Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: solar power

Cadmium-based nanostructures are opening new possibilities in near-infrared (NIR) technology, from medical imaging to fiber optics and solar energy.

A major challenge in their development is controlling their atomic structure with precision, which researchers at HZDR and TU Dresden tackled using cation exchange. This technique allows for precise manipulation of nanostructure composition, unlocking new optical and electronic properties. The research highlights the crucial role of active corners and defects, which influence charge transport and light absorption. By linking these nanostructures into organized systems, scientists are paving the way for self-assembling materials with advanced functions, from improved sensors to next-generation electronics.

Harnessing Near-Infrared Light with Cadmium-Based Nanostructures.

Read more | >

A team of physicists, engineers, opticians and photonics specialists at Zhejiang University, in China, working with a pair of colleagues from the University of Cambridge, in the U.K., has found a way to make pixels smaller by using perovskite. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how they used the mineral to create pixels as small as a virus.

As the research team notes, the rallying cry for electronics in the modern age is to add more technology to ever smaller base units. For computers, for many years, the goal was to double the number of transistors on a single integrated circuit. Similarly, reducing the size of pixels in has led to sharper and sharper imagery.

The current standard for digital display technology is micro-LED, which is based on II-V semiconductors. Unfortunately, such technology becomes too expensive and inefficient to make pixels any smaller than the size currently in use. This led the team to wonder if a different base material might allow the creation of smaller pixels that would be both cost-effective and efficient. They turned to , the same mineral that is currently being investigated as a replacement for silicon in as a way to reduce costs.

Read more | >

Increasing energy demands and problems associated with burning fossil fuels have heightened interest in more sustainable energy sources, such as sunlight. But there are still areas where carbon-based fuel remains the standard, such as in the aviation industry. To address this need, scientists have been working to devise a way to use sunlight to generate solar-thermal heating that could then drive the chemical reactions that are needed to make jet fuel with net-zero carbon emissions.

Now, a team at Caltech that is part of a Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Innovation Hub known as the Liquid Sunlight Alliance, or LiSA, has developed such a solar-thermal heating system on a small scale and demonstrated that it can successfully drive an important reaction for jet fuel production.

Completely powered by solar energy, the so-called photothermocatalytic reactor incorporates a spectrally selective solar absorber to maximize the generation of solar-thermal heating. The modular design of the reactor takes advantage of current fabrication technologies and existing silicon solar panel production infrastructure.

Read more | >

Complex materials such as organic semiconductors or the microporous metal-organic frameworks known as MOFs are already being used for numerous applications such as OLED displays, solar cells, gas storage and water extraction. Nevertheless, they still harbor a few secrets. One of these has so far been a detailed understanding of how they transport thermal energy.

Egbert Zojer’s research team at the Institute of Solid State Physics at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), in collaboration with colleagues from TU Vienna and the University of Cambridge, has now cracked this secret using the example of organic semiconductors, opening up new perspectives for the development of innovative materials with customized thermal properties.

The team has published its findings in npj Computational Materials.

Read more | >

A private lunar lander has captured the first high-definition sunset pictures from the moon.

Firefly Aerospace and NASA released the stunning photos Tuesday, taken before the Blue Ghost lander fell silent over the weekend. One shot included Venus in the distance.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost landed on the on March 2, the first private spacecraft to touch down upright and perform its entire mission. It kept taking pictures and collecting science data five hours into the lunar night before it died for lack of solar energy.

Read more | >

As the world increasingly prioritizes sustainable energy solutions, solar power stands out as a leading candidate for clean energy generation. However, traditional solar cells have encountered several challenges, particularly regarding efficiency and stability. But what if there was a better alternative? Imagine a solar cell that is affordable, more stable and highly efficient. Does it sound like science fiction? Not anymore. Meet SrZrSe3 chalcogenide perovskite, a rising star in the world of photovoltaics.

Our research team at the Autonomous University of Querétaro in Mexico has recently unveiled a solar cell crafted from a unique material called SrZrSe3. This novel approach is turning heads in the pursuit of affordable and efficient solar energy.

For the first time, we have successfully integrated advanced inorganic metal sulfide layers, known as hole transport layers (HTLs), with SrZrSe3 using SCAPS-1D simulations. Our work, published in Energy Technology, has significantly raised the (PCE) to an impressive rate of more than 27%, marking an advancement in solar technology.

Read more | >

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have made a discovery that could pave the way for a transformative era in photonic technology. For decades, scientists have theorized the possibility of manipulating the optical properties of light by adding a new dimension—time. This once-elusive concept has now become a reality thanks to nanophotonics experts from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Published in Nature Photonics, the team’s breakthrough emerged from experiments with nanomaterials known as transparent conducting oxides (TCOs)—a special glass capable of changing how light moves through the material at incredible speeds. These compounds are widely found in and touchscreens and can be shaped as ultra-thin films measuring just 250 nanometers (0.00025 mm), smaller than the wavelength of visible light.

Led by Dr. Marcello Ferrera, Associate Professor of Nanophotonics, of the Heriot-Watt research team, supported by colleagues from Purdue University in the US, managed to “sculpt” the way TCOs react by radiating the material with ultra-fast pulses of light. Remarkably, the resulting temporally engineered layer was able to simultaneously control the direction and energy of individual particles of light, known as photons, a functionality which, up until now, had been unachievable.

Read more | >

A breakthrough from JMU Würzburg researchers has brought science one step closer by creating a stacked dye system that efficiently moves charge carriers using light—just like in plant cells.

Harnessing Sunlight: The Magic of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process plants use to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into energy-rich sugars and oxygen. This remarkable system fuels plant growth and releases the oxygen we breathe.

Read more | >

With artificial photosynthesis, mankind could utilize solar energy to bind carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen. Chemists from Würzburg and Seoul have taken this one step further: They have synthesized a stack of dyes that comes very close to the photosynthetic apparatus of plants. It absorbs light energy, uses it to separate charge carriers and transfers them quickly and efficiently in the stack.

Photosynthesis is a marvelous process: plants use it to produce and oxygen from the simple starting materials carbon dioxide and water. They draw the energy they need for this complex process from sunlight.

If humans could imitate photosynthesis, it would have many advantages. The free energy from the sun could be used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to build carbohydrates and other useful substances. It would also be possible to produce hydrogen, as photosynthesis splits water into its components oxygen and hydrogen.

Read more | >

A research team led by Assistant Professor Shogo Mori and Professor Susumu Saito at Nagoya University has developed a method of artificial photosynthesis that uses sunlight and water to produce energy and valuable organic compounds, including pharmaceutical materials, from waste organic compounds. This achievement represents a significant step toward sustainable energy and chemical production.

The findings were published in Nature Communications.

“Artificial photosynthesis involves that mimic the way plants convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy-rich glucose,” Saito explained. “Waste products, which are often produced by other processes, were not formed; instead, only energy and useful chemicals were created.”

Read more | >