History of Solar Cells and Carbon Nanostructures
1839 - French scientist Alexander Edmund Becquerel first discovered the photovoltaic effect. While experimenting with a solid electrode in an electrolyte solution, Becquerel recognized that when light struck the electrode, a voltage was produced.
1954 - The first practical silicon solar cell was developed by Bell Laboratories. New York Times later wrote that solar cells would provide a source of “limitless energy from the sun.”
1956 - The first solar panels were commercially available to the public. This marked the start of a rapid decrease in cost of solar cells, beginning at a staggering $300 for a one watt solar panel.
1960 - Roger Bacon discovers a hollow, tubular carbon fiber with layers of graphite.
1973 - The Oil Crisis impacts much of the Western world, pushing interest towards solar energy. Exxon begins research to refine solar technology
1993 - Physicists Sumio Iijima and Donald Bethune discover individual single walled carbon nanotubes. This was considered a breakthrough for the field of nanotechnology.
2010 - Zhongrui Li successfully developed the first CNT solar cell.