http://scitechnews.co.uk/solar/biomass-breakthrough-creates-solar-cells-from-shrimp-shells/

Biomass breakthrough creates solar cells from shrimp shells

Shrimp shells contain the materials chitin and chitosan, which can be carbonised to create nanostructured solar cells

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have successfully created electricity-generating solar-cells with chemicals found the shells of shrimps and other crustaceans for the first time.

The process, which makes nanostructured solar cells from the widely and cheaply available chemicals found in crustacean shells, could be scaled up to be used in chargers for tablets, phones and smartwatches and to form semi-transparent solar films over windows. “This could be a great new way to make these versatile, quick and easy to produce solar cells from readily available, sustainable materials,” said one of the project’s researchers Dr Joe Briscoe. “Once we’ve improved their efficiency they could be used anywhere that solar cells are used now, particularly to charge the kinds of devices people carry with them every day.” The researchers used a process known as hydrothermal carbonisation to create carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from the shells. They then coat standard zinc oxide nanorods with the CQDs to make the solar cells.  Read more here

[blushes and shuffles his feet] i uhh.. was hoping.. we could bake together?..

Sure!