An Integrated “Energy Wire” for both Photoelectric Conversion and Energy Storage

Light my wire: Aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers are wrapped around a TiO2 nanowire that is several centimeters long. Treating the ends of the nanotube wire with a light-sensitive dye and an electrolyte, creates photoelectric-conversion and energy-storage regions in the same device (see scheme). The “wire” shows a high overall photoelectric conversion and storage efficiency of 1.5 %.