Printable Solar Cells

Apr-30-12 Using nanotechnology, USC scientists have developed a way to cheaply produce stable liquid solar cells, which could lead to a new generation of inexpensive, flexible solar cells.

To create the liquid cells, the team suspended solar nanocrystals in a liquid solution, which allows them to be printed like a newspaper. Conventional liquid solar cells tend to lose efficiency because the molecules used keep the nanocrystals stable also insulate them, reducing their electrical conductivity. To prevent this, the researchers developed a synthetic material that constructs tiny bridges to transmit electricity while still stabilizing the crystals.

The printing process is carried out at relatively low temperatures,which could also enable the production of inexpensive, yet efficient, solar panels printed on plastic.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
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