Can nano dots  outshine current solar cells? University of Toronto rightOriginal StudyPosted by Marit Mitchell-Toronto on June 9 2014Those flat glassy solar panels on your neighborâ€� roof may be getting a more efficient makeover thanks to a new class of solar-sensitive nanoparticles.This new form of solid stable light-sensitive nanoparticles called colloidal quantum dots could lead to cheaper and more flexible solar cells as well as better gas sensors infrared lasers infrared light emitting diodes and more. The work appears in Nature Materials.Collecting sunlight using these tiny colloidal quantum dots depends on two types of semiconductors: n-type which are rich in electrons and p-type which are poor in electrons. The problem? When exposed to the air n-type materials bind to oxygen atoms give up their electrons and turn into p-type.Postdoctoral researcher Zhijun Ning Professor Ted Sargent and colleagues modeled and demonstrated a new colloidal quantum dot n-type material that does not bind oxygen when exposed to air.Maintaining stable n- and p-type layers simultaneously not only boosts the efficiency of light absorption it opens up a world of new optoelectronic devices that capitalize on the best properties of both light and electricity. For the average person this means more sophisticated weather satellites remote controllers satellite communication or pollution detectors.�This is a material innovation that s the first part and with this new material we can build new device structures� says Ning. �Iodide is almost a perfect ligand for these quantum solar cells with both high efficiency and air stability—no one has shown that before.�Ningâ€� new hybrid n- and p-type material achieved solar power conversion efficiency up to eight percent—among the best results reported to date.But improved performance is just a start for the new quantum-dot-based solar cell architecture. The powerful little dots could be mixed into inks and painted or printed onto thin flexible surfaces such as roofing shingles dramatically lowering the cost and accessibility of solar power for millions of people.�The field of colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics requires continued improvement in absolute performance or power conversion efficiency� says Sargent. �The field has moved fast and keeps moving fast but we need to work toward bringing performance to commercially compelling levels.�This research was a collaboration with Dalhousie University King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.Source: University of TorontoYou are free to share this article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.