Solving the world’s energy crisis

Nanotechnologies to Advance Renewable Energy
Every hour the sun radiates more energy onto the Earth’s surface than is consumed globally in one year. To harness the power of solar energy, improvements in the efficiency of photovoltaics and electrical storage are required to reduce variability and intermittency of solar power. RIT’s NanoPower Research Laboratories (NPRL) are making significant advances in the development of new materials and devices utilizing nanomaterials and nanotechnology for energy conversion, energy storage, and power systems development.


Know Your Nano

III-V - refers to materials found in columns three and five of the periodic table.
GaAs - the compound of the two elements gallium and arsenide.
InAs - the compound of the two elements indium and arsenide.
GaSb - the compound of the two elements gallium and antimonide.

Carbon Nanotubes - an allotrope of carbon found to have extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties. You can picture a single-walled carbon nanotube as a rolled up graphene sheet—or nanoscale “chicken wire” made of carbon atoms and their bonds—that form a seamless cylinder with fullerene caps. The chirality or twist of the SWCNT determines if it will be metallic or semiconducting in nature.

Photovoltaics (solar cells) - a device that converts light or solar energy directly into electricity.

Quantum Dots - a semiconductor where the electron is confined in all three dimensions and allows the absorption of the material to be controlled and tunes the solar cell based on the desired application.

Lithium Ion Batteries - commonly used in consumer electronics, lithium ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery in which a lithium ion moves between the anode and cathode.


Improving Photovoltaic Efficiency


Crystalline III-V Solar Cell

Crystalline III-V Solar Cell: Researchers at the NPRL are using III-V materials to increase efficiency in state-of-the-art photovoltaics. III-V materials are naturally better absorbers of light. The versatility of III-V materials also make them attractive for photovoltaic applications.

Quantum dots

Quantum Dots: The image above is an atomic force micrograph of the surface of a GaAs substrate with InAs quantum dots grown on top. Each small island seen in the image represents one InAs quantum dots. The average size of these quantum dots is approximately 6 nm in height by 30 nm wide at the base. The dimensions of the quantum dots are on the order of an electrons wavelength, allowing the electrical, optical, mechanical, and even thermal properties to be controlled by changing the quantum dot size.

Class A Close Match Solar Simulator

Class A Close Match Solar Simulator: Dr. Seth Hubbard, assistant professor of physics and microsystems engineering, analyzes the results of a characterization test with Chelsea Plourde, research associate, and Stephen Polly, microsystems doctoral student. The research team is using the Class A Close Match Solar Simulator to test how solar cells will perform under both terrestrial and extraterrestrial conditions.

“With III-V materials we will be able to harness different parts of the solar spectrum, increasing the overall efficiency of the solar cell,” says Dr. Seth Hubbard, assistant professor of physics and Microsystems engineering.



“Our research predicts with the integration of quantum dots efficiency could reach levels as high as 47%,” says Hubbard.



The fundamental theory of nanostrucuted III-V photovoltaics suggests a significant increase in solar cell efficiency. “However, many questions remain to be answered and a lot of it comes down to the materials,” says Hubbard. “We are looking wherever we can to find a way to break the current limits of photovoltaics using nanotechnology.” Generating electricity is half the challenge; then it becomes a question of creating storage solutions that can support mass power generation.

Carbon Nanotube Purification

Single-walled Carbon Nanotube Purification: The image on the left shows raw SWCNTs, a naturally occurring allotrope of carbon. Through a purification process using acid reflux (shown center) and thermal oxidation, the NPRL is working to improve and verify the quality and consistency of the material. Research shows the purified material (right) provides greater efficiency in technologies like lithium ion batteries.

The Power in the Black Powder

“Like diamonds, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are another allotrope of carbon. In the laboratory we are modifying the conditions to increase the quantity of SWCNTs we produce, along with the purity of the material,” says Dr. Brian Landi, assistant professor of chemical engineering.





Characterization tests

Testing Conductivity: Characterization tests are conducted to determine the conductivity of the carbon nanotube paper. Carbon nanotube papers and wires have shown to be much stronger, more flexible and durable, and lighter than ordinary copper wiring.

An Energy Storage Solution
Because of their unique electrochemical and mechanical properties, one of the devices carbon nanotubes are ideal for are lithium ion batteries. Lithium ion batteries, like the one found in your cellphone, provide superior energy density over any other battery available to date. By nature, lithium is the lightest metal and therefore batteries using lithium have the highest specific capacity. “This is the very reason consumer electronics have been able to make significant advances in the last decade,” explains Landi.




Brian Landi and students

Improving Lithium Ion Batteries: Dr. Brian Landi, assistant professor of chemical engineering, is working with Matthew Ganter, sustainability doctoral student, and Roberta DiLeo, microsystems engineering doctoral student, to enhance lithium ion batteries by replacing the graphite materials used as the anode with carbon nanotube papers.

A Research and Development Center for Industry and Government



More information about this work and other related research is available online at
