A layer of gold nanodots on the surface of indium-tin oxide (ITO) coated glass may improve the efficiency of organic photovoltaic cells, according to new research published in the journal, Gold Bulletin. The paper, written by an international team from France and Denmark, explains how a discontinuous film of gold nanodots just 0.5nm thick is sufficient to generate the performance improvement.

Gold demand in the third quarter of 2011 reached 1,053.9 tonnes, an increase of 6% compared to the same period last year. This equates to US$57.7bn, an all-time high in value terms.