We all want new kinds of power chargers – items that give our smartphones, laptops and other gear juice in easier and more versatile ways. The old conventional charging cable is a nuisance, and other new alternatives, such as Qi wireless charging, are replacing it, where users can just set a device down on a tray or pad and let it soak up the power.
At the same time, governments and businesses are trying to cut down on fossil fuels, and get renewables to the fore. Now, there is a new material on the horizon that could change the way we view solar power. It's called perovskite, and it's a type of mineral that's common and easy to get hold of.
****
Chinh Pham works for Greenberg Traurig. Pham co-leads the Emerging Technology Practice and is Chair of the firm's nanotechnology practice. He is a registered patent attorney with experience in the strategic creation, implementation and protection of intellectual property rights for high technology and life science clients.
Pham points out that while the tandem solar cells are not yet to the point where they can be more effective than silicon for wearables, down the road, the perovskite-plus-silicon design can have a range of potential applications.