Dr Nguyen Trong Hieu (L) and his colleague. (Photo: ANU) Sydney (VNA) – A research team led by Vietnamese national Nguyen Trong Hieufrom the Australian National University (ANU) has demonstrated for the firsttime the maximum potential of ultra-thin 2D materials to generate electricity usingsunlight.
Dr. Hieusaid the 2D materials are hundreds of thousands of times thinner than a humanhair and invisible to the naked eye. The material could one day revolutionisetechnology like solar cells, mobile phones, and sensing devices.
Whilescientists have been researching these materials for some time, their full potentialfor applications such as solar cells and light detectors has been difficult toquantify.
The researchteam led by Dr. Hieu used an innovative approach to show the maximum voltageachievable through light absorption for the single-atom-thin materials,reported the ANU.
Theresearchers were able to exfoliate layer by layer, until only a single layer ofatoms remained.
The teamthen studied the light emitted from the various materials using a microscopeequipped with a highly sensitive camera and detector.
The ANU researcherswere then able to look at the materials and predict their performance potentialbased on the properties of the detected light.
Theresults show that monolayers could provide a voltage of more than 1V, aspowerful as established solar technologies.
Dr. Hieusaid the discovery is important as it gives scientists a target to work towardsin terms of electrical output.
If monolayers were coated on car windows, cell phone screens,or even watches, people would barely see them. One day thosetools could harvest sunlight to help power itself, Dr. Hieu said.
Born in1988, Hieu received his PhD in engineering (photovoltaics) from the ANU in2016. In 2017, he was a visiting scientist at the US’s National RenewableEnergy Laboratory. Currently, he is a research fellow and lecturer at the ANU.–VNA
Dr. Hieusaid the 2D materials are hundreds of thousands of times thinner than a humanhair and invisible to the naked eye. The material could one day revolutionisetechnology like solar cells, mobile phones, and sensing devices.
Whilescientists have been researching these materials for some time, their full potentialfor applications such as solar cells and light detectors has been difficult toquantify.
The researchteam led by Dr. Hieu used an innovative approach to show the maximum voltageachievable through light absorption for the single-atom-thin materials,reported the ANU.
Theresearchers were able to exfoliate layer by layer, until only a single layer ofatoms remained.
The teamthen studied the light emitted from the various materials using a microscopeequipped with a highly sensitive camera and detector.
The ANU researcherswere then able to look at the materials and predict their performance potentialbased on the properties of the detected light.
Theresults show that monolayers could provide a voltage of more than 1V, aspowerful as established solar technologies.
Dr. Hieusaid the discovery is important as it gives scientists a target to work towardsin terms of electrical output.
If monolayers were coated on car windows, cell phone screens,or even watches, people would barely see them. One day thosetools could harvest sunlight to help power itself, Dr. Hieu said.
Born in1988, Hieu received his PhD in engineering (photovoltaics) from the ANU in2016. In 2017, he was a visiting scientist at the US’s National RenewableEnergy Laboratory. Currently, he is a research fellow and lecturer at the ANU.–VNA
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