," states Prashant Kamat, John A. Zahm Professor of Science in
Chemistry and Biochemistry and an investigator in Notre Dame's Center for Nano
Science and Technology (NDnano), who leads the research.
"By
incorporating power-producing nano-particles, called quantum dots, into a
spreadable compound, we've made a one-coat solar paint that can be applied to
any conductive surface without special equipment" as Kamat tells it.
"The team's
search for the new material, described in the journal ACS Nano, centered on
nano-sized particles of titanium dioxide, which were coated with either cadmium
sulfide or cadmium selenite. The particles were then suspended in a
water-alcohol mixture to create a paste" Kamat continues.
"When the paste
was brushed onto a transparent conducting material and exposed to light, it
created electricity, the best light-to-energy conversion efficiency we've
reached so far is 1 percent, which is well behind the usual 10 to 15 percent
efficiency of commercial silicon solar cells," explains Kamat.
"But this paint can be made cheaply and in large
quantities. If we can improve the efficiency somewhat, we may be able to make a
real difference in meeting energy needs in the future."
"That's why we've christened the new paint,
Sun-Believable," He adds.
Need to Improve the Stability
Kamat, along with his industrious team of researchers, have
taken on the task of improving the overall stability of the new Nano material.
Notre Dame Nano has become one of the leaders in the forefront of
nanotechnology centers on the globe. The overall mission is to research ways to
manipulate properties of devices & materials and their interfaces with
living mechanisms, on the Nano scale.
Employment Could Skyrocket
While the goals are quite lofty, as well as economically a
financial windfall if stability can be improved as well as the efficiency, this
could be a task that could employ workers the world over to paint this on every
building that has the money to do it. Solar paint could color the Nano world
technology a go in the not too distant future. The Nano technology is cheap to
do, thus a large mark up in the cost of the paint, labor could be found for the
minimum wage and quite frankly we could paint our way out of this recession. A
little food for thought.
The Department of
Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences funded this study and research.
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