Biomimicry Improves Solar Cells
24 November 2007, 18:25
Categories: biomimicry optics--photonics
It may be possible to make solar cells more efficient and self-cleaning by mimicking the microscopic structure of moth eyes and cicada wings to create new anti-reflective and water-repellant coatings. The surface of moths’ eyes often have orderly arrays of nanoscale protrusions that act as an antireflection coating. Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a cheap method to produce such a coating on glass and plastic substrates by spin coating them with a liquid suspension of nanoparticles. They have also used the same method to apply a coating to silicon wafers that mimics the ability of cicada wings to rapidly shed water and dirt.
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Posted by: The Editors
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