Researchers at Stanford University have developed an experimental solar cell made entirely of carbon. In addition to providing a promising alternative to the increasingly expensive materials used in traditional solar cells, the thin film prototype is made of carbon materials that can be coated onto surfaces from a solution, cutting manufacturing costs and offering the potential for coating flexible solar cells onto buildings and car windows.
Stanford graduate student Michael Vosgueritchian, who is co-lead author of the study, says that while other groups have previously claimed to have developed all-carbon solar cells, the “all-carbon” component of these other cells was limited to the middle active layer. In comparison, the entirety of the Stanford solar cell, including the electrodes, is made from carbon materials.
via Gizmag
