New plastic material begins to oscillate spontaneously in sunlight

The researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology and the Humboldt University in Berlin present this material ­– the first that moves spontaneously under the influence of daylight. According to the researchers, this pliable plastic is suitable as a self-cleaning surface, for example for solar cells.

Materials that move all by themselves under the influence of light – this phenomenon has been known for a number of years. However, since the source tends to be ultraviolet light, the required intensity can damage the material. The challenge was to find a material that behaves in this way in visible light, preferably unprocessed sunlight. The researchers from Eindhoven and Berlin have now succeeded in producing a thin polymer layer containing light-sensitive molecules (azo-dyes). Lying in sunlight, the thin film begins to oscillate spontaneously and irregularly.

One of the main possibilities for using the material is as a self-cleaning surface. A surface that vibrates in the sun makes it difficult for sand and dust to stick to it. Self-cleaning solar panels in the desert where there are no water supplies could be an option. But the researchers believe there is a whole range of other possible applications.

Read more at Eindhoven University of Technology

Image Credit: Eindhoven University of Technology

-jk-