Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !

[hartiberlin]

Another good demo.
(in German)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxjLASCU46s&feature=related

Good video, but much too complicated.
I am trying to develop a paint, that you can just
put on normal glas or any other plastic foil that is transparent and
have cheap graphite paper as the second electrode and use
cheap materials.
I hope I will crack this soon.

As least i know now, that the PN-Layer required is between the
SnO2 and TiO2 ,
so why not mix SnO2 ( which is conductive) and TiO2
and mix is with a binder and have this way one electrode which you
can put onto a plastic transparent foil.
Then as the other electrode: graphite paper .
That will be just enough
and maybe we will find just a cheaper electrolyte than Betadine
or Iodide solution.
I bought today from the local pharmacy  Betaisodona solution for around 5 Euros
and will try this as the Electrolyte.
It contains about 11 % Iodid.

Regards, Stefan.

[tishatang]

@mdmiller
Thanks for looking, but that's not the process.  I gave a bad link name.  Go here and download the referenced book:

http://www.scribd.com/

THE BOY ELECTRICIAN by Alfred P. Morgan 1913

The process is a twisted wire mesh of copper and German-silver wire behind violet glass.  Looks easy to make but need patience.

[jeanna]

Hi Jeanna,

Sorry, if you kept reading to the later post here:

http://www.overunity.com/index.php?topic=6699.msg198923#msg198923

you would see it was caused most likely from moisture from my hand and contact with the probes.

There was no voltage from that unit. ( much to my dispair.)

RR2

Oh darn! It was such a cool idea.

@ Stephan,
Did you say you are trying to make a clear paint for this?

If this is what you are wanting then please consider sodium or potassium silicate.
This is very alkaline at first, but I believe when it cures that it is neutral. It is very stable as you would expect from a rock!

I have today experimented with silicone caulk which may work well or better if the silicate paint does not.
I squeezed the gel from the can then applied it with a plastic putty knife. It was easy to apply and dries in 3 hours and cures in 3 days. It remains flexible and is 100% waterproof.
1 can covered 2 square feet of surface. (I am covering canvas )
I remember the decade when this was introduced. The label never even claimed it was waterproof. Now, after 30 years of experience, the label is claiming 50 years warranty.

I believe when sodium silicate was invented in the 1800's, TiO2 was added as a white colorant for use in white paint.

I found information on this from a google search for 'sodium silicate' and an old chemistry reference book showed up in google books.

jeanna

[andi742]

okay - i just read through a few posts here in the forum
i was the producer of the video posted above ("How to make a dye sensitized solar cell HTL Braunau" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaGrHrLdRhs) and i have worked on that topic for 2 years now. The pn junction what you always talk about is in the case of the dye sensitized solar cell not necesarry! the dye which is sticked to the titanium dioxide is lifted to a higher energy state and loses an electron to the tio2 - which then transports it to the ITO glass plate and over the load and counter electrode back to the dye.
another point - cheap ITO glass can be purchased bye asking for heat isolating window glass because they are electrically conductive on one side
i attachted my english instruction sheet with a overview on the technology and the abstract of my work
feel free to contact me or reply to my post....
regards andi

[hartiberlin]

Hi Andi,
in my opinion, the PN Layer is between the
ITO and the TiO2 layer...

I tried to use just TiO2 without the ITO layer and that
does not work.

So it is the bandgap between the ITO and the TiO2 layer
that must be there to produce the conversion of light.

Regards, Stefan.