One of the most promising types of solar cells has a few
drawbacks. A scientist at Michigan Technological University may have overcome
one of them.
Dye-sensitized solar cells are thin, flexible, easy to make
and very good at turning sunshine into electricity. However, a key ingredient
is one of the most expensive metals on the planet: platinum. While only small
amounts are needed, at $1,500 an ounce, the cost of the silvery metal is still
significant.
Yun Hang Hu, the Charles and Caroll McArthur Professor of
Materials Science and Engineering, has developed a new, inexpensive material
that could replace the platinum in solar cells without degrading their
efficiency: 3D graphene.