可喷涂太阳能电池可能取代硅基电池板

Paintable Solar Cells May Replace Silicon¹-Based Devices 可喷涂太阳能电池可能取代硅基电池板

Solar panels are manufactured in factories. Some of the devices are made with cadmium chloride, a substance shown to be harmful to human health. But an American researcher says manufacturers soon may be able to create solar panels with safe, non-toxic solutions.

Solar cell technology currently depends on costly² photovoltaic materials, such as silicon and cadmium telluride. Photovoltaic materials have the ability to take in photons from sunlight and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current results. This current can be used as electricity.

Thanks to photovoltaic materials, solar cell technology is expanding. But the cost of producing and using solar cells remains³ high.

Troy Townsend has developed solar cell technology with less costly materials. But he adds that the technology is also less effective than the existing technology.

Mr. Townsend is an assistant professor at Saint Mary’s College in Maryland. He says that silicon solar cells are usually between 16 and 18 percent efficient. The solar cells he and other researchers have developed are between 5 and 12 percent efficient. But, he adds that the cells they developed could be painted or sprayed to make a device fully⁴ solution-processed.

This less costly material may be used to cover large surfaces, like housetops of a community. The photovoltaic material is produced by mixing nanocrystals, very small particles, with chemical compounds.

"All of these layers we have been able to produce as an ink. They can be printed, sprayed or spin-coated to make an entire device fully solution-processed."

When placed on a surface, like a piece of glass, the ink layers have to be heated with another agent or substance. Troy Townsend discovered that this can be done with non-toxic salts instead of harmful substances.

Individual cells can be connected to build up electric current or voltage.

Mr. Townsend hopes that someday solar panel systems may become much more cost-friendly for individual users.

"The goal of this is to be able to put this in the hands of an average everyday person. They have all the tools they need to build these devices in their home kitchen,” he says.

He hopes that more research will lead to the increased efficiency of paintable solar cells.

Words in This Story

electrons – n. very small particles of matter that has a negative charge of electricity and that travels around the nucleus⁵ of an atom

ink – n. colored liquid that is used for writing or printing

non-toxic –adj. not poisonous

photons – n.  tiny particles of light or electromagnetic radiation

photovoltaic – adj. of, relating to, or using the generation of a voltage when radiant energy falls on the boundary between different substances

solar panel – n. a large, flat piece of equipment that uses the sun's light or heat to create electricity

spray – v. to put something on a surface or into the air using a special container that produces a stream of small drops of liquid

1 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 nucleus   

n.核，核心，原子核

参考例句：

• These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
• These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。