Artists and craftsmen more than 2,000 years ago developed thin-film coating technology unrivaled even by today's standards for producing DVDs, solar cells, electronic devices and other products. Understanding these sophisticated ...
Materials Science
Jul 24, 2013
8
1
A little sodium goes a long way. At least that's the case in carbon-based energy technology. Specifically, embedding sodium in carbon materials can tremendously improve electrodes—which could streamline solar cell and supercapacitor ...
Nanomaterials
Dec 20, 2016
0
839
Joining different kinds of materials can lead to all kinds of breakthroughs. It's an essential skill that allowed humans to make everything from skyscrapers (by reinforcing concrete with steel) to solar cells (by layering ...
Nanophysics
Mar 8, 2018
0
753
(Phys.org) —Most batteries, supercapacitors, and other energy storage devices are based on a sandwich structure, where two electrodes face each other and the charge flows between them. However, when these structures are ...
There are several ways to "trap" a beam of light—usually with mirrors, other reflective surfaces, or high-tech materials such as photonic crystals. But now researchers at MIT have discovered a new method to trap light that ...
General Physics
Jul 10, 2013
13
0
Inkjet printers, a low-cost technology that in recent decades has revolutionized home and small office printing, may soon offer similar benefits for the future of solar energy.
Materials Science
Jun 28, 2011
12
0
Your television, computer, smartphone or any other electronic device wouldn't work without being able to shuttle electric charges around their circuits.
Engineering
Dec 17, 2015
0
21
Engineers at Oregon State University have discovered a new method to speed the production rate of nanoparticles by 500 times, an advance that could play an important role in making nanotechnology products more commercially ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 1, 2010
0
0
Researchers have shown how to modify commercially available silicon wafers into a structure that efficiently absorbs solar energy and withstands the high temperatures needed for "concentrated solar power" plants that might ...
General Physics
Apr 5, 2017
0
667
Recent advances in solar cell technology use polycrystalline perovskite films as the active layer, with an increase to efficiency of as much as 24.2%. Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are especially successful, and they ...
Condensed Matter
Jul 30, 2019
0
648
