Melbourne (PTI): Researchers in Australia have produced highly efficient miniature crystals -- a breakthrough which they claim can soon revolutionise the way people harvest and use solar energy.

Lead researcher Professor Max Lu from the University of Queensland said they were one step closer to the holy grail of cost-effective solar energy with their discovery.

"We have grown the world's first titanium oxide single crystals with large amounts of reactive surfaces, something that's predicted as almost impossible. Highly active surfaces in such crystals allow high reactivity, efficiency in devices used for solar energy conversion and hydrogen production.

"Titania nano-crystals are promising materials for cost-effective solar cells, hydrogen production from splitting water, and solar decontamination of pollutants.

"The beauty of our technique is that it is very simple and cheap to make such materials at mild conditions. Now that the research has elucidated the conditions required, the method is like cooking in an oven and the crystals can be applied like paints," the 'Nature' quoted Lu as saying.

According to the researchers, it is not just renewable energy where this research could be applied. "These crystals are also fantastic for purifying air and water. The same principle for such materials to convert sunlight to electricity is working to break down pollutants in water and air. One could paint these crystals onto a window or a wall to purify the air in a room," Lu said.

Professor Lu hoped it would be about five years for the water and air pollution applications to be commercially available, and about five to ten years for the solar energy conversion using such crystals.