Nanotech Solar Energy Paint Developed

Prashant Kamat (Univ. of Notre Dame)

Researchers at University of Notre Dame in Indiana have created an inexpensive paste made with semiconducting nanoparticles to produce a spreadable substance that can generate energy. The work of chemistry professor Prashant Kamat and colleagues is described in the 6 December issue of the journal ACS Nano (paid subscription required).

Kamat’s team based the compound on nanoscale semiconductor particles (one nanometer equals one billionth of a meter) called quantum dots, made from titanium dioxide. The basic nanoparticles were then coated with either cadmium sulfide or cadmium selenide, and mixed in a water-alcohol suspension to create a paste.

The team applied the paste to a conducting glass surface and submitted it to a heat treatment equivalent to 200 degrees C. When exposed to light, the painted surface generated electric power. However, the highest light-to-energy conversion achieved was about 1 percent, well below the 10 to 15 percent efficiency of conventional solar cells.

Kamat and colleagues plan to further develop the solar paint, named Sun-Believable, not only to increase its conversion efficiency but also to improve the stability of the new material. “[T]his paint can be made cheaply and in large quantities,” says Kamat. “If we can improve the efficiency somewhat, we may be able to make a real difference in meeting energy needs in the future.”

Read more: Solar Panels Resembling Ivy to be Installed at University

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