Browse
Submit Data
Databases
API
Help

Dataset Information

18 Views

0 Connections

0 Citations

0 Reanalyses

0 Downloads

Omics score: 0

Compact solar autoclave based on steam generation using broadband light-harvesting nanoparticles.

ABSTRACT: The lack of readily available sterilization processes for medicine and dentistry practices in the developing world is a major risk factor for the propagation of disease. Modern medical facilities in the developed world often use autoclave systems to sterilize medical instruments and equipment and process waste that could contain harmful contagions. Here, we show the use of broadband light-absorbing nanoparticles as solar photothermal heaters, which generate high-temperature steam for a standalone, efficient solar autoclave useful for sanitation of instruments or materials in resource-limited, remote locations. Sterilization was verified using a standard Geobacillus stearothermophilus-based biological indicator.

SUBMITTER: Neumann O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3718182 | biostudies-other | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Json Xml

Publications

Compact solar autoclave based on steam generation using broadband light-harvesting nanoparticles.

Neumann Oara O Feronti Curtis C Neumann Albert D AD Dong Anjie A Schell Kevin K Lu Benjamin B Kim Eric E Quinn Mary M Thompson Shea S Grady Nathaniel N Nordlander Peter P Oden Maria M Halas Naomi J NJ

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20130708 29

The lack of readily available sterilization processes for medicine and dentistry practices in the developing world is a major risk factor for the propagation of disease. Modern medical facilities in the developed world often use autoclave systems to sterilize medical instruments and equipment and process waste that could contain harmful contagions. Here, we show the use of broadband light-absorbing nanoparticles as solar photothermal heaters, which generate high-temperature steam for a standalon ...[more]

PMID: 23836642

Similar Datasets

Self-assembly of highly efficient, broadband plasmonic absorbers for solar steam generation.

Project description:The study of ideal absorbers, which can efficiently absorb light over a broad range of wavelengths, is of fundamental importance, as well as critical for many applications from solar steam generation and thermophotovoltaics to light/thermal detectors. As a result of recent advances in plasmonics, plasmonic absorbers have attracted a lot of attention. However, the performance and scalability of these absorbers, predominantly fabricated by the top-down approach, need to be further improved to enable widespread applications. We report a plasmonic absorber which can enable an average measured absorbance of ~99% across the wavelengths from 400 nm to 10 ?m, the most efficient and broadband plasmonic absorber reported to date. The absorber is fabricated through self-assembly of metallic nanoparticles onto a nanoporous template by a one-step deposition process. Because of its efficient light absorption, strong field enhancement, and porous structures, which together enable not only efficient solar absorption but also significant local heating and continuous stream flow, plasmonic absorber-based solar steam generation has over 90% efficiency under solar irradiation of only 4-sun intensity (4 kW m(-2)). The pronounced light absorption effect coupled with the high-throughput self-assembly process could lead toward large-scale manufacturing of other nanophotonic structures and devices.

| S-EPMC4846456 | biostudies-literature

TiO₂ Nanoparticles/Nanotubes for Efficient Light Harvesting in Perovskite Solar Cells.

Project description:To enhance the light harvesting capability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), TiO₂ nanoparticles/nanotubes (TNNs) were incorporated into the active layer of PSCs. The TNN-containing cells showed a substantial increase in photocurrent density (JSC), from 23.9 mA/cm² without nanotubes to 25.5 mA/cm², suggesting that the TiO₂ nanotubes enhanced the charge conduction and harvested more sunlight, which was attributed to the Mie scattering effect. Compared to the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the active layer (14.16%), the TNN-containing cells with optimal loading of 9 wt % TiO₂ nanotubes showed a high PCE of 15.34%.

| S-EPMC6473427 | biostudies-literature

Light harvesting proteins for solar fuel generation in bioengineered photoelectrochemical cells.

Project description:The sun is the primary energy source of our planet and potentially can supply all societies with more than just their basic energy needs. Demand of electric energy can be satisfied with photovoltaics, however the global demand for fuels is even higher. The direct way to produce the solar fuel hydrogen is by water splitting in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, an artificial mimic of photosynthesis. There is currently strong resurging interest for solar fuels produced by PEC cells, but some fundamental technological problems need to be solved to make PEC water splitting an economic, competitive alternative. One of the problems is to provide a low cost, high performing water oxidizing and oxygen evolving photoanode in an environmentally benign setting. Hematite, ?-Fe2O3, satisfies many requirements for a good PEC photoanode, but its efficiency is insufficient in its pristine form. A promising strategy for enhancing photocurrent density takes advantage of photosynthetic proteins. In this paper we give an overview of how electrode surfaces in general and hematite photoanodes in particular can be functionalized with light harvesting proteins. Specifically, we demonstrate how low-cost biomaterials such as cyanobacterial phycocyanin and enzymatically produced melanin increase the overall performance of virtually no-cost metal oxide photoanodes in a PEC system. The implementation of biomaterials changes the overall nature of the photoanode assembly in a way that aggressive alkaline electrolytes such as concentrated KOH are not required anymore. Rather, a more environmentally benign and pH neutral electrolyte can be used.

| S-EPMC4030624 | biostudies-literature

Tunable localized surface plasmon-enabled broadband light-harvesting enhancement for high-efficiency panchromatic dye-sensitized solar cells.

Project description:In photovoltaic devices, light harvesting (LH) and carrier collection have opposite relations with the thickness of the photoactive layer, which imposes a fundamental compromise for the power conversion efficiency (PCE). Unbalanced LH at different wavelengths further reduces the achievable PCE. Here, we report a novel approach to broadband balanced LH and panchromatic solar energy conversion using multiple-core-shell structured oxide-metal-oxide plasmonic nanoparticles. These nanoparticles feature tunable localized surface plasmon resonance frequencies and the required thermal stability during device fabrication. By simply blending the plasmonic nanoparticles with available photoactive materials, the broadband LH of practical photovoltaic devices can be significantly enhanced. We demonstrate a panchromatic dye-sensitized solar cell with an increased PCE from 8.3% to 10.8%, mainly through plasmon-enhanced photoabsorption in the otherwise less harvested region of solar spectrum. This general and simple strategy also highlights easy fabrication, and may benefit solar cells using other photoabsorbers or other types of solar-harvesting devices.

| S-EPMC4123315 | biostudies-literature

Plasmonic Nanoparticles as Light-Harvesting Enhancers in Perovskite Solar Cells: A User's Guide.

Project description:In this Perspective we discuss the implications of employing metal particles of different shape, size, and composition as absorption enhancers in methylammonium lead iodide perovskite solar cells, with the aim of establishing some guidelines for the future development of plasmonic resonance-based photovoltaic devices. Hybrid perovskites present an extraordinarily high absorption coefficient which, as we show here, makes it difficult to extrapolate concepts and designs that are applied to other solution-processed photovoltaic materials. In addition, the variability of the optical constants attained from perovskite films of seemingly similar composition further complicates the analysis. We demonstrate that, by means of rigorous design, it is possible to provide a realistic prediction of the magnitude of the absorption enhancement that can be reached for perovskite films embedding metal particles. On the basis of this, we foresee that localized surface plasmon effects will provide a means to attain highly efficient perovskite solar cells using films that are thinner than those usually employed, hence facilitating collection of photocarriers and significantly reducing the amount of potentially toxic lead present in the device.

| S-EPMC5210271 | biostudies-literature

The optical duality of tellurium nanoparticles for broadband solar energy harvesting and efficient photothermal conversion.

Project description:Nanophotonic materials for solar energy harvesting and photothermal conversion are urgently needed to alleviate the global energy crisis. We demonstrate that a broadband absorber made of tellurium (Te) nanoparticles with a wide size distribution can absorb more than 85% solar radiation in the entire spectrum. Temperature of the absorber irradiated by sunlight can increase from 29° to 85°C within 100 s. By dispersing Te nanoparticles into water, the water evaporation rate is improved by three times under solar radiation of 78.9 mW/cm2. This photothermal conversion surpasses that of plasmonic or all-dielectric nanoparticles reported before. We also establish that the unique permittivity of Te is responsible for the high performance. The real part of permittivity experiences a transition from negative to positive in the ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared region, which endows Te nanoparticles with the plasmonic-like and all-dielectric duality. The total absorption covers the entire spectrum of solar radiation due to the enhancement by both plasmonic-like and Mie-type resonances. It is the first reported material that simultaneously has plasmonic-like and all-dielectric properties in the solar radiation region. These findings suggest that the Te nanoparticle can be expected to be an advanced photothermal conversion material for solar-enabled water evaporation.

| S-EPMC6086617 | biostudies-other

Broadband light absorption enhancement in dye-sensitized solar cells with Au-Ag alloy popcorn nanoparticles.

Project description:In this paper, we present an investigation on the use of Au-Ag alloy popcorn-shaped nanoparticles (NPs) to realise the broadband optical absorption enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Both simulation and experimental results indicate that compared with regular plasmonic NPs, such as nano-spheres, irregular popcorn-shaped alloy NPs exhibit absorption enhancement over a broad wavelength range due to the excitation of localized surface plasmons (LSPs) at different wavelengths. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSCs is enhanced by 16% from 5.26% to 6.09% by incorporating 2.38 wt% Au-Ag alloy popcorn NPs. Moreover, by adding a scattering layer on the exterior of the counter electrode, the popcorn NPs demonstrate an even stronger ability to increase the PCE by 32% from 5.94% to 7.85%, which results from the more efficient excitation of the LSP mode on the popcorn NPs.

| S-EPMC3698494 | biostudies-literature

A durable monolithic polymer foam for efficient solar steam generation.

Project description:Efficient and cost-effective solar steam generation requires self-floating evaporators which can convert light into heat, prevent unnecessary heat loss and greatly accelerate evaporation without solar concentrators. Currently, the most efficient evaporators (efficiency of ?80% under 1 sun) are invariably built from inorganic materials, which are difficult to mold into monolithic sheets. Here, we present a new polymer which can be easily solution processed into a self-floating monolithic foam. The single-component foam can be used as an evaporator with an efficiency at 1 sun comparable to that of the best graphene-based evaporators. Even at 0.5 sun, the efficiency can reach 80%. Moreover, the foam is mechanically strong, thermally stable to 300 °C and chemically resistant to organic solvents.

| S-EPMC5868306 | biostudies-literature

Porous Carbon Nanofoam Derived From Pitch as Solar Receiver for Efficient Solar Steam Generation.

Project description:Photothermal-material-assisted solar-steam generation has recently attracted intensive attention due to its superior evaporation rate with high energy conversion efficiency for desalination. In this work, a simple approach for fabrication of porous carbon nanofoam (PCN) is reported, which is prepared by the carbonization of pitch using a combination of CaCO3 and NaCl templates, Meanwhile, NaCl saturated solution acts as a porogen to produce micropores and mesopores as solar receiver for efficient solar steam generation. The as-prepared PCN shows excellent porosity and mesoporous feature with an average pore size of 26.8 nm. It also shows superior light absorption of 88% and better thermal insulation (thermal conductivity 0.993 W m-1 K-1). Based on these characteristics, the as-prepared PCN can be used as a promising solar receiver. Under 1 sun, 2 sun, and 3 sun irradiation, the PCN-based solar receiver shows high energy conversion efficiencies of 88%, 86%, and 84%, respectively. Taking advantage of the abundant, low-cost, and commercial availability of pitch as well as its simple and cost-effective manufacture method, the PCN-based solar receiver may hold great potential for a broad variety of solar-steam generation applications, for instance, fresh water production, power generation, desalination, and so on.

| S-EPMC7175018 | biostudies-literature

A reconfigurable and magnetically responsive assembly for dynamic solar steam generation.

Project description:Interfacial solar vapor generation is a promising technique to efficiently get fresh water from seawater or effluent. However, for the traditional static evaporation models, further performance improvement has encountered bottlenecks due to the lack of dynamic management and self-regulation on the evolving water movement and phase change in the evaporation process. Here, a reconfigurable and magnetically responsive evaporator with conic arrays is developed through the controllable and reversible assembly of graphene wrapped Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Different from the traditional structure-rigid evaporation architecture, the deformable and dynamic assemblies could reconfigure themselves both at macroscopic and microscopic scales in response to the variable magnetic field. Thus, the internal water transportation and external vapor diffusion are greatly promoted simultaneously, leading to a 23% higher evaporation rate than that of static counterparts. Further, well-designed hierarchical assembly and dynamic evaporation system can boost the evaporation rate to a record high level of 5.9 kg m-2 h-1. This proof-of-concept work demonstrates a new direction for development of high performance water evaporation system with the ability of dynamic reconfiguration and reassembly.

| S-EPMC9329472 | biostudies-literature

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

OmicsDI is an Elixir interoperability service. Learn more ›

OmicsDI Databases

PRIDE
PeptideAtlas
MassIVE
JPOST Repository
Physiome Model Repository

EGA
EVA
ENA
LINCS
PAXDB
Cell Collective

MetaboLights
Metabolomics Workbench
MetabolomeExpress
GNPS
BioModels
FAIRDOMHub

ArrayExpress
dbGaP
ExpressionAtlas
GEO
NODE

Information

Databases
Help
API
Contact us
Code on GitHub
Terms of use
Submit Data