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Microscopic organisms have been among the first things to exploit in the Sun for energy, so it follows that they are used to make better solar cells. Today, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed a new method for making solar cells that contain bacteria, which are more efficient than similar systems and can even work in good time. dark and cloudy. "Solar cells on living organisms, a dye is extracted from bacteria that allows them to photosynthesize the light.Unfortunately, this process can be complex and require toxic solvents.
Thus, the team of the University of British Columbia used a falsely simple alternative: the bacteria themselves.First, they genetically modified E. coli to overproduce a dye called lycopene, which is naturally effective for performing photosynthesis. Then, the bacteria were coated in a semiconductor material and applied to a glass plate.
Exposing the device to light, the team was able to record a current density of 0.686 milliamps per cm², almost double that normally achieved by other biogenic solar cells.The team also said that the cell was able to function also in the dark, which could extend its usefulness to less sunny regions of the world.
"We recorded the highest current density for a biogenic solar cell," says Vikramaditya Yadav. , principal researcher on the project. "These hybrid materials we develop can be made economically and sustainably, and, with sufficient optimization, could operate at yields comparable to those of conventional solar cells."
The researchers estimate that their process costs only 10% of the dye extraction. For now, the semiconductor process kills the bacteria, but the team hopes to eventually find an alternative technique that keeps them alive, where they could continuously produce the dye and increase cell longevity solar.
newspaper Small .
Source: University of British Columbia
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