Washington, Sep 1 (ANI): Applying a blended mixture of various off-the-shelf dyes commonly used in food and medical industries could actually boost the ability of zinc oxide solar cells to absorb visible light, according to researchers at Sharda University in Greater Noida, India.
Working with colleagues from the University of Delhi, Ram Mehra of Sharda University doused cells with a variety of dyes in a soak-then-dry procedure not unlike that used to color a tee-shirt in a home washing machine.
The best result came from a blend of dyes-including Fast Green, a food dye used in canned vegetables, jellies and sauces and Rose Bengal, used in diagnostic eye drops to stain damaged cells and identify eye injuries-that together boosted the efficiency of zinc oxide solar cells by nearly eight percent.
The researchers said that in the future, specific dye blends might be formulated to make solar cells targeted for specific uses, much as custom mixing of dyes today yields products as diverse as adhesives, cosmetics, and perfumes.
They write that "by changing composition of the mixture, its properties will change to be more or less suited to a particular useful application."
The findings have been published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. (ANI)
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