Solar Energy from heat using Carbon Nanotubes

The “humble” Carbon Nanotubes have been found to have one more magical application. Researchers at Rice University have found that aligned Carbon Nanotube films can be used as channels for heat.

Normally a solar cell can convert a small portion of visible light into Electricity. The cells max out at a 22% efficiency because of this.

In this new work, researchers Gururaj Naik and Junichiro Kono of Rice’s Brown School of Engineering aligned Carbon Nanotubes and used them as pipes to conduct heat and convert it into light that is suitable for Solar Cells. Theoretically this system would allow us to have Solar cells with an incredible 80% efficiency.

One more way by which Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes make the world a better place.

To know more, please see

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsphotonics.9b00452

#Application #CarbonNanotube #Transportation