Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology fished some hair out of a Brisbane barbershop to experiment, out of mere curiosity. When the research concluded, it was proven that human hair can improve the performance of solar technology. The same solar technology that is going to be used everywhere in the near future, from backpacks to tents to space travel.
Confused? Let’s break it down.
The Process
Bizarre as it might be, a solution of carbon dots made using human hair wastage was added to the process of making of perovskite cells. How were the carbon dots made?
By breaking down human hair and then heating that at 240 degrees.
The carbon nanodots, when added to the solar perovskite cells created an ‘armor’, a protective layer. These cells had a higher power conversion efficiency and were more stable than non perovskite cells without human hair enriched carbon nanodots.
In simple words, the carbon nanodots create a protective layer that guards the cell against moisture or other environmental conditions that can otherwise damage it.
Why Does It Matter?
Unlike silicon solar cells, perovskite solar cells are versatile, easily manufactured and are going to rule the world in coming years. Not only can perovskite solar cells be used in the future to power charge-on-the-go backpacks, tents and the frivolities of our world, they also hold the potential to be used in spacecrafts.
Perovskite solar cells are lightweight and, because the layer of carbon nanodots adda protection, they can be used for twenty years or longer. All this might contribute to these cells being a strong candidate for what powers spacecraft.
All this using human hair. Make sure you tell your hairdresser the true value of your mane.
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