Combining new products resulted in an energy conversion with a utilization of 7.2%, which is a record value for cells of this type - organic dye
Solar cell technology is moving forward despite two significant limitations: low efficiency and high production costs. In collaboration with researcher Satoshi Uchida from the University of Tokyo, Michael Grätzel and his research group at the "Swiss Federal Institute of Technology" in Lausanne succeeded in developing state-of-the-art sensitizers that could help increase the efficiency of relatively cheap solar cells. These are based on The well-known dye indoline (indoline).
Several years ago, the researcher Grätzel developed cheap and simple to manufacture photoelectrochemical solar cells that are able to withstand long exposure to light and heat. These "Gratzel cells" contain a mesoscopic layer of titanium oxide (TiO2) particles coated with an active dye (sensitizer). In response to the irradiation of light, electrons, which are in the dye layer adsorbed on the oxide, move to the conduction band of the oxide, are collected at the end of the conductor and from there are transferred to an external electric circuit. For the proper operation of the cell, the electrons flowed into the oxide must not react back with the oxidized dye. To prevent this situation, the cell contains an electrolytic solution with negative ions of iodide and triiodide as a redox couple that are dissolved in the liquid and recycled immediately the "electron holes" created in the dye. The main disadvantage of using volatile organic solvents in the electrolyte solution is the need for encapsulation of the electrolyte. Ionic liquids are an alternative to using a volatile solvent. These salts exist in the form of liquids at low temperatures and are not volatile.
However, the high viscosity of these electrolytes is a major disadvantage in rapid electron transfer and impairs the efficiency of the process. The researchers compensated for this reduced efficiency by optimizing the exciter - instead of using common dyes based on the element ruthenium, they were based on the organic substance indoline, which has a higher molar absorption coefficient.
This replacement makes it possible to use a thinner titanium oxide coating, a fact that helps reduce the path of the electrons. This combination resulted in an energy conversion with a utilization of 7.2%, which is a record value for cells of this type - organic dye/ionic liquid/titanium oxide. In the present case the effectiveness of the dye as an exciter depends not only on the chromophore (the substance that absorbs radiation) but also on the properties of the other components. So using a dye with an additional hydrocarbon chain improved the activity by preventing the return of the electron to the place of its formation. This research was recently published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
6 תגובות
To gravity78, I'm glad you're wrong, humanity cannot continue in its normal form.
Humanity has gone through several upheavals
1 . The strong one with the power could take your wife your child and kill you
2. After that, religion came in, passing laws through the land
There are a few more we missed along the way
3. Today, everyone takes, he doesn't care about anything, only his family members, and even that up to a certain point, his rival's brothers won't talk, all for a handful of dollars, euros, or shekels, whatever you decide, people are dying of hunger near you, children are starving, you stole public and private funds, there is no limit to hatred between people, skin color, little Difference, religion, a word out of place.
4. My friend, a stage will come when you won't have to think like that because you will be educated otherwise the collective thinking will be different and not like that of incessant consumerism.
Those of education, self-fulfillment, contribution to society, developing your abilities for yourself for the common good.
You know how many people in the world are illiterate and how many knowledge abilities we are losing more than half of humanity at least and that is an understatement.
Look where humanity has come and it's only thanks to the few who learned and learned and developed their ability
There is much more to write and talk, I am sure that what I have written here is not acceptable to many people, but a day will come and humanity will do it, perhaps in our day
All the best to you and think wide not in the center
If I understood correctly, the color is organic - any details on its longevity? If the lifespan is short, our profits will be made up for our losses.
Regarding the discussion about the electric company - it will not disappear, it will only become an infrastructure company and not a content company... that is, it will provide an infrastructure for sharing electric energy and will not produce the electricity itself.
What's sad is that we have to say goodbye to the advertisements of a socket and a plug...
The real interesting revolution would be if cities set up their own electricity grids and sell the surplus in the national grid (this could give a real boost to cities like Bish and Dimona)
The progress in recent years in solar energy and alternative energies in general is very nice, I'm glad that they finally understand that this is the area where we need to concentrate great efforts.
In the end, I believe that we will be able to break away from dependence on the electric company because everywhere there will be different components for the reduction of the energy that exists in nature, I guess that this style of energy use will require a high initial investment and then we will not be nearly dependent on the electric company for the regular supply of electricity.
Dear Ami Bachar, don't fool yourself, there is no such thing as free, no one will work or develop any product for nothing, the main motive in the world is money and socialism is dead, but when there are solar panels at popular prices I am ready to buy and pay to say goodbye to the monthly electricity bill and the electricity company!
Be a capitalist or don't be at all!
Just two or three weeks ago we read here in the science about a record utilization of 5.2-5.6% with a new method and great hope. A few weeks after that we read about a new record of 7.2% and remember that the vision of 20% is far away, but we have already walked a third of the way.
I wonder what will happen to humanity on the day when energy is distributed for free and ceases to be a limiting factor in itself.
Excited greetings,
Ami Bachar