Sensitive Nanocrystal Science Fair Projects

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is quickly emerging as a promising industry. It is a good field of study for students to explore.

Power House Experiments Science Kit	SCG-125 Snap Circuits Green Alternative Energy	Solar Cars & Vehicles Experiment Kits	Solar Energy Science Fair Projects Kits
Age 12 and up	Ages 10 and up	Grades 3rd thru 12th	All ages

Objectives/Goals

This project is about solar cells built using nanocrystals sensitized to visible light by plant-extract dyes. The objectives are: (1)To find which dye results in the best power output and fill factor, and (2)To design a new electronic tool to automate measurements of these solar cells. It is hypothesized that Raspberry and Blackberry dyes would provide the best results.

Methods/Materials

24 Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSCs) are constructed using 10 different plant-extract dyes, nanocrystals of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), electrolyte, graphite, and conductive glass slides. The dyes used are: Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Cranberry, Pomegranate, Cherry, Frozen Blackberry, Beetroot, Red Cabbage, and Spinach. A Control cell is built with no dye.

A new robotic tool ("D-SCOPE") is designed to test these Dye-sensitized Solar Cells. A daylight lamp illuminates the solar cells within a light chamber. Programs are written to automate the process of obtaining characteristic curves of the solar cells. From these curves, the maximum power output and fill factor are derived.

Results

The 3 cells with the highest power output were Raspberry, Blackberry, and Pomegranate DSCs. They also had the best fill factor (46.03%, 43.23%, and 40.67%, respectively). D-SCOPE measurements met the targets for speed, accuracy and repeatability.

Conclusions/Discussion

My hypothesis was partially correct, since Raspberry and Blackberry dyes provided the best and third best power output, respectively. Dye-sensitized Solar Cells can convert abundant solar energy into electrical energy. Compared to silicon solar cells, DSCs cost less, are easier to make, and "green" (better for the environment). The new D-SCOPE tool which I designed enables automated measurements at much lower cost than lab equipment, and can fit student budgets. 3rd party contributor