Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !

[infringer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:K-Na-L-(%2B)-tartrate.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochelle_salt

[ResinRat2]

I am currently experimenting with my graphite paper and
trying to get Silicon ( Si) onto it as a thin layer...

I wonder if an all colloidal-mineral type of solar cell could be designed by using the available array of easily purchased colloidal minerals and simply mixing two to simulate doping. Say by mixing colloidal platinum and colloidal silver you would get the P-layer, and by mixing silver and zinc colloids you would get the N-layer. I am not sure how to join them, but maybe similar to the LCD screens with conductive paint or copper wires. I am not quite sure how it would go together, but the idea of an all-colloidal solar cell really sounds interesting to me. Transparency is no problem.

I need to think about it for a bit.

The available colloidal minerals that are easily purchased comprise Boron, Calcium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Germanium, Gold, Indium, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Platinum, Potassium, Selenium, Silver, Sulfur, Tin, Vanadium, and Zinc.

I am just not really sure if mixing two colloids would simulate doping; but it does sound interesting.

[infringer]

  Welcome aboard resinrat we could sure use a expert in chemistry as well!

Thank You for joining in!

EDIT: Check out this article you may be on to something indeed...

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6THY-4RSJDN2-4&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=7dae78f3c0d38f92786d1036c94f5f1e

This one as well:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja048427j

Slightly indirectly related to what I believe you may be talking of I am no expert in any field just an apprentice here and look forward to the help of excellence to excel we shall need excellence and I don't know what else to say other then thank you for taking your free time and joining in.

[infringer]

For the electronic people out there here is another grid tie unit... To reverse if need be...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ENVIROTECHS-GRID-TIE-INVERTER-FOR-SOLAR-WIND-MAX-250W_W0QQitemZ200313737813

We could make this unit better by hooking it up on a timer so we don't waste power at night in standby or maybe even disable it with a photocell once there is very limited lighting have it shut down with a photocell.

It would be the most excellent solution for the average Joe.

Anyhow this thread is on fire with lots of great info and views don't be scared join in please I promise there is no disappointments at the end of this road just remaining journey...

[hartiberlin]

Hi all,
here are 2 pics from my trial to get the silicon and silver colloidal
into the graphite paper...

But it did not work yet.
It seems just using the graphite paper within the cell
as the second electrode does not work here....

It seems I need first to use 2 x silver or
2 x silicon rods to fill the distilled water with huge amounts
of colloidal metal and then just insert the graphite paper
into this water to get the colloidal particles sucked up by the graphite.
Probably the concentration is still too low after 10 hours of letting it
run on the pulser...

You can still see, that the water is already yellow from the colloidal silver,
but it seems it is not enough to get the silver fallen out and plate the graphite well...

So next time I will try with ionic solutions and try to do a real electroplating
electrolysis to get the silicon or silver onto the graphite paper.

Maybe I can get the colloidal silver fallen out into the
graphite, when I use some oil into the water ?

Last time, when I got the silver fallen out and coated the glas container,
I tried to build a skin creme and I put into the colloidal water some
vaseline creme and then I had all the silver fallen out and coated the glas walls..

Hmm...
maybe someone can tell me, which silicon salts I can use to get
silicon plated onto the graphite paper electrodes, when I am using an electrolyis
with a silicon salt ?

Maybe something like Siliconchlorid or Siliconcarbonat ?

Many thanks.

Regards, Stefan.