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Light-Activated Material Could Enable Heliotropic Solar Cells

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MEDFORD, Mass., March 17, 2021 — Light-activated composite devices developed by Tufts University researchers were shown in testing to execute precise visible movements and form complex 3D shapes. The materials performed without wires or other actuating materials or energy sources. The design combines programmable photonic crystals with an elastomeric composite that the Tufts researchers engineered at the macro- and nanoscale to respond to illumination. The material is composed of two layers: a film with opal-like properties made of silk fibroin doped with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) forming photonic crystals, and an...Read full article

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    Published: March 2021
    Glossary
    photonic crystals
    Photonic crystals are artificial structures or materials designed to manipulate and control the flow of light in a manner analogous to how semiconductors control the flow of electrons. Photonic crystals are often engineered to have periodic variations in their refractive index, leading to bandgaps that prevent certain wavelengths of light from propagating through the material. These bandgaps are similar in principle to electronic bandgaps in semiconductors. Here are some key points about...
    Research & Technologysolarsolar cellsMaterialsheliotropicsilk fibroinSilksilk fiberssiliconpolydimethylsiloxanePDMSphotonic crystalphotonic crystalslight-activatedTuftsNature Communications

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