Tag Archives: ito

Lichtblicke in der Solarforschung

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Das Projekt Rh(e)in-Solar stellt Fortschritte in der organischen Photovoltaik vor

Zum Anfang des „internationalen Jahres des Lichts und der lichtbasierten Technologien“ der Organisation der Vereinten Nationen für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur (UNESCO) präsentieren Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler des Netzwerks Rh(e)in-Solar ihre Ergebnisse aus drei Jahren Solarforschung am Oberrhein. Zu dem deutsch-schweizerisch-französischen Team gehören Dr. Uli Würfel und Dr. Markus Kohlstädt vom Freiburger Materialforschungszentrum (FMF) der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität. Sie haben Solarzellen und Photovoltaikmodule auf Basis organischer Moleküle, die Sonnenlicht in Elektrizität umwandeln, weiterentwickelt. Die neuen Module sind leicht, flexibel und haben das Potenzial für eine kostengünstige Fertigung. Dadurch erschließen sie neue Anwendungsfelder in der gebäudeintegrierten Photovoltaik. Zudem können sie zukünftig einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Stromerzeugung durch erneuerbare Energien leisten. (more…)

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Chemists Advance Clear Conductive Films

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Thin, conductive films are useful in displays and solar cells. A new solution-based chemistry developed at Brown University for making indium tin oxide films could allow engineers to employ a much simpler and cheaper manufacturing process.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In a touch-screen display or a solar panel, any conductive overlay had better be clear. Engineers employ transparent thin films of indium tin oxide (ITO) for the job, but a high-tech material’s properties are only half its resume. They must also be as cheap and easy to manufacture as possible. In a new study, researchers from Brown University and ATMI Inc. report the best-ever transparency and conductivity performance for an ITO made using a chemical solution, which is potentially the facile, low-cost method manufacturers want.

“Our technology is already at the performance level for application in resistive touch screens,” said Jonghun Lee, a Brown chemistry graduate student and lead author of the paper posted online Aug. 1 by the Journal of the American Chemical Society. (more…)

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New Graphene-Based Material Could Revolutionise Electronics Industry

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The most transparent, lightweight and flexible material ever for conducting electricity has been invented by a team from the University of Exeter.

Called GraphExeter, the material could revolutionise the creation of wearable electronic devices, such as clothing containing computers, phones and MP3 players.

GraphExeter could also be used for the creation of ‘smart’ mirrors or windows, with computerised interactive features. Since this material is also transparent over a wide light spectrum, it could enhance by more than 30% the efficiency of solar panels.

Adapted from graphene, GraphExeter is much more flexible than indium tin oxide (ITO), the main conductive material currently used in electronics. ITO is becoming increasingly expensive and is a finite resource, expected to run out in 2017. (more…)

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