Plant-Based Solar Cells

Mar-31-13 Using plant-based materials, researchers have developed efficient, organic solar cells that can be dissolved in water and recycled.

Until now, organic solar cells had usually been fabricated on glass or plastic. The new solar cells, created by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University, are fabricated on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), which is derived from plants. The CNC substrate is transparent, so light can pass through, and can be separated into its main components by soaking it in warm water.

The cellulose-based solar cells have an efficiency of 2.7 percent which, though low, can be balanced by the cells’ recyclability.

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