Light can be turned into energy in dim conditions by the glass-like shells of diatoms
The glass-like shells of diatoms help them perform photosynthesis in dim conditions, according to a new study
Improved solar cells, sensing devices, and optical components and how these phytoplankton harvest and interact with light.
we developed could pave the way towards mass-manufacturable, sustainable optical devices and more efficient light harvesting tools that are based on diatom shells.
They have varying sizes, configurations, and color patterns, but they all have a similar characteristic: small holes that act like solar cells
Optics Express, reported that they have created a new class of "metasurface" optical materials in which an ordinary silicon chip is turned into a new kind of
Diatoms are beautiful and unique plants.
They studied how different parts of the shell, or frustule, responded to light and how this response was connected to photosynthesis
Based on our findings, we estimate that the frustule can contribute a 9.83 percent boost to photosynthesis, especially during transitions from high to low sunlight
For millions of years, diatoms have evolved to survive in aquatic environments. This includes their shell, which is made up of many regions that work together to harvest sunlight
The architecture of the frustule was using four high-resolution microscopy techniques, including scanning near-field optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy etc
The researchers looked at how different colors of sunlight interacted with the structures and identified three primary solar harvesting mechanisms
The approach allowed them to combine the different optical aspects of the frustule and show how they work together to aid photosynthesis