Solar cells are just like leaves, capturing the sunlight and
turning it into energy. It’s fitting that they can now be made partially from
trees.
Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University
researchers have developed efficient solar cells using natural substrates
derived from plants such as trees. Just as importantly, by fabricating them on
cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates, the solar cells can be quickly recycled
in water at the end of their lifecycle.
The technology is published in the journal Scientific
Reports, the latest open-access journal from the Nature Publishing Group.