Leaves Inspire New Solar Cell Technology -Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment
The "Natural Chemistry" magazine published on September 5th highlighted the research by the chemical engineer Strano of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and others, and called the research "cheap to produce, self-healing, long-lasting The foundation is laid for solar cells that can be extended indefinitely. In the next few days, mainstream media, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, the website of the American "Discovery" magazine, the website of the American "Popular Science", and the website of the American "Technology Review" magazine, all reported on this research, indicating that this technology Or will bring big changes in the field of solar cells.(Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment)
As we all know, sunlight is the source of life on earth, but its destructiveness cannot be ignored. Why do humans age? Why are pieces of paper, plastic, etc. placed in the sun easily scrapped? Strano, a chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, explained that all this is because the ultraviolet rays in sunlight will be very destructive after mixing with oxygen. After a long period of exposure, no matter how solid an object is, it will slowly disintegrate. Even plant leaves that specialize in absorbing sunlight will gradually lose their effectiveness after being exposed to the sun for too long, not to mention other objects such as solar cells. Strano said. So the sun is cruel even for the leaves that absorb it. When plants are fully performing photosynthesis, if no protective measures are taken, the leaves will also be destroyed by destructive molecules such as oxygen and ultraviolet rays.
inspiration from nature
According to the US "Popular Science" website, the leaves on the trees are the same as the photovoltaic cells on the solar panels, and they seem to absorb sunlight while standing still. However, leaves actually have a very wonderful inner world. Because the destructive power of direct sunlight is too great, the protein inside the leaves must cycle once every 45 minutes to form a new photosynthetic reaction center to replace the old photosynthetic reaction center that has been baked by the sun for nearly an hour to prevent sunlight from bringing damage to the body. s damage. This is the survival skill endowed by nature to leaves after thousands of years of evolution. This rapid self-healing process also allows plants to get the full benefit of the sun without moths jumping to the flames.
This self-healing function of leaves inspired Strano, as well as Sligel, White and others from Illinois State University. The idea of simulating this skill of leaves can make solar cells that have been baked by the sun self-destruct. repair. At present, people's research on solar cells is mostly limited to how to improve the conversion efficiency and how to prolong the service life, but few people think of developing the regeneration function of the battery so that it can work endlessly. The uniqueness of this study has aroused great interest from other industry peers. Glenn Lan, a professor of nanocomposites at Texas A&M University in the United States, called the technology a man-made replica of natural skills, and at the same time thought it was pioneering research that had a huge impact on future development, because there had never been anything like it before. Research. John, a biochemist at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, believes that although the research is very simple, it is very practical.
self-healing solar cells
After learning about the cycle characteristics of the photosynthetic center in the leaves, Stelano and his research team decided that instead of making solar cells with super long life, they should learn from nature and take the road of self-healing solar cells. To start the experiment, the researchers used the photosynthetic reaction center in a purple bacterium that harvests sunlight. Then, they added some light-sensitive proteins and lipids to the reaction center to form the system structure; and carbon nanotubes, which were used as wires to conduct the emerging electricity. Once that's done, all the parts are put into a dialysis bag filled with water containing sodium cholate, a surfactant that makes everything coagulate.