How Scientists Use Human Hair To Improve Solar Technology
How scientists use human hair to improve solar technology
Solar energy use is increasing globally, and the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2020 stated that solar energy is now "the cheapest electricity in history." However, the cost and stability of solar panels remain areas for improvement.
According to a study published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, perovskite solar cells are being considered as a "relatively new photovoltaic (PV) technology" that is "the best PV candidate to deliver low-cost, highly efficient solar energy in the coming years." The research and scientific techniques used to manufacture perovskites solar cells are extremely complex, but the process is relatively straightforward.
Hair scraps were collected from a Brisbane barbershop and then broken down into carbon nanodots, a material that conducts energy and is regarded as a more environmentally friendly alternative to semiconductive quantum dots made of toxic heavy metals. Lead and arsenic are two elements found in waste from conventional solar panels that can become hazardous to the environment and human health at certain concentrations.
Materials used in the manufacture of perovskite solar cells
For approximately two decades, Hongxia Wang, a professor at Queensland University of Technology and one of the study's lead authors, has been researching how advanced solar cells can become more cost-effective and help solve global energy issues. Because scientists have previously observed that nanostructured carbon materials can improve the performance of solar cells, Wang and his colleagues applied the carbon dots to the perovskite solar cells "out of curiosity," according to a university press release.
The researchers broke down the hair scraps and heated them to 240°C in order to convert them to carbon nanodots. Carbon nanodots were incorporated into one of the early stages of the perovskite cells' development, creating a "protective layer, a kind of armour," Wang explained.
“It shields the perovskite material from moisture and other environmental factors that could wreak havoc on the material.”
Along with their protective properties, the researchers discovered that the carbon nanodots increased the efficiency of power conversion and the stability of perovskite solar cells. In comparison to conventional silicon solar panels, perovskite cells produce a more flexible material. According to the researchers, they could one day be used in solar-powered clothing, smart devices, backpacks that charge devices, and self-generating tents.
Professor Hongxia Wang experimenting with human hair-derived carbon nanodots. The Queensland University of Technology is to be credited with this image.
According to the university's press release, Wang is particularly interested in the potential role of perovskite cells in powering spacecraft. The International Space Station is powered by four solar arrays, but their weight necessitated a significant amount of energy to transport them away from the Earth's surface.
While perovskite materials are significantly lighter than conventional solar panels, they cannot currently withstand the extreme radiation and temperatures found in outer space, which range from -185°C to 150°C. According to the researchers, understanding how perovskite cells behave in extreme environments will provide information that can be used to increase the amount of solar energy available on Earth.
Wang estimates that developing perovskite materials capable of withstanding the extremes of outer space will take approximately ten years, but she is “quite optimistic given how much this technology has improved thus far,” according to the press release.
