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selinz
I guess those numbers don't mean much unless the food products are separated ...
motti2
Nanotube-based solar cells harness viruses
R Colin Johnson
4/26/2011 12:21 PM EDT
PORTLAND, Ore.—Living viruses can be harnessed to install highly conductive carbon nanotubes into the anode structures of dye sensitized solar cells, boosting their efficiency by almost one third, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Dye sensitized solar cells are a photo-electro-chemical system that positions a semiconductor between a photo-sensitized anode and an electrolyte. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles covered with a dye absorb sunlight, releasing electrons into the anode. These electrons are then collected to power a load, then returned by the cathode to the electrolyte—and the cycle continues. By harnessing a virus to lace the anode with nanotubes, efficiency was boosted from under eight- to over 10.6-percent, according to the MIT researchers.
The MIT research team was led by professor Angela Belcher and her doctoral candidates, Xiangnan Dang and Hyunjung Yi, along with professors Paula Hammond and Michael Strano. Belcher had previously demonstrated that the virus called M13 could fuel the hydrogen economy and pattern thin-film batteries. But their current results for the first time use viruses to keep embedded nanotubes in solar cells separate, so they do not clump or short-out the circuit. Each virus can hold about 10 nanotubes in place with 300 or so peptide molecules, after which the genetically engineered viruses secrete a coating of titanium dioxide.
If the technique proves successful outside the lab, then nanotube-enhanced solar cells will join a vast array of microbial-based products with a global market value of $156 billion in 2011, that is expected to grow to more than $259 billion by 2016, according to BCC Research (Wellesley, Mass.). Microbial-based products include everything from natural yeast for brewing beer to genetically engineered microbes, like the M13 used by MIT, for the commercial production of insulin, biodiesel, and metallurgical products.
The M13 virus consists of a strand of DNA (coil at right) attached to a bundle of proteins called peptides (purple) which attach to the carbon nanotubes (gray) and hold them in place. A coating of titanium dioxide (yellow) attaches to dye molecules (red) which surrounds the bundle. Credit: Matt Klug, Biomolecular Materials Group, MIT.
According to Belcher, MIT's new technique adds one simple step to the dye-sensitized solar-cell manufacturing process, and can also be adapted to other types of organic and quantum-dot based solar cells.
Funding was provided by the Italian company Eni, through the MIT Energy Initiative’s Solar Futures Program.
Dye sensitized solar cells are a photo-electro-chemical system that positions a semiconductor between a photo-sensitized anode and an electrolyte. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles covered with a dye absorb sunlight, releasing electrons into the anode. These electrons are then collected to power a load, then returned by the cathode to the electrolyte—and the cycle continues. By harnessing a virus to lace the anode with nanotubes, efficiency was boosted from under eight- to over 10.6-percent, according to the MIT researchers.
The MIT research team was led by professor Angela Belcher and her doctoral candidates, Xiangnan Dang and Hyunjung Yi, along with professors Paula Hammond and Michael Strano. Belcher had previously demonstrated that the virus called M13 could fuel the hydrogen economy and pattern thin-film batteries. But their current results for the first time use viruses to keep embedded nanotubes in solar cells separate, so they do not clump or short-out the circuit. Each virus can hold about 10 nanotubes in place with 300 or so peptide molecules, after which the genetically engineered viruses secrete a coating of titanium dioxide.
If the technique proves successful outside the lab, then nanotube-enhanced solar cells will join a vast array of microbial-based products with a global market value of $156 billion in 2011, that is expected to grow to more than $259 billion by 2016, according to BCC Research (Wellesley, Mass.). Microbial-based products include everything from natural yeast for brewing beer to genetically engineered microbes, like the M13 used by MIT, for the commercial production of insulin, biodiesel, and metallurgical products.
The M13 virus consists of a strand of DNA (coil at right) attached to a bundle of proteins called peptides (purple) which attach to the carbon nanotubes (gray) and hold them in place. A coating of titanium dioxide (yellow) attaches to dye molecules (red) which surrounds the bundle. Credit: Matt Klug, Biomolecular Materials Group, MIT.
According to Belcher, MIT's new technique adds one simple step to the dye-sensitized solar-cell manufacturing process, and can also be adapted to other types of organic and quantum-dot based solar cells.
Funding was provided by the Italian company Eni, through the MIT Energy Initiative’s Solar Futures Program.
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wilber_xbox
4/26/2011 1:32 PM EDT
This is really cool stuff. Is there any link to this article? Is this increase from under 8% to above 10% efficiency very crucial or it is the effect of living virus that is more crucial?
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VincePG
4/27/2011 2:36 AM EDT
If we exclude the beer and bread market, how big is the microbial technology segment and how fast will it grow? What is the relevance of this citation, “microbial-based products with a global market value of $156 billion in 2011, that is expected to grow to more than $259 billion by 2016”, which includes the sale of yeast products for beer and presumably bread. Certainly, the dollar amount of yeast sold into beer and bread has absolutely nothing to do with the market growth of microbial solar cells. Yeast was a technical breakthrough for the Babylonians a few thousand years ago, hardly relevant in the context of nanotube solar. If the market research firm needed a plug, at least have them provide a relevant statistic. It would be very interesting to know how close this technology is to being real product and how fast it is projected to grow. Yeast, virus, bread, grow there is a joke in there somewhere.
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agk
4/27/2011 4:54 AM EDT
This is great idea from MIT researchers. Secrete a extra coating of titanium dioxid by harnessing a virus to lace the anode with nanotubes and incresing the efficiency. How do they think all these !Good work
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motti2
4/27/2011 8:07 AM EDT
here is a better open link
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110425153609.htm
which tells of the Nature nanotechnology article.
What is not clear from the open links is 1 if just dip coating TiO2 Nanoparticles onto an array of Carbon nanotubes might come close to the gains seen. Not likely, but a curious question.
No doubt this is elegant, and among the best results in DSCs seen, plus Belcher hints they might yet do better with further modifications.
Rather interesting.
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selinz
4/27/2011 4:56 PM EDT
I guess those numbers don't mean much unless the food products are separated from other stuff...
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