Aug 6 2010
Applied Physics Letters, a journal of the AIP (American Institute of Physics) has published a research report, which describes how solar energy can be harvested by making use of oxide materials containing selenium.
A research team from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California found that integrating selenium into zinc oxide will offer a cost-effective material that may help harness the solar power more efficiently.
The research team revealed that a very small amount of selenium in the zinc-oxide base boosted the efficiency of the material significantly in absorbing light. Marie Mayer, a doctoral student at the University of California, stated that researchers are finding ways to develop more efficient and less expensive solar cells, while this solution would address both the needs.
Mayer also stated that photo-electrochemical water splitting, a method that uses the sun’s energy to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen gases, could be an exciting application in her future work.
Source: http://www.aip.org/