新型无机物料或取代硅板成太阳能板材料

Paintable Solar Cells May Someday Replace Silicon¹-Based Panels 新型无机物料或取代硅板成太阳能板材料

Rapidly expanding solar cell technology currently relies on expensive photovoltaic materials such as silicon or cadmium telluride, which is why their production, installation and maintenance costs are still high.

Troy Townsend, an assistant professor of chemistry at St. Mary's College in St. Mary's City, Maryland, says less efficient but much cheaper inorganic² materials could be used to create paintable solar cells.

To make up for the low efficiency, this less expensive material may be used to cover large surfaces, such as the roofs of entire communities.

“Typically, silicon solar cells are between 16 and 18 percent efficient," Townsend said. "There have been some commercially available cadmium telluride solar cells, from First Solar, that have gotten up to 20 percent. Our devices right now are between 5 and 12 percent.”

The photovoltaic material can be synthesized by mixing nanocrystals with organic solvents³.The resulting substance "can be printed, sprayed or spin-coated to make an entire device fully⁴ solution-processed,” Townsend said.

Once deposited on a suitable surface, such as glass, the photosensitive layers have to be heated, together with an agent. Instead of commonly used highly toxic⁵ substances, Townsend discovered that it can be done with nontoxic salts.

Individual cells can be connected in series or parallel to build up either voltage or current.

Townsend hopes that someday, solar arrays may become much more affordable⁶ for individual users.

“The goal of this is to be able to put this in the hands of an average, everyday person," he said. "They have all the tools they need to build these devices in their home kitchen.”

He is also confident that further research will lead to the increased efficiency of paintable solar cells.

1 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

2 inorganic   

adj.无生物的；无机的

参考例句：

• The fundamentals of inorganic chemistry are very important.无机化学的基础很重要。
• This chemical plant recently bought a large quantity of inorganic salt.这家化工厂又买进了大量的无机盐。

3 solvents   

溶解的，溶剂

参考例句：

• It is resistant to borohydride reduction in alcoholic solvents. 在醇溶剂中，它不能被硼氢化物还原。
• Strains require special treatments for removal such as spotting with organic solvents. 要清除这些着色物质，需要特殊处理，例如：滴加有机溶剂。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

6 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。