Saturday, August 04, 2007

Solar Cells using Synthetic Light Harvesting Pigments Function Well in Low Light

From Design Revolution

Solar cell technology developed by New Zealand's Massey University’s Nanomaterials Research Centre will enable New Zealanders to generate electricity from sunlight at a 10th of the cost of current silicon-based photo-electric solar cells.

The synthetic dyes are made from simple organic compounds closely related to those found in nature. The green dye is synthetic chlorophyll derived from the light-harvesting pigment plants use for photosynthesis. Other dyes being tested in the cells are based on haemoglobin, the compound that give blood its colour.

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