• Question: What sort of substances do u use?

    Asked by siobhangray12 to Matthew, Helen on 25 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Matt Carnie

      Matt Carnie answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      To make a solar cell I use all kinds of substances. I use metal oxides such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminium oxide (Al2O3) to make a kind of microscopic scaffold for my solar cells. Then I add two substances in solution to the scaffold. These are methyl ammonium iodide (CH3NH3I) and Lead Chloride (PbCl2). These two substances crystallize together to give a perovskite crystal structure which absorbs photons and turns them in to electrons. Next we add a chemical called Spiro-OMeTAD (2,2(,7,7(-tetrakis-(N,N-di-pmethoxyphenylamine) 9,9(-spirobifluorene)!!!!!!. This also carries electrons. Then we evaporate gold to make an electrical contact.

Comments

  • Photo: Helen

    Helen commented on :

    I use amino acids to make phosphine ligands which are essentially the shrubbery around metals (rodium, ruthenium, palladium and platinum) which are the key part of catalysts. I design synthetic enzymes that make reactions that would otherwise be impossible work.
    I also work with carbon dioxide at high pressure (i need to use a blast furnace) and butadiene which is a cancer causing gas which is a was product from refineries that are used to distill petrol and longer chain hydrocarbons from crude oil (fossil fuel).
    When i combine carbon dioxide and butadiene with palladium and my ligands i am able to make a lactone which can be used to make medical drugs, fertilisers etc