Biotechnology - Antifreeze, Cheap Materials May Lead to Low-Cost Solar Energy

     

          A process combining some comparatively cheap materials and the same antifreeze that keeps an automobile radiator from freezing in cold weather may be the key to making solar cells that cost less and avoid toxic compounds, while further expanding the use of solar energy.

          And when perfected, this approach might also cook up the solar cells in a microwave oven similar to the one in most kitchens.
Engineers at Oregon State University have determined that ethylene glycol, commonly used in antifreeze products, can be a low-cost solvent that functions well in a "continuous flow" reactor -- an approach to making thin-film solar cells that is easily scaled up for mass production at industrial levels.


For further reading refer to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130704100841.htm

Source: www.sciencedaily.com