Low-Cost Counter-Electrode Materials for Dye-Sensitized and Perovskite Solar Cells

Electrochemical Doping of Halide Perovskites with Silver Interstitial Ions: Mechanistic Insights and Enhanced Performance in Memristor Applications

Halide perovskites have garnered significant attention for their exceptional carrier mobility, balanced bipolar transport properties, and ion-electron mixing conductivity, making them highly promising for applications, such as solar cells, photodetectors, and memristors. Despite their potential, intrinsic ions and defects within these materials complicate effective doping, and interactions between metal electrodes and perovskite materials can trigger interfacial chemical reactions that compromise device stability and performance. This study examines the influence of Ag electrodes on perovskite devices, specifically investigating the n-doping effects of Agi+ interstitial ions in MAPbI3 perovskites through an integrated approach combining first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental analysis. Findings reveal that Agi+ interstitial ions, generated electrochemically at Ag electrodes, penetrate the MAPbI3 structure and migrate under an applied electric field, achieving stable n-doping under controlled bias conditions. Detailed characterization of the doping process was conducted using current density-time (J-t) measurements, electrochemical AC impedance (EIS), TOF-SIMS/XPS depth profiling, and temperature/illumination-dependent studies. Additionally, the memristive behavior of the device, including doping mechanisms and the formation of metallic conductive filaments, was demonstrated, offering insights into its potential applications in advanced electronics. These findings elucidate the physicochemical interactions at metal-perovskite interfaces under bias in diode devices.

22.1% Carbon-Electrode Perovskite Solar Cells by Spontaneous Passivation and Self-Assembly of Hole-Transport Bilayer

Low-temperature printable carbon-electrode perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) promise commercially scalable and stable low-cost photovoltaic solutions. However, they suffer from low efficiency due to severe performance losses at the perovskite and carbon interface. Here, we propose a spontaneous interface assembly and passivation strategy based on a P3HT/NiOx hole-transport bilayer by introducing quaternary ammonium bromide surfactants into NiOx nanoparticles, and reveal the significant influences from their alkyl chains. Experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that hexyl trimethylammonium bromide (HTAB), with its optimal alkyl chain length, not only ensures the improved monodispersity and film quality of NiOx nanoparticles but also matches and interacts strongly with P3HT side chains, significantly enhancing the molecular orientation of P3HT for superior electronic contact and efficient hole transport between P3HT and HTAB-NiOx. In addition, the Br- ions in HTAB-NiOx spontaneously diffuse into a perovskite film, passivating uncoordinated Pb2+ or I vacancy defects and inhibiting the formation of metallic Pb0. Eventually, the low-temperature printable C-PSCs and modules achieve the highest reported efficiency of 22.1 and 18.0%, respectively; exhibit excellent stability at 80-90% high humidity without encapsulation; and demonstrate long-term operational stability for 500 h under maximum power point tracking conditions, maintaining 94% of the initial efficiency.

Magnetic Field Modulation Effect of Photoelectric Properties in Dye-sensitized Solar Cells with La0.67(Ca,Ba)0.33MnO3 as Counter Electrodes

BACKGROUND

In recent years, many semiconductor materials with unique band structures have been used and also pursued patent protection as Pt counter electrode (CE) substitutes for dyesensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which makes the photoelectric properties of DSSCs possible to be modulated by electric field, magnetic field, and light field. In this work, La0.67(Ca,Ba)0.33MnO3 (LCBMO) thin film is employed to act as CE in DSSCs.

METHODS

The experimental results indicate that short-circuit current density and photoelectric conversion efficiency present better stability when applying an external magnetic field to the DSSCs. Furthermore, both the exchange current density (J0) and limit diffusion current density (Jlim) are largely enhanced by an external magnetic field. J0 increases from -0.51 mA·cm-2 to -0.65 mA·cm-2, and Jlim increases from 0.2 mA·cm-2 to 0.3 mA·cm-2 when applying a magnetic field of 0.25 T.

RESULTS

The fitting results of the impedance test verify that the magnetic field reduces the value of Rct.

CONCLUSION

Both magnetic-field enhancing catalytic activity and CMR effect jointly promote the increase of photocurrent and finally improve the photovoltaic effect in DSSCs.

Enhancing Performance and Stability of p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cells with Ag-Cu Codeposited Alloy Electrodes

In the development of back electrodes for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the major challenges are stability and cost. To address this, we present an innovative approach: Simultaneous evaporation of two independently controlled sources of metal materials was performed to achieve a uniform distribution of the alloy electrodes. In this study, Ag-Cu alloys (the molar ratio of Ag/Cu is 7/3) with a high-index crystal face (111) and a work function matching perovskite were prepared using a codeposition technique. These properties mitigate nonradiative carrier recombination at the interface and reduce the energy barrier for carrier migration. Consequently, compared to Ag based PSCs (22.77%), the implementation of Ag-Cu alloy (Ag/Cu is 7/3)-based PSCs resulted in a power conversion efficiency of 23.72%. In a 1500 h tracking test in ambient air, the Ag-Cu alloy (Ag/Cu is 7/3)-based PSCs maintained their initial efficiency of 86%. This can be attributed to almost no migration of elements from the Ag-Cu alloy electrode to the perovskite layer. Our work presents a vital strategy for improving the stability of PSCs and reducing the costs associated with the back electrode in PSCs.

Iron-doping and facet engineering of NiSe octahedron for synergistically enhanced triiodide reduction activity in photovoltaics

Reasonable design of cost-effective counter electrode (CE) catalysts for triiodide (I3-) reduction reaction (IRR) by simultaneously combining heteroatom doping and facet engineering is highly desired in iodine-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), but really challenging. Herein, the density function theory (DFT) calculations were first conducted to demonstrate that the Fe-doped NiSe (111) showed an appropriate adsorption energy for I3-, increased number of metal active sites, reinforced charge-transfer ability, and strong interaction between 3d states of metal sites and 5p state of I1 atoms in I3-, compared to NiSe (111). Based on this finding, the well-defined Fe-NiSe octahedron with exposed (111) plane (marked as Fe-NiSe (111)) and NiSe octahedron with the same exposed plane (named as NiSe (111)) are controllably synthesized. When the as-prepared Fe-NiSe (111) and NiSe (111) worked as CE catalysts, Fe-NiSe (111) exhibits improved electrochemical performance with higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) than NiSe (111), providing new opportunity to replace precious Pt for DSSCs.

Phase Engineering of Nanomaterials: Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Crystal phase, a critical structural characteristic beyond the morphology, size, dimension, facet, etc., determines the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials. As a group of layered nanomaterials with polymorphs, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted intensive research attention due to their phase-dependent properties. Therefore, great efforts have been devoted to the phase engineering of TMDs to synthesize TMDs with controlled phases, especially unconventional/metastable phases, for various applications in electronics, optoelectronics, catalysis, biomedicine, energy storage and conversion, and ferroelectrics. Considering the significant progress in the synthesis and applications of TMDs, we believe that a comprehensive review on the phase engineering of TMDs is critical to promote their fundamental studies and practical applications. This Review aims to provide a comprehensive introduction and discussion on the crystal structures, synthetic strategies, and phase-dependent properties and applications of TMDs. Finally, our perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in phase engineering of TMDs will also be discussed.

In situ grown Bi2WO6@CoMoO4 layered cladding structure on carbon nanofibers by a two-step solvothermal method and Ti mesh substrate as advanced counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Based on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with excellent electrical conductivity, a three-layer cladding structure CNFs@Bi2WO6@CoMoO4 material was prepared by a two-step solvothermal method, which effectively combines the great catalytic ability of transition metal oxides with the good conductivity of CNFs. Titanium (Ti) mesh was used as the conductive substrate and CNFs@Bi2WO6@CoMoO4 was scraped on it to prepare paired counter electrodes (CEs), and then dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were assembled by unifying with photoanode and iodine electrolyte. The photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.41% (with Voc of 0.784 V, Jsc of 17.90 mA cm-2 and FF of 0.72) was obtained under standard light conditions (AM 1.5 G). In brief, this study found a cheaper and better alternative material for Pt and also provides more possibilities for the selection of conductive substrate for CEs.

Interfacial Property Tuning Enables Copper Electrodes in High-Performance n-i-p Perovskite Solar Cells

Developing cost-effective metal electrodes is essential for reducing the overall cost of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Although copper is highly conductive and economical, it is rarely used as a positive electrode in efficient n-i-p PSCs due to its unmatched Fermi level and low oxidation threshold. We report herein that modification for the inner surface of electrodes using mercaptopyridine-based molecules readily tunes the electronic and chemical properties of copper, which has been achieved by fine-tuning the substituents of mercaptopyridines. The systematic adjustment for the Fermi level and oxidation potential of copper facilitates interfacial hole extraction and enhances the oxidation resistance of copper electrodes, which enables pure copper electrodes to be used in high-performance n-i-p PSCs with different hole transport materials. The resulting PSCs with copper electrodes display excellent power conversion efficiency and long-term stability, even comparable to those of the gold electrodes, showing great potential in the manufacturing and commercialization of PSCs.

Fully printed and self-compensated bioresorbable electrochemical devices based on galvanic coupling for continuous glucose monitoring

Real-time glucose monitoring conventionally involves non-bioresorbable semi-implantable glucose sensors, causing infection and pain during removal. Despite bioresorbable electronics serves as excellent alternatives, the bioresorbable sensor dissolves in aqueous environments with interferential biomolecules. Here, the theories to achieve stable electrode potential and accurate electrochemical detection using bioresorbable materials have been proposed, resulting in a fully printed bioresorbable electrochemical device. The adverse effect caused by material degradation has been overcome by a molybdenum-tungsten reference electrode that offers stable potential through galvanic-coupling and self-compensation modules. In vitro and in vivo glucose monitoring has been conducted for 7 and 5 days, respectively, followed by full degradation within 2 months. The device offers a glucose detection range of 0 to 25 millimolars and a sensitivity of 0.2458 microamperes per millimolar with anti-interference capability and biocompatibility, indicating the possibility of mass manufacturing high-performance bioresorbable electrochemical devices using printing and low-temperature water-sintering techniques. The mechanisms may be implemented developing more comprehensive bioresorbable sensors for chronic diseases.

Citric acid modified semi-embedded silver nanowires/colorless polyimide transparent conductive substrates for efficient flexible perovskite solar cells

Flexible solar cells, with the merits of structure compactness and shape transformation, are promising power sources for future electronic devices. However, frangible indium tin oxide-based transparent conductive substrates severely limit the flexibility of solar cells. Herein, we develop a flexible transparent conductive substrate of silver nanowires semi-embedded in colorless polyimide (denoted as AgNWs/cPI) via a simple and effective substrate transfer method. A homogeneous and well-connected AgNW conductive network can be constructed through modulating the silver nanowire suspension with citric acid. As a result, the prepared AgNWs/cPI shows low sheet resistance of about 21.3 ohm sq.-1, high transmittance at 550 nm of 94%, and smooth morphology with the peak-to-valley roughness value of 6.5 nm. The perovskite solar cells (PSCs) on AgNWs/cPI exhibit power conversion efficiency of 14.98% with negligible hysteresis. Moreover, the fabricated PSCs maintain nearly 90% initial efficiency after bending for 2000 cycles. This study sheds light on the importance of suspension modification for the distribution and connection of AgNWs and paves a way for the development of high-performance flexible PSCs for practical applications.

Efficient Self-Powered Overall Water Splitting by Ni4 Mo/MoO2 Heterogeneous Nanorods Trifunctional Electrocatalysts

The exploration of cost-effective multifunctional electrodes with high activity toward energy storage and conversion systems, such as self-powered alkaline water electrolysis, is very meaningful, although studies remain quite limited. Herein, a heterogeneous nickel-molybdenum (NiMo)-based electrode is fabricated for the first time as a trifunctional electrode for asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC), hydrogen evolution reaction, and oxygen evolution reaction. The trifunctional electrode consists of Ni₄ Mo and MoO₂ (denoted Ni₄ Mo/MoO₂ ) with hierarchical nanorod heterostructure and abundant heterogeneous nanointerfaces creating sufficient active sites and efficient charge transfer for achieving high performance self-power electrochemical devices. The ASC consists of the as-prepared Ni₄ Mo/MoO₂ positive electrode, showing a broad potential window of 1.6 V, and a maximum energy density of 115.6 Wh kg^-1 , while the alkaline overall water splitting (OWS) assembled using the as-prepared Ni₄ Mo/MoO₂ as bifunctional catalysts only requires a low cell voltage of 1.48 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 in aqueous alkaline electrolyte. Finally, by integrating the Ni₄ Mo/MoO₂ -based ASC and OWS devices, an aqueous self-powered OWS is assembled, which self-power the OWS to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, verifying great potential of the as-prepared Ni₄ Mo/MoO₂ for sustainable and renewable energy storage and conversion system.

A Molecularly Tailored Photosensitizer with an Efficiency of 13.2% for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Photosensitizers yielding superior photocurrents are crucial for copper-electrolyte-based highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Herein, two molecularly tailored organic sensitizers are presented, coded ZS4 and ZS5, through judiciously employing dithieno[3,2-b:2″,3″-d]pyrrole (DTP) as the π-linker and hexyloxy-substituted diphenylquinoxaline (HPQ) or naphthalene-fused-quinoxaline (NFQ) as the auxiliary electron-accepting unit, respectively. Endowed with the HPQ acceptor, ZS4 shows more efficient electron injection and charge collection based on substantially reduced interfacial charge recombination as compared to ZS5. As a result, ZS4-based DSCs achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.2% under standard AM1.5G sunlight, with a high short-circuit photocurrent density (J_sc ) of 16.3 mA cm^-2 , an open-circuit voltage (V_oc ) of 1.05 V and a fill factor (FF) of 77.1%. Remarkably, DSCs sensitized with ZS4 exhibit an outstanding stability, retaining 95% of their initial PCE under continuous light soaking for 1000 h. It is believed that this is a new record efficiency reported so far for copper-electrolyte-based DSCs using a single sensitizer. The work highlights the importance of developing molecularly tailored photosensitizers for highly efficient DSCs with copper electrolyte.

Designing and Theoretical Study of Dibenzocarbazole Derivatives Based Hole Transport Materials: Application for Perovskite Solar Cells

Hole-transporting materials (HTMs) are essentials in producing the efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this article, we provided the investigation results of electronic structures and photophysical characteristics of eight designed derivatives (HTM1a-HTM4a and HTM1b-HTM4b) of a dibenzocarbazole-based compound HTMR. HTMR was modified by substituting the terminal groups located on the diphenylamine moieties with two and four electron donor groups (ED1-ED4) of different character. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) have been used to optimize the geometry of the ground state and for excited state calculations, respectively. The nature and number of electron donor substitutions on the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), ionization potential (IP), electronic affinity (AE), maximum absorption wavelengths ([Formula: see text], solubility ([Formula: see text], stability (η), exciton binding energy ([Formula: see text], reorganization energies ([Formula: see text] and charge mobility (k) are examined and discussed in detail. On this basis, the features such as proper HOMO levels (-5.464 and -4.745 eV), comparable hole mobilities ([Formula: see text] (4.632 × 10¹³ and 1.177 × 10¹⁴ s^-1), a significant [Formula: see text] (367.13 and 398.27 nm), and high η (1.440 and 1.667 eV) have made these structures suitable hole transport materials (HTMs) to provide perovskite solar cells with a high efficiency.

Lamination methods for the fabrication of perovskite and organic photovoltaics

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown rapid progress in a decade of extensive research and development, aiming now towards commercialization. However, the development of more facile, reliable, and reproducible manufacturing techniques will be essential for industrial production. Many lamination methods have been initially designed for organic photovoltaics (OPVs), which are conceptually similar to PSCs. Lamination could provide a low-cost and adaptable technique for the roll-to-roll production of solar cells. This review presents an overview of lamination methods for the fabrication of PSCs and OPVs. The lamination of different electrodes consisting of various materials such as metal back contacts, photoactive layers, hole transport layers (HTLs), and electron transport layers (ETLs) is discussed. The efficiency and stability of the laminated devices are also presented. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of laminated solar cells are discussed.

Selenylation to charge transfer improvement at the counter electrode (CE)/electrolyte interface for nanocrystalline Cu1.8S1-xSex CEs

Pt counter electrodes (CEs) have been widely used in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to their high conductivity and electrocatalytic activity. However, industrialization of DSSCs is limited by shortcomings of Pt CEs such as being expensive, and weak corrosion resistance in electrolytes. Reported in this paper is two simple approaches to Pt-free Cu_1.8S_1-xSe_x CEs. Nanocrystalline Cu_1.8S_1-xSe_x CEs were fabricated via two processes, that is, a solvothermal process to Cu_1.8S_1-xSe_x powder followed by CE fabrication, and a solvothermal process and CE fabrication to Cu_1.8S films followed by selenylation to Cu_1.8S_1-xSe_x CEs. Photoelectric conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 4.02% and 4.16% were achieved respectively by the as-fabricated Cu_1.8S_1-xSe_x CEs. Compared with the cells with Cu_1.8S CEs fabricated by the same processes, increases of 19% and 45% were achieved, respectively. The PCE improvement comes from the enhancement of charge transfer at the CE/electrolyte interface induced by the selenylation of the CEs.

Composition, Morphology, and Interface Engineering of 3D Cauliflower-Like Porous Carbon-Wrapped Metal Chalcogenides as Advanced Electrocatalysts for Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

Designing a low-cost, highly efficient, and stable electrocatalyst that can synergistically speed up the reduction of polysulfide electrolytes while operative for long periods in the open air is critical for the practical application of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs), but it remains a challenging task. Herein, a simple, straightforward, and two-step nanocomposite engineering approach that simultaneously combines metallic copper chalcogenides (MC) either Cu_{2- x} S or Cu_{2- x} Se with S, N dual-doped carbon (SNC) sources for devising high-quality counter electrode (CE) film are reported. First, the hierarchically assembled MC nanostructures are obtained using microwave-assisted synthesis. Second, these MCs are embedded within an ordered macro-meso-microporous carbon matrix to obtain Cu_{2- x} S@C or Cu_{2- x} SeS@C CE. These CEs are demonstrated to have composition dependents crystal structure, surface morphologies, photovoltaic performance, and electrochemical properties. In terms of power conversion efficiency (PCE), the Cu_{2- x} SeS@C (9.89%) and Cu_{2- x} S@C-CE (8.96%) constructed QDSSCs outperform both Cu_{2- x} Se (8.96%) and Cu_{2- x} S-constructed (7.79%) QDSSCs, respectively. The enhanced PCE could be attributed to the synergistic interaction of S and N dopants with MC interfaces that can not only enrich electric conductivity, and a higher surface-to-volume ratio but also offers a 3D network for superior charge transport at the interface.

The Complex Degradation Mechanism of Copper Electrodes on Lead Halide Perovskites

Lead halide perovskite solar cells have reached power conversion efficiencies during the past few years that rival those of crystalline silicon solar cells, and there is a concentrated effort to commercialize them. The use of gold electrodes, the current standard, is prohibitively costly for commercial application. Copper is a promising low-cost electrode material that has shown good stability in perovskite solar cells with selective contacts. Furthermore, it has the potential to be self-passivating through the formation of CuI, a copper salt which is also used as a hole selective material. Based on these opportunities, we investigated the interface reactions between lead halide perovskites and copper in this work. Specifically, copper was deposited on the perovskite surface, and the reactions were followed in detail using synchrotron-based and in-house photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show a rich interfacial chemistry with reactions starting upon deposition and, with the exposure to oxygen and moisture, progress over many weeks, resulting in significant degradation of both the copper and the perovskite. The degradation results not only in the formation of CuI, as expected, but also in the formation of two previously unreported degradation products. The hope is that a deeper understanding of these processes will aid in the design of corrosion-resistant copper-based electrodes.

Designing Multifunctional Co and Fe Co-Doped MoS2 Nanocube Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Perovskite Solar Cells, and a Supercapacitor

In the present study, three types of specific solid, core-shell, and hollow structured cobalt and iron co-doped MoS2 nanocubes (denoted as s-Co-Fe-MoS x , c-Co-Fe-MoS x , and h-Co-Fe-MoS x ) are controllably synthesized for the first time by regulating the reactant mass ratios. The prepared Co-Fe-MoS x nanocubes can function as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells (DSCs and PSCs) and a working electrode in a supercapacitor. In the DSC system, the c-Co-Fe-MoS x nanocubes exhibit the maximum catalytic activity to the Co3+/2+ redox couple regeneration, and the device achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.69%, significantly higher than the devices using s-Co-Fe-MoS x (6.61%) and h-Co-Fe-MoS x (7.63%) counter electrodes. Similarly, all of the prepared Co-Fe-MoS x nanocubes show decent activity in PSCs and the device using the c-Co-Fe-MoS x counter electrode achieves the highest PCE of 6.88%. It is worth noting that, as the supercapacitor working electrode, the h-Co-Fe-MoS x exhibits a specific capacitance of 85.4 F g-1, significantly higher than the parallel values achieved by the s-Co-Fe-MoS x and c-Co-Fe-MoS x electrodes under identical conditions.

Recent Advances on Pt-Free Electro-Catalysts for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Since Prof. Grätzel and co-workers achieved breakthrough progress on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) in 1991, DSSCs have been extensively investigated and wildly developed as a potential renewable power source in the last two decades due to their low cost, low energy-intensive processing, and high roll-to-roll compatibility. During this period, the highest efficiency recorded for DSSC under ideal solar light (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2) has increased from ~7% to ~14.3%. For the practical use of solar cells, the performance of photovoltaic devices in several conditions with weak light irradiation (e.g., indoor) or various light incident angles are also an important item. Accordingly, DSSCs exhibit high competitiveness in solar cell markets because their performances are less affected by the light intensity and are less sensitive to the light incident angle. However, the most used catalyst in the counter electrode (CE) of a typical DSSC is platinum (Pt), which is an expensive noble metal and is rare on earth. To further reduce the cost of the fabrication of DSSCs on the industrial scale, it is better to develop Pt-free electro-catalysts for the CEs of DSSCs, such as transition metallic compounds, conducting polymers, carbonaceous materials, and their composites. In this article, we will provide a short review on the Pt-free electro-catalyst CEs of DSSCs with superior cell compared to Pt CEs; additionally, those selected reports were published within the past 5 years.

A p-p+ Homojunction-Enhanced Hole Transfer in Inverted Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have triggered a research trend in solar energy devices in view of their high power conversion efficiency and ease of fabrication. However, more delicate strategies are still required to suppress carrier recombination at charge transfer interfaces, which is the necessary path to high-efficiency solar cells. Here, a p-p⁺ homojunction was constructed on basis of NiO film to enhance hole transfer in an inverted planar perovskite solar cell. The homojunction was generated by fabricating a NiO/Cu:NiO bilayer film. The density functional theory calculation demonstrated the charge density difference in the two layers, which could generate a space charge region and a band bending at the junction, and the result was further proved by energy level structure analysis of NiO and Cu:NiO films. The designed homojunction could accelerate the hole transfer and inhibit carrier recombination at the interface between hole transfer layer and perovskite layer. Finally, the inverted planar perovskite solar cell with p-p⁺ homojunction showed an efficiency of 18.30 % and a high fill factor of 0.81, which were much higher than the counterpart of the PSCs individually using NiO or Cu:NiO as hole transfer layer. This work developed a new structure of hole transport layer to enhance the performance of PSCs, and also provided new ideas for design of charge transfer films.

Photoanodes for Aqueous Solar Cells: Exploring Additives and Formulations Starting from a Commercial TiO2 Paste

Whereas the commercialization of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is finally proceeding taking advantage of their low cost and tunable optical features, such as colour and transparency for both indoor and building-integrated applications, the corresponding aqueous counterpart is still at its infancy. As the TiO₂ electrode is a fundamental component for hybrid solar cells, this work investigates the effect of different molecular (α-terpineol, propylene carbonate) and polymeric (polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, carboxymethyl cellulose and xanthan gum) additives that can be introduced into a commercial TiO₂ paste for for screen-printing (or doctor blade). Among all, the addition of polyethylene glycol leads to the best cell performances, with markedly increased short-circuit current density (+18 %) and power conversion efficiency (+48 %) with respect to the pristine (commercial) counterpart. When further explored at different concentration levels, electrodes fabricated from polyethylene glycol-based pastes show different morphologies, thicknesses and performances, which are investigated through (photo)electrochemical, structural, physical-chemical and microscopic techniques.

Fractional structured molybdenum oxide catalyst as counter electrodes of all-solid-state fiber dye-sensitized solar cells

A novel hierarchical solution-processed fractional structured molybdenum oxide (MoO₃) catalyst is fabricated from tricarbonyltris (propionitrile) molybdenum and used as the counter electrode of all-solid-state fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cells (S-FDSSC). The Tafel plot results and electrical impedance spectroscopy suggest that the use of the fractional structured MoO₃ catalyst enhances the efficiency of the reduction of I₃^- to 3I^- at the counter electrode/electrolyte interface. Because of the improvements of the short-current circuit and fill factor, the power conversion efficiency of the MoO₃-modified S-FDSSC improves by 60% compared with that of the reference S-FDSSC. In addition, because of the robust fractional structure of MoO₃, the MoO₃-modified S-FDSSC maintains 90% and 95% of efficiency after 350-fold bending and the incident light angle dependency test, respectively. At 65% humidity and at 65 °C, the power conversion efficiency of the MoO₃-modified device decreases by <20% after 350 h of storage, while that of the reference device drops by more than 70%.

Highly Active Carbon-Based Electrocatalysts for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: A Brief Review

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional silicon-based solar cells due to their relatively high conversion efficiency, low cost, flexibility, and environmentally benign fabrication processes. In DSSCs, platinum (Pt)-based materials used as the counter electrode (CE) exhibit the superior catalytic ability toward the reduction reaction of triiodide ions, which are attributed to their excellent catalytic activity and high electrical conductivity. However, Pt-based materials with high cost and limited supply hinder them from mass production. Developing highly active and stable CE materials without noble metals has been a persistent challenge for the practical application in DSSCs. Recently, a number of earth-abundant catalysts, especially carbon-based materials, display high activity, low cost, and good stability that render them attractive candidates to replace Pt in DSSCs. Herein, we will briefly review recent progress on carbon-based electrocatalysts as CEs in DSSC applications. The strategies of improving the catalytic activity of carbon-based materials such as structural engineering and/or heteroatom doping will be introduced. The active sites toward the reduction reaction of triiodide ions summarized from experimental results or theoretical calculation will also be discussed. Finally, the futuristic prospects and challenges of carbon-based electrocatalysts as CEs in DSSCs will be briefly mentioned.

Progress of MOF-Derived Functional Materials Toward Industrialization in Solar Cells and Metal-Air Batteries

The cutting-edge photovoltaic cells are an indispensable part of the ongoing progress of earth-friendly plans for daily life energy consumption. However, the continuous electrical demand that extends to the nighttime requires a prior deployment of efficient real-time storage systems. In this regard, metal-air batteries have presented themselves as the most suitable candidates for solar energy storage, combining extra lightweight with higher power outputs and promises of longer life cycles. Scientific research over non-precious functional catalysts has always been the milestone and still contributing significantly to exploring new advanced materials and moderating the cost of both complementary technologies. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived functional materials have found their way to the application as storage and conversion materials, owing to their structural variety, porous advantages, as well as the tunability and high reactivity. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the latest progress of MOF-based materials operating in metal-air batteries and photovoltaic cells.

Degradation Mechanism of Silver Metal Deposited on Lead Halide Perovskites

Lead halide perovskite solar cells have significantly increased in both efficiency and stability over the last decade. An important aspect of their long-term stability is the reaction between the perovskite and other materials in the solar cell. This includes the contact materials and their degradation if they can potentially come into contact through, e.g., pinholes or material diffusion and migration. Here, we explore the interactions of silver contacts with lead halide perovskites of different compositions by using a model system where thermally evaporated silver was deposited directly on the surface of the perovskites. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with support from scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, we studied the film formation and degradation of silver on perovskites with different compositions. The deposited silver does not form a continuous silver film but instead tends to form particles on a bare perovskite surface. These particles are initially metallic in character but degrade into AgI and AgBr over time. The degradation and migration appear unaffected by the replacement of methylammonium with cesium but are significantly slowed down by the complete replacement of iodide with bromide. The direct contact between silver and the perovskite also significantly accelerates the degradation of the perovskite, with a significant loss of organic cations and the possible formation of PbO, and, at the same time, changed the surface morphology of the iodide-rich perovskite interface. Our results further indicate that an important degradation pathway occurred through gas-phase perovskite degradation products. This highlights the importance of control over the interface materials and the use of completely hermetical barrier layers for the long-term stability and therefore the commercial viability of silver electrodes.