Nanocellulose treated with red onion dye provides UV protection for PV cells
17 hours ago
- #bio-based-materials
- #solar-energy
- #UV-protection
- Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, explored bio-based materials for UV protection films in solar cells.
- Nanocellulose dyed with red onion skin extract showed 99.9% UV protection, outperforming commercial PET-based filters.
- The study compared durability and properties of four nanocellulose films treated with different UV-blocking agents.
- Red onion extract-treated film maintained high light transmission (over 80%) in visible and infrared wavelengths.
- Long-term testing (1,000 hours) showed the red onion film's stability, unlike other bio-based filters which degraded.
- The findings are relevant for various solar cell types, including perovskite and organic photovoltaics.
- Future goals include developing biodegradable solar cells for applications like food packaging sensors.
- The study was part of the BioEST project funded by the Research Council of Finland and published in ACS Applied Optical Materials.