Researchers develop an efficient bacterial solar cell – energiezukunft.eu

July 23, 2012 – Research at the University of British Columbia is not entirely altruistic. Regions like Canada's west coast would benefit greatly from the solar cell that scientists are currently trying to build and move on to the next stage. Because not only should it be cheap to produce, but it should also produce a lot of electricity in the cloudy skies.

The heart of these solar cells, called "biogenic" because they are made up of living organisms, is genetically modified. . coli bacteria . They produce large amounts of phytochemical lycopene, which, among other things, owes its red color to tomato. Recent research suggests that the antioxidant properties of lycopene ua [0005] New peak for biogenic solar cells

Canadian researchers found that large amounts of lycopene very efficiently converted light into electricity in their bacteria. They have locked the bacteria with a mineral that acts as a semiconductor. With glbad coated as anode, the scientists claimed to achieve a current density of 0.686 milliamps per square centimeter – a significant increase from the previous peak of 0.362 milliamps per square centimeter.

Canadians differ in their approach to their colleagues. Previous research on biogenic solar cells has always attempted to extract dye from bacteria, which convert light into energy through photosynthesis, and use it to produce electricity. A complex and expensive process. "We managed to generate the highest current density ever measured from a biogenic solar cell ", enthused Vikramaditya Yadav, head of the study and professor at Institute Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of British Columbia. "These hybrid materials can be produced both economically and sustainably and, after much optimization, could compete with conventional solar cells," he said.

First of all, he and his team have to solve a significant problem. Because until now, bacteria die after the production of color. It's the "Holy Grail" to find a process that prevents this and allows for infinite production, Yadav said. cw