26.09.2008
РОССИЙСКАЯ АКАДЕМИЯ НАУК

УРАЛЬСКОЕ ОТДЕЛЕНИЕ

ИНСТИТУТ ХИМИИ TBEPДОГО ТЕЛА
   
| | | | |
| | | | | |
 26.09.2008   Карта сайта     Language По-русски По-английски
Новые материалы
Экология
Электротехника и обработка материалов
Медицина
Статистика публикаций


26.09.2008



Copper future for solar cells



24 September 2008



Lewis Brindley /Turin, Italy


 


Rare ruthenium complexes that are a key component of dye-sensitised solar cells could in future be replaced by molecules based on copper, say Swiss researchers.


Dye-sensitised solar cells (which use absorbent dyes to convert sunlight into photoelectrons and a separate semiconductor to generate a current) are promising candidates to replace conventional silicon solar panels, since they are cheaper and more flexible - though not yet as efficient. 


Though only small amounts of a ruthenium-based dye are required in the solar cell, ruthenium is one of the rarest metals on Earth, so the team at the University of Basel are hoping to switch to complexes of a more common metal. 


Presenting their work at the 2nd EuCheMS chemistry congress in Turin, Italy, Ana Hernandez Redondo explained that the team have showed that complexes of copper(I) can interact with light in a similar way to ruthenium. The key, they revealed, is to keep copper in the +1 oxidation state, which is achieved by 6,6'-disubstituted 2,2'-bipyridine ligands that grip the copper ion tightly, preventing it from oxidising into copper(II). 


Structure of copper polypyridine complexes








Substituted bipyridines form strong complexes with Cu(I)



'Our first-generation copper-based cells showed light conversion efficiencies of 2.3 per cent, which is around four times lower than ruthenium complexes currently on the market,' said Redondo. 'But our research indicates that copper polypyridine complexes are a candidate to be the sensitisers [dyes] of the future,' she added, pointing out that the efficiency of the new complexes is comparable to early ruthenium compounds first made during the 1980s. In a recently-published paper, the researchers estimate that the cost of the copper complex is 'an order of magnitude lower' than that of the ruthenium sensitiser. 


Redondo says the team are confident that small modifications to the ligand structure, based on past experience with ruthenium complexes, should boost light conversion efficiencies considerably. They have already made progress, she announced at the conference, by integrating an additional phenyl group in the polypyridine ligand. This gave greater light absorption over the visible spectrum and the team expected to see a jump in conversion efficiency. 


Dye-sensitised solar cell inventor Michael Grätzel, also speaking at the Turin conference, praised the work, saying that 'there is a great need to tailor the best sensitisers in order to continue optimising the efficiency and cost of these cells.' 


 



References


T Bessho et alChem.Commun.2008, 3717 (DOI: 10.1039/b808491b)



Дизайн и программирование N-Studio 
А Б В Г Д Е Ё Ж З И Й К Л М Н О П Р С Т У Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ы Ь Э Ю Я
  • Chen Wev   honorary member of ISSC science council

  • Harton Vladislav Vadim  honorary member of ISSC science council

  • Lichtenstain Alexandr Iosif  honorary member of ISSC science council

  • Novikov Dimirtii Leonid  honorary member of ISSC science council

  • Yakushev Mikhail Vasilii  honorary member of ISSC science council

  • © 2004-2024 ИХТТ УрО РАН
    беременность, мода, красота, здоровье, диеты, женский журнал, здоровье детей, здоровье ребенка, красота и здоровье, жизнь и здоровье, секреты красоты, воспитание ребенка рождение ребенка,пол ребенка,воспитание ребенка,ребенок дошкольного возраста, дети дошкольного возраста,грудной ребенок,обучение ребенка,родить ребенка,загадки для детей,здоровье ребенка,зачатие ребенка,второй ребенок,определение пола ребенка,будущий ребенок медицина, клиники и больницы, болезни, врач, лечение, доктор, наркология, спид, вич, алкоголизм православные знакомства, православный сайт творчeства, православные рассказы, плохие мысли, православные психологи рождение ребенка,пол ребенка,воспитание ребенка,ребенок дошкольного возраста, дети дошкольного возраста,грудной ребенок,обучение ребенка,родить ребенка,загадки для детей,здоровье ребенка,зачатие ребенка,второй ребенок,определение пола ребенка,будущий ребенок