Daniel Nocera and his research team is developing the artificial leaf that harnesses sunlight to generate hydrogen gas, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The next phase of his research is to scale the device down, so that it mimics the behavior of algae and increases the generation of hydrogen. …
MIT researchers advance the state of fiber manufacturing to point of solar enabling
fabrics. …
… “Or the fibers could then be woven, such as to make a solar-cell fabric, he says. Fink says his research group has been working for more than a decade on expanding the kinds of materials and structures that can be incorporated into fibers.” …
MIT researchers advance the state of fiber manufacturing to point of solar enabling fabrics. …
… “Or the fibers could then be woven, such as to make a solar-cell fabric, he says. Fink says his research group has been working for more than a decade on expanding the kinds of materials and structures that can be incorporated into fibers.” …
Carbon nanotubes in antenna form are used to concentrate the sun’s energy more efficiently than a solar panel. …
… “MIT chemical engineers have found a way to concentrate solar energy 100 times more than a regular photovoltaic cell. ” …
Via MIT: Solar Funnel.
Understanding bandgaps and electron flow can enable better solar photovoltaics and light emitting diodes. MIT’s Tonio Buonassisi focuses his research on this space. … 
… "There’s a third category, and that’s where the most interesting stuff happens.
These are materials that have a narrower gap between the two bands, and they are called semiconductors. " …