The News
New quantum dots make cheaper solar panels
HOUSTON, May 3 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say a new method of producing molecular specks of semiconductors called quantum dots may result in better, cheaper solar energy.
The research by scientists at Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology involves a new chemical method of making four-legged cadmium selenide quantum dots, which are particularly effective at converting sunlight into electrical energy.
Four-legged quantum dots, called tetrapods, are much more efficient at converting sunlight into electricity than regular quantum dots.
But the new study's principal investigator, Assistant Professor Michael Wong, said there has been no efficient and consistent way of producing tetrapods, since current technology leads to uneven particles. Even in the best recipe, 30 percent of the prepared particles are not tetrapods.
The Research
Read the research behind this story in the journal Small.