Accidental discoveries are not new to the scientific community. To prove this fact time and again, the researchers at Tel Aviv University who started out to find a cure to Alzheimer’s flipped on to a new revolution in the field of nanotechnology that might just mean better solar power. With the newly invented self-cleaning solar panels, you might never have to worry about keeping them clean.

The team of scientists originally working on ways to control peptide atoms and molecules found in the plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, found a way to get the peptides to self-assemble in a vacuum into tiny tubules. The resultant nanocoating turned out to be dust and water resistant and would be useful for protecting the solar panels. Not just this, the same material could be used as a super-capacitor in lithium batteries which would make them better. Now, I would call that killing two birds with one stone!

While the drug company Merck continues to fund the Alzheimer’s research, another manufacturer approached the scientist panel offering to commercialize this new-found nanotech. So, let’s just wait for it to make solar power more convenient.

Via Discovery News