Viruses can help build better solar panels that capture and process more efficient solar energy into electrical energy. This has been demonstrated at a Research Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT for its acronym in English) that has used a type of virus to restructure the carbon nanotube solar panels and increase their efficiency by 30 percent, from 8 to 10 , 6 per cent.
That the efficiency of solar panels is still well below their potential is more than evident. What was not known so far is that something so small and is sometimes dangerous as a virus, could hold the key.
The virus called M13 coordinate gets rolled carbon nanotubes in graphene that make solar cells so that the electron transport more efficient and therefore produce more electricity. Basically, the M13 gets the two types of nanotubes (semiconductors and cables) that form the structure of solar cells, do not interfere with each other and impede the flow of electrons, but the structure becomes smooth.
Grätzel cells
Each virus controls between five and ten nanotubes, using about 300 proteins. In addition, viruses have been genetically modified to produce a layer of titanium dioxide, a key component in Grätzel cells, a type of structure they use this compound to improve electron transport.
Xiangnan Hyunjung Yi Dang, MIT students along with Professor Angela Belcher successfully tested this new virus in Grätzel cells, but explained that the technique could also be used for other types of solar cells, including organic.
The virus also solubilized nanotubes making them easier to incorporate the solar panels at room temperature, significantly reducing the manufacturing cost.
1 comment:
Hello.. I wanted to ask, especially for those of you who have solar panels installed on your home, roughly how much energy do you actually get out of those? Is it enough to power your whole house?
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