Chinese researchers introduce Graphene based all-weather solar cell

Chinese researchers have developed Graphene based all-weather solar cell that can generate electricity even during rains.
The new approach for making an all-weather solar cell by using the ‘wonder material’ graphene was developed by the team of researchers from the Ocean University of China and Yunnan Normal University.
Key facts

• The new all-weather solar cell is made up of highly efficient dye-sensitised solar cell coated with a very thin film of graphene.
• Graphene is a two-dimensional (2D) form of carbon in which the atoms are bonded into a honeycomb arrangement.
• Chinese researchers had used the phenomenon of graphene’s behavioural changes in aqueous solution.
• In aqueous solution graphene can bind positively charged ions with its electrons. Researchers used this to obtain power from the impact of raindrops on graphene electrodes.
• At the point of contact between the grapheme and raindrop, water becomes enriched in positive ions and the graphene becomes enriched in delocalised electrons.
• It results in a feature known as a pseudocapacitor i.e. double-layer made of electrons and positively charged ions.
• It also results in generating difference in potential associated, i.e. a phenomenon is sufficient to produce a voltage and current.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2016