Red Onion Boosts Solar Cell Efficiency – Sustainable Power Potential

Here’s a summary of the key information from the provided⁣ text:

The‍ Problem: Solar cells degrade⁢ when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and are⁣ typically protected by petroleum-based films (like PVF and PET).
The Solution: Scientists have found ⁣that‍ a combination of nanocellulose (derived from plants) and dye from⁣ red onion skin extract provides “very effective UV protection.”
Effectiveness: The ⁣film blocked 99.9% of UV radiation up to 400 nanometers and outperformed a commercial PET-based UV filter.
Sustainability: This offers a bio-based, more lasting option to ⁤traditional petroleum-based protective films.
Research Details: The ⁤study,published in ⁣ ACS Applied ⁤Optical Materials,also tested films treated with lignin and iron ions,comparing their durability.
Source: The research was conducted at the University of Turku in Finland, with doctoral researcher Rustem Nizamov highlighting the promise of this bio-based material.