Researchers in Mexico have improved the performance of opto -electronic and solar cells by combining melanin with porous silicon powder. The connection improved the photo flow generation by stimulating the luminescence of the silicon material.
A group of researchers led by the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (Inaoe) from Mexico has developed a new colloidal solution that is said to increase the efficiency of opto -electronics devices and solar cells.
“The solution integrates melanin and porous silicon (PSI) powder, a combination that was previously studied before use in hetero junction solar cells‘The accompanying author of the research, Alfredo Benítez Lara, said PV -Magazine. “Because melanin consists of indelitiors with positive and negatively charged groups, it can basically form complexes of different types that work as an electron acceptor and/or an electronic donor.”
The team tried to increase the photocurrent generation of the compound by increasing PSI luminescence by adding melanin in different quantities to PSI films. It initially formed a PSI substrate via the electrochemical etching process of a P-Type Silicon Wafer. This process was carried out in a 3D-printed reactor, in which melanin was solved with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) by mechanical stirring.
The scientists used melanin supplied by the Mexican specialist Evogenia to create a heterojunction through the drop-casting technique, that’s that Simple film -forming technology that is assumed by many research groups, because this does not imply the use of specific equipment. They have deposited the melanin on the PSI film at a temperature of 90 C.
“The melanin contributes to the increase in luminescent recombination centers due to binding with silicon and the aromatic rings,” they explained. “In other words, bonds between silicon and the elements of the melanin such as carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are created.”
The group observed an increase in luminescence in the range of 500 – 700 Nm, which was described as correlated with lumin -ceasing defects. Infrared (FT-IR) and Photoluminescence (PL) confirmed that the Melanin-Functionalized samples showed an increase in peaks at 790 Nm, 878 Nm, 943 Nm and 1,043 Nm.
“The melanin -redox properties are sufficient to pass the PSI, which creates luminescent recombination centers with a shift and increase in PL response,” the researchers emphasized and noted that the lifetime of the wearer in each monster reduced with the increase in melanine. “This hetero junction could be used to build opto -electronic devices with a quick response in the UV region,” they concluded.
They presented their findings in “Synergy effects of vegetable melanin and porous silicon powder to improve the efficiency of the solar panel“Published in Solar energy.
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