To store solar energy you need… rust

    To store solar energy you need… rust

    Harnessing the power of the sun with rust to break down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. How? Can simple rust be used to store clean energy? This is the feat carried out at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology where a team of researchers managed to create a very thin 'film' of iron oxide capable of trapping sunlight.



    He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him



    Harness the power of the sun and the ruggine (iron oxide) for breaking down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. How? Can simple rust be used to store clean energy? This is the undertaking completed at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology where a team of researchers managed to create a very thin 'film' of iron oxide capable of trapping sunlight.

    Why rust in particular? L'iron oxide it is a common semiconductor material, inexpensive to produce, stable in water, and - unlike other semiconductors such as silicon - it can oxidize water without being oxidized, corroded or decomposed. But it also has limitations, the biggest of which has been finding a way to overcome its poor electrical conductivity. For years, researchers have been trying to find a solution to this problem.

    The Israeli system ensures that the very thin layer of rust can absorb light and store it efficiently. The discovery could make it possible to design the low cost solar cells which combine the very thin photoelectrodes made of iron oxide with the traditional ones Photovoltaic cells based on silicon or other materials for the production of electricity and hydrogen. According to Prof. Rothschild, these cells could store solar energy 24 hours a day. This is in stark contrast to traditional photovoltaic cells, which only supply energy when it's sunny.

    "Our approach is the first of its kind," he said lead researcher Associate Prof. Avner Rothschild, of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. “We found a way to trap light in ultra-thin iron oxide films that are 5000 times thinner than office paper. This is the key that will allow you to obtain high efficiency and low cost. "



    The findings could also be used to reduce the use of extremely rare elements that the solar panel industry uses to create the semiconductor material of second generation photovoltaic cells. With its new method of capturing light, the Technion team guarantees savings of 90% or more of rare elements such as tellurium and indium, without compromising on performance.

    The discovery, published this week in the magazine Nature Materials, it could encourage the spread of cheaper and more efficient techniques for storing solar energy in the form of hydrogen, which can then be used for the production of fuels. A step forward in the development of valid alternatives to fossil fuels.



    Francesca Mancuso

    Read also:

    - Photovoltaics: solar cells that reduce costs by 75%

    - Photovoltaics: double the efficiency with black silicon solar cells

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