Tin Replaces Lead in Promising Solar Cell
EVANSTON, Ill., May 12, 2014 — A new solar cell promises enhanced efficiency and a smaller environmental footprint. The new cell, developed by a team from Northwestern University, uses a perovskite structure composed of tin instead of the traditional lead as the light-absorbing material. It is a low-cost, easily manufactured, environmentally friendly solar cell. “Solar energy is free and is the only energy that is sustainable forever,” said lead researcher Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, an inorganic chemist