Silver Nanoparticles Give Polymer Solar Cells a Boost

Summary posted by Meridian on 10/6/2009
Source: Ohio State University
Author: Pam Frost Gorder

Researchers at Ohio State University, United States, have discovered that adding silver nanoparticles to plastic in solar cell polymers boosts the materials' electrical current generation. Paul Berger, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and physics, and team leader for the project, measured the amount of electrical current generated per square centimeter by an experimental solar cell polymer and found that those with silver nanoparticles generated 7.0 milli-amps, an amount nearly 12 percent higher than those without the nanoparticles. Berger said this work could go a long way toward making polymer solar cells commercially viable, saying "[T]he light absorption of polymer solar cells is inadequate today. The top-performing materials have an overall efficiency of about 5 percent. Even with the relatively low production cost of polymers compared to other solar cell materials, you'd still have to boost that efficiency to at least 10 percent to turn a profit. One way to do that would be to expand the range of wavelengths that they absorb. Current polymers only absorb a small portion of the incident sunlight." Berger added that fine-tuning of spacing and sizing of the particles would likely improve the efficiency by several percent more. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

As tagged by Meridian Institute:

Related Forums:

NDN Home

Manage Subscription

Search News Archives

Understanding Public Debate on Nanotechnologies: Options for Framing Public Policy -- The Innovation Society (2/8/2010) The Governance and Ethics Unit of the Directorate General for Research (DG Research) of the European Commission (EC) has published an overview paper on options for framing public policy on nanotechnologies. [More]

UN Patent Filings Dropped for 1st Time Since 1978 -- ABC news (2/8/2010) The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an entity through which a company can, for a fee, file a request for patent protection in any or all of the 142 countries that have subscribed to the U.N.'s Patent Cooperation Treaty, reported that the number of international patent filings dropped last year for the first time since 1978. [More]

TECHNOLOGY: Science Panel Probes Renewable Energy's Current Use of China's Rare Metals -- Environment & Energy Daily (2/8/2010) A United States House of Representatives Science and Technology subcommittee this week will hold a hearing on rare earth mineral production and the resource's role in the growing clean energy industry. [More]

Nanofood for Thought -- Nature Nanotechnology (2/5/2010) This editorial, in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, is in response to the recent report, "Nanotechnologies and Food", released in January by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, United Kingdom, that criticized the food industry for failing to be transparent about its research into the uses of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials. [More]

More News...

Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here.

Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.








our team contact us site map	Silver Nanoparticles Give Polymer Solar Cells a Boost Summary posted by Meridian on 10/6/2009 Source: Ohio State University Author: Pam Frost Gorder Researchers at Ohio State University, United States, have discovered that adding silver nanoparticles to plastic in solar cell polymers boosts the materials' electrical current generation. Paul Berger, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and physics, and team leader for the project, measured the amount of electrical current generated per square centimeter by an experimental solar cell polymer and found that those with silver nanoparticles generated 7.0 milli-amps, an amount nearly 12 percent higher than those without the nanoparticles. Berger said this work could go a long way toward making polymer solar cells commercially viable, saying "[T]he light absorption of polymer solar cells is inadequate today. The top-performing materials have an overall efficiency of about 5 percent. Even with the relatively low production cost of polymers compared to other solar cell materials, you'd still have to boost that efficiency to at least 10 percent to turn a profit. One way to do that would be to expand the range of wavelengths that they absorb. Current polymers only absorb a small portion of the incident sunlight." Berger added that fine-tuning of spacing and sizing of the particles would likely improve the efficiency by several percent more. The article can be viewed online at the link below. The original article may still be available at researchnews.osu.edu/archive/solarsilver.htm As tagged by Meridian Institute: Energy: Energy, Solar Implications: Human Enhancement, Economic Competitiveness Materials And Manufacturing: Plastics Nanomaterials: Metal Nanoparticle Regions: North America Stakeholders: Academia Minerals And Metals: Metals Related Forums: Materials and Manufacturing Metals and Minerals Economic Competitiveness print format	NDN Home Subscribe Manage Subscription Search News Archives Understanding Public Debate on Nanotechnologies: Options for Framing Public Policy -- The Innovation Society (2/8/2010) The Governance and Ethics Unit of the Directorate General for Research (DG Research) of the European Commission (EC) has published an overview paper on options for framing public policy on nanotechnologies. [More] UN Patent Filings Dropped for 1st Time Since 1978 -- ABC news (2/8/2010) The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an entity through which a company can, for a fee, file a request for patent protection in any or all of the 142 countries that have subscribed to the U.N.'s Patent Cooperation Treaty, reported that the number of international patent filings dropped last year for the first time since 1978. [More] TECHNOLOGY: Science Panel Probes Renewable Energy's Current Use of China's Rare Metals -- Environment & Energy Daily (2/8/2010) A United States House of Representatives Science and Technology subcommittee this week will hold a hearing on rare earth mineral production and the resource's role in the growing clean energy industry. [More] Nanofood for Thought -- Nature Nanotechnology (2/5/2010) This editorial, in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, is in response to the recent report, "Nanotechnologies and Food", released in January by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, United Kingdom, that criticized the food industry for failing to be transparent about its research into the uses of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials. [More] More News... Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here. Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.