Recent research by researchers at Stanford University in the United States found that heating metal oxides such as rust can improve the conversion efficiency and energy storage efficiency of a specific solar cell. This discovery is published in the Journal of Energy and Environmental Science. Different from existing silicon solar cells, such solar cells use metal oxide instead of silicon to convert photons into electrons and then use electrons to decompose water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

Silicon solar cells are not capable of storing electrical energy and are not "batteries" in the normal sense of the word. However, if electricity is generated by sunlight during the day, energy is stored by means of breaking down water molecules, and then somehow 'recombined' hydrogen and oxygen at night, To release energy, it would be ideal.

Researchers at Stanford University tested three metal oxides at different temperatures, namely vanadium bismuth oxide, titanium oxide and iron oxide, and the results were beyond our expectation: the electrons pass through the three oxides faster at elevated temperatures, The amount of hydrogen and oxygen produced is correspondingly increased. While heating the metal oxide with sunlight, the hydrogen produced can be doubled.

Among the three kinds of metal oxides, the effect of heating bismuth vanadate is most obvious. Researchers speculate that heating other metal oxides may be equally effective, and subsequent studies will test for more materials.

Que Zongyang, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University, presided over the study. He and his colleagues believe that a breakthrough in this research may allow a large-scale storage of solar cells to become a reality, changing the way humans produce, store and consume energy.

Que Zongyang said: "Comprehensive utilization of heat and sunlight to metal oxide conversion material, with the decomposition of water molecules, efficient storage of the sun's inexhaustible energy, energy can be supplied on demand."

The reason that the metal oxide has not been used for making solar cells at this stage is because the photoelectric conversion efficiency is lower than that of silicon, especially in the range of visible light and ultraviolet light. However, Que Zong Yang introduction, silicon solar cells can only use the energy carried by a very small part of the sun.

Previously, researchers generally believe that metal oxide solar cells and silicon solar cells, the conversion efficiency will decrease when the temperature increases. This study not only eliminates this "misunderstanding" but also concludes the opposite. The cost of metal oxide is much lower than that of silicon, and the sources are abundant, the processing is simple and the application prospect is worth looking forward to.

Que Zongyang envisaged that the decomposition of hydrogen molecules obtained by water molecules can be directly used as fuel, for example, to provide power for cars, and "emissions" is water. Beginning with sunshine, and finally water, without increasing the atmospheric carbon dioxide content, is a "carbon balance cycle."

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