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Solar Cells Made From a Spreadable Nanoparticle Paste
An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at Notre Dame have created a nanoparticle paste, which acts as the main ingredient in solar cells that are very easy to construct. In a short video clip, they can be seen assembling a functional solar cell with little more than a heat gun, tape, and some binder clips. The paste is made from a mix of t-butanol, water, and a mix of cadmium selenide with cadmium sulfide nanoparticles. So far, the experimental devices are not nearly as efficient as standard solar cells, but they were just developed. If the materials were slightly less toxic, it might even be a project that kids could do at home."
"If the materials were slightly less toxic, it might even be a project that kids could do at home."
It better be like Play-doh.
For every benefit you receive a tax is levied. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Mmmm. Spreadable nanoparticle paste... Delicious.
We can now make ineffective solar cells from horrendously toxic materials, this is a step up from our previous efforts to produce ineffective solar cells using non-toxic and mildy toxic materials.
I build this kit as a solar cell demo for my school a few weeks ago. The article has a very different chemistry, but the assembly is almost identical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17SsOKEN5dE
Solar paint is fine, but there's a whole lot of energy that could be gathered with solar pavement. Just think of all those blacktop parking lots, if those had a 1% solar energy conversion you could probably make mini-malls power grid neutral.
"Ah ha!" a Chinese government spokesperson reportedly said. "The only way to save the planet is to melt our cadmium-laden kids' jewelry into a toothpaste-like substance. Bet you never saw that coming."
Slightly? This is cadnium we are talking about. Its a freaking heavy metal! (And not the rock and roll kind!)
What's next, mercury funtime playsets?
"If the materials were slightly less toxic, it might even be a project that kids could do at home."
It's easy to make cad sulfide/copper sulfide solar cells at home-- it takes little more work than dipping a penny in a cad sulfide plating solution. Making not-very-efficient solar cells at home is really nothing new. As long as you don't drink the plating solution, it's not terribly dangerous.
(main reason cadmium sulfide/copper sulfide solar cells never really caught on is lifetime-- they degrade quickly if there's any humidity at all. I don't think I've heard of anybody making them since about 1980.)
http://www.geoffreylandis.com
Peanut Butter and Solar Celly Sandwiches anyone?
This is why the west will never catch up with China. They are so forward thinking and innovative they have had their kids playing with Cadmium, Lead, and other heavy metals for years now. How can we possibly compete?
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Can this material keep from leeching out into the environment? How about a fire? Would we have cadmium spreading all over the place? I guess if one gets enough cadmium solar cells are no longer of much use at all.
If they get to play with mercury, I'd consider moving, because mercury is awesome.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
But why risk it? Just use copper oxide, it's far safer (except for maybe the heating part). Also, they mention about a 1% efficiency, which is what you'll get with this.
Entomologically speaking, the spider is not a bug, it's a feature.
"...beakers, Florence flasks, little petri dishes full of mercury - blobs of mercury. I used to play with it all the time ... One of the things I used to like to do was pour the mercury on the floor and hit it with a hammer, so it squirted all over the place. I lived in mercury."
-- Frank Zappa, recalling his childhood
Heck, a few decades ago kids were still playing with the mercury from broken thermometers here. Now the nanny state liberals tell us oooooooo mercury is bad for you. Bah! It never affected me. Now, why is a raven like a writing desk?
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I am pretty sure that for now, they are getting 1% with what they have, but are expecting a much better result with more development. Meaning that it will outperform copper oxide further down the track.
Moved to http://soylentnews.org/. You are invited to join us too!
Now, why is a raven like a writing desk?
I haven't the slightest idea, but my hat off to you, sir.
Upward mobility is a slippery slope - the higher you climb the more you show your ass.
"Could we please get a moratorium on experimental solar technology articles?"
Slashdot is an entertainment site, and tech we won't use for many years if ever is still entertaining.
Consider the ancient Popular Science magazines. Some of that stuff made it, much did not, but it was entertaining to read.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
Are You Insane!!
No, seriously, are you insane?
Can I fill a toaster with this goo and make it dance using only good vibration rays?
How do all of these groovy new high-tech nanoparticles used in batteries, solar panels, and almost everything these days differ from asbestos, that nanoparticle we all have come to know and love?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVwzJEhMmD8
I'm sure he's as mad as a hatter. ;)
I don't read AC A human right
But why risk it? Just use copper oxide, it's far safer (except for maybe the heating part).
Well, except the "solar cell" in the site you link isn't really a solar cell, it's a photoelectrochemical cell. They're using the cuprous oxide as the p-type semiconductor, but they don't have a n-type semiconductor, they're using an electrolyte. To make a solar cell, they'd need to put a n-type semiconductor on top, to make a p-n junction ...which would typically be CdO.
http://www.geoffreylandis.com
In addition, Marcia does have some suggestions about car stereo speaker orientation that are useful for winter driving :-^
with all those discoveries on solar cells, making them cheaper and easier to produce... why in the world are they still so expensive?
If they get to play with mercury, I'd consider moving, because mercury is awesome.
Heck, have them play with venus or mars instead :)... euh, what do you mean, not that mercury? you mean nasa's mercury? no? darn, the type of cars? still no? hum, mercury, mercury, I know what it means, I swear :p... hang on, I'll get back to you :)
Never antropomorphize computers, they do not like that
but we all know it's really just Vegemite.
This also answers the question about how toxic this is. The answer is "very-- except to Australians, they've built up an immunity."
Definitely don't do this at home. Cadmium Selenide is not something you really want to be around if you're not in a lab environment. I would feel fine having undergraduates working in a lab do this, but I wouldn't demo it at a high school, for example.
If you do want to build a solar cell like this at home, try the raspberry solar cell (google it). Very simple to build, uses more common ingredients and tools, doesn't put out as much power, but still educational and fun.
Help them build an AFM with that nifty 3D printer they like so much.
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
This is why the west will never catch up with China. They are so forward thinking and innovative they have had their kids playing with Cadmium, Lead, and other heavy metals for years now. How can we possibly compete?
Yes yes, but the real question is, if it's spreadable, will it stick to the roof of your mouth?
The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
Considering he was quoting Frank Zappa, I'd say no. As to Mr. Zappa, I'd say that explains quite a bit, although the results were certainly awesome.
[End Of Line]
Yes yes, but ask yourself this: What do you get when you cross a rooster with peanut butter?
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thai food
insensitive clod overlords obligatory xkcd car analogy russian reversals whoosh pedant fanbois ftfy in 3...2...1..PROFIT
Close ... what else are Thais famous for... think about it... tourists who like the Thai closets better than their American closets. Now you should be able to figure out the riddle... even though it has nothing to do with Thailand.
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