Secrets of fluorescent microalgae could lead to super-efficient solar cells

13-May-2019 - Tiny light-emitting microalgae, found in the ocean, could hold the secret to the next generation of organic solar cells, according to new research carried out at the Universities of Birmingham and Utrecht. Microalgae are probably the oldest surviving living organisms on the planet. They have ...

Novel materials convert visible into infrared light

Penetrate of living tissue and other materials without damage by high-intensity light exposure

18-Jan-2019 - Columbia University scientists, in collaboration with researchers from Harvard, have succeeded in developing a chemical process to convert visible light into infrared energy, allowing innocuous radiation to penetrate living tissue and other materials without the damage caused by high-intensity ...

Bacteria-powered solar cell converts light to energy, even under overcast skies

06-Jul-2018 - University of British Columbia researchers have found a cheap, sustainable way to build a solar cell using bacteria that convert light to energy. Their cell generated a current stronger than any previously recorded from such a device, and worked as efficiently in dim light as in bright ...

Demonstration of large-scale technique to produce quantum dots

23-May-2016 - A method to produce significant amounts of semiconducting nanoparticles for light-emitting displays, sensors, solar panels and biomedical applications has gained momentum with a demonstration by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. While zinc sulfide ...

MIT researchers harness viruses to split water

Crucial step toward turning water into hydrogen fuel

13-Apr-2010 - A team of MIT researchers has found a novel way to mimic the process by which plants use the power of sunlight to split water and make chemical fuel to power their growth. In this case, the team used a modified virus as a kind of biological scaffold that can assemble the nanoscale components ...

Green energy management

How plants cope with variable light conditions

01-Feb-2010 - As so-called primary producers, plants use solar energy to synthesize the foodstuffs that sustain other forms of life. This process of photosynthesis works in much the same way as the solar panels that supply energy for domestic heating. Like these, plant leaves must cope with variations in the ...