New Spray-On Solar Cells Invented
New Spray-On Solar Cells Invented
Andrea Thompson - LiveScience
November 6, 2008
...Xiaomei Jiang of the University of South Florida and her colleagues needed a power source for a microscopic sensor that can detect dangerous chemicals and toxins, potentially helping to sniff out chemical leaks....
Instead of using silicon, Jiang and her colleagues turned to a polymer (a long organic molecule made of repeating structural units). The polymer they selected has the same electrical properties as silicon wafers, but can be dissolved and printed onto flexible material.
"I think these materials have a lot more potential than traditional silicon," Jiang said. "They could be sprayed on any surface that is exposed to sunlight — a uniform, a car, a house."
...
Jiang and her colleagues made 20 tiny cells — each the size of a lower case "o" in standard 12-point print — and joined them together in an array to power the microscopic detector.
The detector needs a 15-volt power source to work, and so far Jiang's solar cell array can provide about half of that — up to 7.8 volts in the lab tests she and her colleagues did.
The next step, Jiang said, is to increase the voltage and then combine the tiny solar array to the chemical sensors. Jiang expects to reach the 15-volt goal by the end of the year. The results of her initial experiment are detailed in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy.
http://www.livescience.com/technology/081106-tiny-solar-cells.html
This story is sort of in line with a lot of other recent laboratory breakthroughs in solar technology. While the polymer cells are less effective than the traditional silicone ones, it isn't that hard to imagine it increasing in efficiency at least as quickly as silicone tech.
I think this is an amazing example of what I hope is a new trend in energy technology. Essentially, the construction and manufacture of products from materials that generate their own power. From skyscrapers with wind turbines installed between the floors, to sidewalks that absorb the kinetic energy of those walking over it, energy solutions can be integrated directly into the things we build and wear every day. Imagine, instead of solar collecting polymer spray, but a solar collecting fabric or other items which could be used in manufacture, having energy collection be a secondary function.