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U.S. researchers used proteins extracted from plants, as well as phosphates, carbon nanotubes, and other compounds to develop solar cells that can simulate plant photosynthesis mechanisms for self-assembly. The new batteries also have good self-healing capabilities and are expected to be significantly extended. Solar battery life.
Numerous scientists have attempted to improve the design of solar cells and improve the performance of solar cells. They have made significant progress in producing the cells with the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency. However, few people care about the service life of solar cells.
Michael Strano, a chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), explained that the combination of sunlight and oxygen can cause some damage. For example, the human body is exposed to too much sunlight and it is easy to age. It also means that The solar cells that perform well in the lab may “strike†after leaving the lab to “workâ€.
In addition, some new non-silicon based solar cells now have low cost, high conversion efficiency and excellent performance, but they cannot stand the test of time. After more than 60 hours, the conversion efficiency is only 10% of the original.
In view of this, Professor Strano and his colleagues developed this “mini†solar cell that is only a few nanometers in size and can be self-assembled and self-healed.
In the preparation of this new type of solar cell, researchers used photosynthetic proteins extracted from plants, adherent phosphoric acid esters, and carbon nanotubes with good electrical properties and surfactants. Surfactants disperse certain molecules and keep them isolated.
What surprises the research team is that when they extract the surfactant from the mixture, the “cocktail†mixture, which is composed of different substances, will self-assemble into a solar cell that can work just a few nanometers.
Phosphoric acid esters are combined together to form a disk, with carbon nanotubes and plant protein reaction centers adhering to both sides. The protein photosynthesis center collects the sun's rays, releases the electrons, and the electrons pass through the phosphate ester and then enter the carbon nanotubes. In the carbon nanotubes, electrons are polymerized together to form an electric current.
The researchers emphasized that this self-assembled battery is inherently self-repairing. If sunlight destroys certain proteins, surfactants and proteins can be added to replace those that have been destroyed. When the surfactants are extracted, the solar cells can reassemble themselves into a new set of solar cells. .
Strano said that solar cells made in this way have individual photoelectric conversion efficiencies of 40%, which is twice the current commercial solar cell with the highest conversion efficiency. In theory, the conversion efficiency of this solar cell can be close to 100%. However, because the current research is still in the "cradle", the concentration of solar cells formed in solution is very low, and its conversion efficiency is also very low. With the further improvement of the experiment, the conversion efficiency will continue to increase.
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