Solar Cells As Thin As Spider Silk

Researchers from Japan and Austria to make new breakthroughs in the field of materials and energy. Them, creating solar cells measuring as thin as spider silk threads. In addition to thin, power-producing equipment in the form of a layer of film that is very flexible, so it can be wrapped around a human hair. 

Ultra-thin solar cells. (Picture from: http://www.solarfeeds.com/)

This discovery should help revolutionize the development of electronic textiles, synthetic skin and advanced robotics. The research was jointly conducted by Siegfried Bauer, Martin Kaltenbrunner besides other researchers from Johannes Kepler University of Austria along with Tsuyoshi Sekitani and several from the University of Tokyo. 

(a) Ultra-light, flexible organic solar cell, (b) Wrapped around a 35-μm-radius human hair. (Picture from: http://www.technologyreview.com/)

(c) Stretchable solar cells made by attaching the ultrathin solar cell to a pre-stretched elastomer. (Picture from: http://www.technologyreview.com/)

Ultra-thin solar cells are made up of lots of plastic tin electrodes are accommodated. Electrodes that function converts sunlight into electrical energy. According to its creator, only a 1.9 micrometer thick film, one-tenth of the current thinnest solar cells. 

Forms a thin, lightweight, and flexible solar cells have the potential to be used in a variety of practical electronic devices in the future, among other devices that can recharge an electric or electronic materials dijinjing worn on clothing. 

Tsuyoshi Sekitani from the University of Tokyo, Japan, said the ultra-thin solar cells is shown to have very light weight and very elastic. "You can attach the cell is on clothing as a badge to collect electricity from the sun," he said. "Parents who may want to use sensors to check their health no longer need to carry batteries." 

Solar power is now busy talking among scientists and consumers in Japan. Japanese society increasingly looked at alternative energy sources, nuclear crisis following the tsunami in Fukushima in the last year.

Ultra-thin solar cells, which was created jointly by researchers from Johannes Kepler University, Austria, and researchers from the University of Tokyo, will be used about five years. 

The research team is now focused on improving the ability of solar cells in converting sunlight into electrical energy to be applied to a particular device. They are also exploring the possibility to modify the size of the solar cell. 

"The electricity producing conventional solar cells are usually relatively large size," said Sekitani. "But with ultra-thin solar cell, electricity-producing devices are not prone to damage due to bending despite the relatively large size." *** [TELEGRAPH | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 3949]

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