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Posted: May 2nd, 2012 Towards low-cost solar cells based on abundant metals ( Nanowerk News ) Following the tragic effects of the Tsunami in 2011, there is animperative to find energy sources to replace nuclear power. Manytechnologies are actively under investigation, but a neglectedaspect is the sustainability of the material requirements. A highlyefficient process based on extremely rare materials is unlikely toenter the mainstream. In an article in the flagship journalChemical Communications, chemists of the University of Baseldescribe a paradigm-shifting approach to sustainable and renewablephotovoltaic devices. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) consist of a semiconductor,titanium dioxide, which is coated with a colored dye. The dyeabsorbs sunlight and injects an electron into the semiconductor.This is the primary event leading to the photocurrent. ResearchersNik Hostettler and Ewald Schoenhofer in the group of Professors EdConstable and Catherine Housecroft from the University of Baselhave made two breakthroughs (see paper in Chemical Communications : "The d 10 route to dye-sensitized solar cells: step-wise assembly ofzinc(II) photosensitizers on TiO 2 surfaces" ). Comparative testing of ruthenium and zinc dye-sensitized solarcells. Firstly, they have developed a new strategy for making andattaching colored materials to the surface of titanium dioxidenanoparticles and, secondly, they have shown for the first timethat simple compounds of the readily available metal zinc may beused. Project Officer Dr Biljana Bozic says that the key discoverywas finding a method for the simultaneous synthesis of the dye andits attachment to the semiconductor surface. Colorful dyes from gray zinc The discovery that zinc dyes can be used is most unexpected.Constable states that most chemists consider zinc to be a "boring"element, as most of its compounds are colourless. However, incourse of other work related to next-generation lighting devices,his team discovered new highly-colored organic compounds that couldbind to zinc to give new coloured materials. Although the devicesare not yet particularly efficient, this observation opens the wayto new generations of DSCs with hitherto unconsidered types ofdyes. Conventional DSCs use ruthenium dyes, but ruthenium is very rareand expensive (3,500 Swiss Francs/2,990 Euro per kilogram).Recently, this research team demonstrated that dyes from abundantand relatively inexpensive copper (7.5 Swiss Francs/6.3 Euro perkilogram) were effective in DSCs and the extension to cheap zinc(1.8 Swiss Francs/1.5 Euro per kilogram) compounds furtherincreases the sustainability of the materials science. "This is asignificant step towards our dream of coupling photovoltaics andlighting in an intelligent curtain which can store solar energyduring the day and function as a lighting device at night. This isat the core of our ERC research programme Light-In, Light-Out", EdConstable comments. I am an expert from steel-wireropes.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Copper Beading Wire , Stainless Steel Wire Rod, Cutting Wire Rope,and more.
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