Jul 27 2010
Transparent, flexible carbon atom films have been developed by a team in the University of Southern California.
The researchers of this team opine that these films have immense potential for a novel type of solar cells. OPV (Organic photovoltaic) cells are projected as a way of achieving low-cost energy because of manufacturing ease, lightweight feature and also compatibility with substrates that are flexible.
The OPV cell design technique is enabled with significant advantages with particular reference to physical flexibility. All OPV photo-electronic devices are enabled with a transparent conductive electrode by way of which light can merge with active materials for creating electricity. Thus, the work suggests that this role can be rightfully filled by graphene since it is a highly transparent and highly conductive carbon form that comprises carbon atoms in atoms-thick sheets.
For decades now, the existence of graphene has been known but it has been extensively studied only from 2004 due to the difficulty involved in its manufacture, both in terms of quantity and quality. The main role of OPV devices is to convert solar radiations into electricity while being economical and having greater flexibility.
Source: http://www.usc.edu/