{"id":553557,"date":"2023-02-18T15:00:03","date_gmt":"2023-02-18T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/harnessing-plant-molecules-to-harvest-solar-energy\/"},"modified":"2023-02-18T15:00:03","modified_gmt":"2023-02-18T12:00:03","slug":"harnessing-plant-molecules-to-harvest-solar-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/harnessing-plant-molecules-to-harvest-solar-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"#Harnessing plant molecules to harvest solar energy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a384518c588f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a384518c588f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/harnessing-plant-molecules-to-harvest-solar-energy\/#%E2%80%9CHarnessing_plant_molecules_to_harvest_solar_energy%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Harnessing plant molecules to harvest solar energy&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHarnessing_plant_molecules_to_harvest_solar_energy%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Harnessing plant molecules to harvest solar energy&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2023\/harnessing-plant-molec.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/harnessing-plant-molec.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Plasmon to Current technology. Fluorophores produce an induced current in the metal, which is proportional to the magnitude of the fluorophore\u2019s extinction coefficient, \ud835\udf16. MEF \u2013 Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence. PC \u2013 Plasmonic Current. Cu \u2013 Copper metals. Credit: Image courtesy of Lahari Saha\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2023\/harnessing-plant-molec.jpg\" alt=\"Harnessing plant molecules to harvest solar energy\" title=\"Plasmon to Current technology. Fluorophores produce an induced current in the metal, which is proportional to the magnitude of the fluorophore\u2019s extinction coefficient, \ud835\udf16. MEF \u2013 Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence. PC \u2013 Plasmonic Current. Cu \u2013 Copper metals. Credit: Image courtesy of Lahari Saha\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Plasmon to Current <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>. Fluorophores produce an induced current in the metal, which is proportional to the magnitude of the fluorophore\u2019s extinction coefficient, \ud835\udf16. MEF \u2013 Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence. PC \u2013 Plasmonic Current. Cu \u2013 Copper metals. Credit: Image courtesy of Lahari Saha<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Our current solar panels aren&#8217;t very efficient; they are only able to convert up to about 20% of the sun&#8217;s energy into electricity. As a result, to generate a lot of electricity, the panels require a lot of space\u2014sometimes leading forests to be cut down or farms to be replaced by solar. If solar panels were more efficient, much smaller panels could make the same amount of electricity, and wouldn&#8217;t claim as much land.<\/p>\n<p>To make solar panels that are more efficient, Lahari Saha, in the lab of Professor Chris D. Geddes at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is working to make electricity in a unique way\u2014by harnessing plants&#8217; abilities to convert sunlight into chemical energy using biological molecules, like chlorophyll, that excel at absorbing sunlight. Saha will present her work on Wednesday, February 22 at the 67th Annual Biophysical Society Meeting in San Diego, California.<\/p>\n<p>Their goal is to use biological molecules to make electricity that can then be harvested and used to power devices or stored in batteries for later use. The process involves leveraging molecules&#8217; fluorescence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Any sort of molecule that fluoresces, gives off light. If we excite the fluorophore, it can transfer its energy to metal nanoparticles, and if the particles are close enough to each other, they will knock off electrons and generate current,&#8221; Saha explained. The process is not just limited to molecules that fluoresce, Saha explained, they just need to have high absorption of light such as chlorophyll, beta carotene, or lutein. Each of these are relatively inexpensive and easy to derive from plants<\/p>\n<p>The other benefit of this kind of fluorescence-based solar panel is that it would be easier to recycle. Currently, solar panels rely on expensive materials like silicon and contain elements that can be toxic, including lead and cadmium\u2014in most states solar panels are considered hazardous waste when it&#8217;s time to dispose of them.<\/p>\n<p>But Saha is hopeful that her solar panels will be primarily plant-based molecules and other materials that are relatively prevalent like copper, making them easier to recycle when the time comes. Plus, by selecting materials with greater longevity, she hopes the solar panel will last longer before it is time to dispose of them.<\/p>\n<p>But Saha&#8217;s top goal is to make a solar panel that&#8217;s more efficient, &#8220;so it doesn&#8217;t have as large of a footprint,&#8221; she said. She hopes her smaller solar panels will allow farms to maximize food production over generating energy, and will keep forests preserved.\n                                                                                                                            <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n                                                                                                <strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                Conference: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biophysics.org\/2023meeting#\/\">www.biophysics.org\/2023meeting#\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    Biophysical Society<br \/>\n                                                                                                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biophysics.org\/\"><br \/>\n                                                        <svg><use href=\"https:\/\/techx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v2\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                Harnessing plant molecules to harvest solar energy (2023, February 18)<br \/>\n                                                retrieved 18 February 2023<br \/>\n                                                from https:\/\/techxplore.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2023-02-harnessing-molecules-harvest-solar-energy.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2023-02-harnessing-molecules-harvest-solar-energy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Harnessing plant molecules to harvest solar energy&#8221; Plasmon to Current technology. Fluorophores produce an induced current in the metal, which is proportional to the magnitude of the fluorophore\u2019s extinction coefficient, \ud835\udf16. MEF \u2013 Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence. PC \u2013 Plasmonic Current. Cu \u2013 Copper metals. Credit: Image courtesy of Lahari Saha Our current solar panels aren&#8217;t very&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":553558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/harnessing-plant-molec.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-553557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=553557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/553558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=553557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=553557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=553557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}