Here’s a new addition to the list of sustainable building materials: solar paint. Researchers have just developed a paint that, like solar panels, can absorb energy from the sun, and can possibly generate power.
This solar paint uses solar energy and moisture from the air and breaks it down into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be used as an alternative to fossil fuel.
To create this solar paint, the researchers put together synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, a compound that acts like silica gel in that it absorbs water vapor from the air, and titanium oxide, which is already often found in paint.
With this, the paint can be used to convert almost any surface into an energy-harvesting and fuel-producing space. While this paint is still not available in the market, it’s definitely something to be excited about. While we wait, we can stick to solar panel roof tiles, blinds, and glass—or even just air-cleaning paint.
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Writer: PAULINE MIRANDA
