Difference between revisions of "20.109(F11): Mod 3 Day 4 Solar cell assembly"
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===While You Were Out=== | ===While You Were Out=== | ||
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− | The TiO<sub>2</sub> mineralized SWNT:phage complexes that you left last time | + | The TiO<sub>2</sub> mineralized SWNT:phage complexes that you left last time were dried in a vacuum oven at room temperature. The dried substance was then ground, using a mortar and pestle into a powder on the micrometer scale. To this ground material, a paste of pure TiO<sub>2</sub>, ethyl cellulose (for viscosity) and terpineol (an organic solvent). To the right can be seen the image of the paste before the SWNT:titania powder was added (left) and after (right). |
Revision as of 23:36, 17 November 2011
Solar Cell Assembly
Introduction
The principle of our dye-sensitized solar cells is that light absorption by a dye will provide the energy to transfer its electrons to a mixture of titania and titania coated SWNT:phage complexes, which will act as a shuttle to deliver the electrons to an external circuit for extraction of "useful" energy. During the first two lab sessions of this third module, you worked to coat genetically-modified M13 phage with single walled carbon nano-tubes and to mineralize TiO2 upon them. (These steps are summarized visually in the top of the figure to the right) Now it's time to use these complexes to construct the anode of the dye-sensitized solar cell. (The anode can be seen in the bottom left of the image to the right)