A team of MIT scientists has found a way to reinstate sun-damaged solar cells with the same vim and vigor they boasted earlier. Relying on biomimicry this time, they have created a self-assembling chloroplast for the purpose. Just as the leaves on a tree keep recycling their proteins every 45 minutes, the self-assembling solar cells utilize a rapid repair mechanism and keep renewing themselves too.
A novel set of seven different compounds includes carbon nanotubes for structural integrity, synthetic phospholipids for disc formation and other molecules for ensuring interaction that facilitates release of electrons as photons draw nearer. The solution passes through a membrane for eliminating surfactant and ensuring that components reassemble as early as possible. The team hopes to improve upon the energy conversion efficiency of these cells that reads 40 percent for now.
Via: Gizmodo