Carbon dots made from hair boost stability of perovskite solar cells

Over the past decade or so, gains in efficiency have seen perovskite solar cells become a highly promising technology in the realm of renewable energy, quickly coming to match or even outdo the performance of the monocrystalline silicon solar cells widely used today. Holding them back, however, are intrinsic instability issues and a vulnerability to the elements, which has prevented their mainstream adoption. Scientists in Australia believe they may have found a solution to these problems hiding in hair swept up from the floor of a local barbershop.