Gold particles help generate electricity

Maybe the alchemists failed in their efforts to make gold, but researches today have learnt the ways to produce energy using gold. Shining light on gold nanoparticles, researches at the Nano/Bio Interface Center at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that solar energy could be created. This will change the value of gold in future, making each little nanoparticle of this precious metal, a powerhouse in itself. The guys who brainstormed this research first packed a bunch of light-sensitive gold nanoparticles together on a glass substrate and had them exposed to optical radiation. Electrons freed from the gold particles move along the surface to create surface plasmons which induces electric currents.

Though the amount of energy generated by this process is minute, optimization of size, shape and the particles orientation will help create enough energy to power nano-circuits in future.

[Inhabitat]