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Category: solar power – Page 3

Organic semiconductor molecule set to transform solar energy harvesting

In a discovery that bridges a century of physics, scientists have observed a phenomenon, once thought to be the domain of inorganic metal oxides, thriving within a glowing organic semiconductor molecule. This work, led by the University of Cambridge, reveals a powerful new mechanism for harvesting light and turning it into electricity. This could redefine the future of solar energy and electronics, and lead to lighter, cheaper, and simpler solar panels made from a single material.

The research focuses on a spin-radical organic semiconductor molecule called P3TTM. At its center sits a single, unpaired electron, giving it unique magnetic and electronic properties. This work arises from a collaboration between the synthetic chemistry team of Professor Hugo Bronstein in the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry and the semiconductor physics team led by Professor Sir Richard Friend in the Department of Physics. They have developed this class of to give very efficient luminescence, as exploited in organic LEDs.

However, the study, published in Nature Materials, reveals their hidden talent: When brought into close contact, their unpaired electrons interact in a manner strikingly similar to a Mott-Hubbard insulator.

Nanoscale slots enable room-temperature hybrid states of matter in perovskite

Atoms in crystalline solids sometimes vibrate in unison, giving rise to emergent phenomena known as phonons. Because these collective vibrations set the pace for how heat and energy move through materials, they play a central role in devices that capture or emit light, like solar cells and LEDs.

AI Cracks the Code for the Next Generation of Solar Power

Rising global energy demands are pushing the limits of solar technology. Scientists in Sweden have now taken a major step toward unlocking the potential of halide perovskites. Global demand for electricity is climbing at a fast pace, making it essential to find sustainable ways to meet future nee

Piecing together the puzzle of future solar cell materials

Global electricity use is increasing rapidly and must be addressed sustainably. Developing new materials could give us much more efficient solar cell materials than at present; materials so thin and flexible that they could encase anything from mobile phones or entire buildings.

Using computer simulation and , researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have now taken an important step toward understanding and handling halide perovskites, among the most promising but notoriously enigmatic materials.

Electricity use is constantly increasing globally and, according to the International Energy Agency, its proportion of the world’s total energy consumption is expected to exceed 50% in 25 years, compared to the current 20%.

Solar breakthrough — hotter panels mean better storage

Scientists have uncovered a surprising advantage in next-generation solar technology—the hotter it gets, the better it can store energy. Traditionally, heat has been seen as the enemy of solar power. Standard solar panels lose efficiency as temperatures rise.

But a new study, published in The Journal of Chemical Physics, shows that in special “solar-plus-storage” devices, heat can actually boost performance by speeding up the internal chemical reactions that store energy.

The team studied photoelectrochemical (PEC) flow cells—an emerging technology that combines the sunlight-harvesting ability of a solar panel with the storage power of a battery.

New system dramatically speeds the search for polymer materials

MIT researchers developed a fully autonomous platform that can identify, mix, and characterize novel polymer blends until it finds the optimal blend. This system could streamline the design of new composite materials for sustainable biocatalysis, better batteries, cheaper solar panels, and safer drug-delivery materials.

US Energy Secretary’s INSANE Bet Against Elon Musk

Questions to inspire discussion.

Energy for AI and Infrastructure.

🤖 Q: How does AI development impact energy demands? A: AI development will drive massive demand for electricity, with solar and batteries being the only energy source with an unbounded upper limit to scale and meet these demands.

⛽ Q: Can solar energy support existing infrastructure? A: Solar energy can produce synthetic biofuels and oil and gas through chemical processes, enabling it to power existing infrastructure that runs on traditional fuels.

Expert Predictions.

🚗 Q: What does Elon Musk predict about future energy sources? A: Elon Musk predicts that solar and batteries will dominate the future energy landscape, citing China’s massive investment as a key factor in this prediction.

Continue reading “US Energy Secretary’s INSANE Bet Against Elon Musk” | >

Cracks in flexible electronics run deeper than expected: Study points to potential fix

From health monitors and smartwatches to foldable phones and portable solar panels, demand for flexible electronics is growing rapidly. But the durability of those devices—their ability to stand up to thousands of folds, flexes and rolls—is a significant concern.

New research by engineers from Brown University has revealed surprising details about how cracks form in multilayer flexible electronic devices. The team shows that small cracks in a device’s fragile electrode layer can drive deeper, more destructive cracks into the tougher polymer substrate layer on which the electrodes sit. The work overturns a long-held assumption that polymer substrates usually resist cracking.

“The substrate in is a bit like the foundation in your house,” said Nitin Padture, a professor of engineering at Brown and corresponding author of the study published in npj Flexible Electronics. “If it’s cracked, it compromises the mechanical integrity of the entire device. This is the first clear evidence of cracking in a device substrate caused by a brittle film on top of it.”

Gold-enhanced TiO₂ catalyst enables efficient and selective flow synthesis of propane from methane

Methane (CH₄), the colorless and odorless gas that makes up most natural gas on Earth, has so far been converted into useful fuels and chemicals via energy-intensive processes that need to be carried out at high temperatures. Some energy researchers, however, have been exploring the possibility of transforming this gas into useful hydrocarbons and chemicals via photocatalysis.

Photocatalysis is a process through which the energy contained in light, typically solar energy, activates a material known as a “catalyst,” driving desired chemical reactions. Converting CH₄ into specific fuels or chemicals via photocatalysis instead of conventional methods that rely on the burning of fossil fuels could be highly advantageous, as it could contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers at Hebei University and other institutes in China recently introduced a new photocatalysis-driven approach to convert CH₄ into propane (C₃H₈), a hydrocarbon that is easier to use in real-world settings, as it becomes liquid at specific pressures, which facilitates its storage and transport.

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