Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) has synthesized materials that enhance indoor solar cells, enabling them to generate electricity even with low light
Have you ever wondered how technology could help reduce your electricity bills? Imagine generating electricity from the artificial lights in your home. Chemists at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania have developed new materials that make indoor solar cells more efficient. These devices, which can be integrated into various electronic gadgets, are capable of generating electricity even from household lighting.
Juozas Vidas Gražulevičius, a professor at the Faculty of Chemical Technology at KTU and head of the Materials Chemistry research group, elaborated on this project:
“We all know by now that the consumption of oil and gas is warming the atmosphere, causing global climate changes and creating a genuine climate crisis. To address this problem, solutions that utilize renewable energy sources such as wind, water, and solar energy are being sought.”
Renewable energy solutions
Wind and hydropower have high costs and depend on geographical location, while solar energy is flexible, efficient, and relatively inexpensive. However, every day we lose energy from indoor lighting and natural light entering through windows.
According to Professor Gražulevičius, the answer lies in indoor photovoltaic cells, which can generate electricity even under low light conditions. With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the market for indoor photovoltaic cells is expanding rapidly.
High-performance, low-cost, and versatile cells are crucial to meet this growing demand and reduce energy bills, as noted by Dr. Asta Dabulienė, a senior researcher at the KTU Materials Chemistry research group:
“Perovskite photovoltaic cells for indoor use can be integrated into mobile phones, flashlights, and other electronic devices; they can generate electricity under artificial light. Using IoT technologies, this electricity can be used to effectively regulate device operation and optimize energy consumption.”
What makes these new cells special?
Dr. Dabulienė has created new materials called Thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole derivatives for indoor perovskite solar cells. The primary function of these materials is to transport positive charges (holes) while blocking negative charges (electrons), thus improving the overall efficiency of the solar cell:
“An ideal material for hole transport should move them quickly and align well with the other layers of the solar cell.”
A Thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole derivative with a triphenylamine donor fragment, developed by Dr. Dabulienė, was used by researchers at the Ming Chi University of Technology in Taiwan to create indoor solar cells. This new material enabled a power conversion efficiency of 37.0% under 3000 K LED lighting (1000 lux). Studies have shown that Thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole derivatives can enhance the efficiency of perovskite solar cells.
An international collaboration
The innovation in indoor solar cells results from the efforts of an international team of scientists. Researchers from the KTU Materials Chemistry group developed and synthesized organic semiconductors that effectively transport positive charges and studied their properties. Theoretical studies of the new compounds were conducted by scientists from the prestigious King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Researchers at the Ming Chi University of Technology in Taiwan finally built and characterized the indoor perovskite solar cells.
Source: Kaunas University of Technology
