1
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The valance state of vanadium-key factor in the flexibility of potassium vanadates structure as cathode materials in Li-ion batteries. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18751. [PMID: 36335151 PMCID: PMC9637123 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23509-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Potassium hexavanadate (K2V6O16·nH2O) nanobelts have been synthesized by the LPE-IonEx method, which is dedicated to synthesis of transition metal oxide bronzes with controlled morphology and structure. The electrochemical performance of K2V6O16·nH2O as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries has been evaluated. The KVO nanobelts demonstrated a high discharge capacity of 260 mAh g−1, and long-term cyclic stability up to 100 cycles at 1 A g−1. The effect of the vanadium valence state and unusual construction of the nanobelts, composed of crystalline and amorphous domains arranged alternately were also discussed in this work. The ex-situ measurements of discharged electrode materials by XRD, MP-AES, XAS and XPS show that during the subsequent charge/discharge cycle the potassium in the K2V6O16·nH2O structure are replacing by lithium. The structural stability of the potassium hexavandate during cycling depends on the initial vanadium valence state on the sample surface and the presence of the “fringe free” domains in the K2V6O16·nH2O nanobelts.
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2
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Elsayed IA, Afify AS. Controlling the Surface Morphology of ZnO Nano-Thin Film Using the Spin Coating Technique. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:6178. [PMID: 36079559 PMCID: PMC9458145 DOI: 10.3390/ma15176178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films are significant in various electronic applications. This study introduced an efficient, simple, low cost and timesaving method to obtain an extended and uniform ZnO thin film with tunable surface morphology over the substrate using the spin coating technique. Different concentrations of zinc acetate dehydrate were used as precursor solutions mixed with polyvinyl alcohol as a binding polymer to obtain the film's uniformity and to relieve thermal expansion that may cause a wrinkled surface. Synthesized films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ellipsometry. Findings show that the average size of ZnO particles was less than 50 nm in a uniform film over the whole substrate area regardless of the presence or absence of wrinkles. Additionally, this method was quite fast, attaining the desired viscosity in less than one hour in comparison with the time-consuming aging method, which requires approximately 24 h to achieve the required viscosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. A. Elsayed
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta 34517, Egypt
| | - Ahmed S. Afify
- Department of Basic Sciences, The Higher Institute for Engineering, Automotive Technology and Energy, New Heliopolis 11829, Egypt
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3
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Nadolska M, Szkoda M, Trzciński K, Niedziałkowski P, Ryl J, Mielewczyk-Gryń A, Górnicka K, Prześniak-Welenc M. Insight into Potassium Vanadates as Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysts: Synthesis of V(IV)-Rich Nano/Microstructures for the Photodegradation of Methylene Blue. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:9433-9444. [PMID: 35686953 PMCID: PMC9241143 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
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Photocatalysis is
regarded as a promising tool for wastewater remediation.
In recent years, many studies have focused on investigating novel
photocatalysts driven by visible light. In this study, K2V6O16·nH2O
nanobelts and KV3O8 microplatelets were synthesized
and investigated as photocatalysts. Samples were obtained via the
facile method based on liquid-phase exfoliation with ion exchange.
By changing the synthesis temperature (20–80 °C), different
compositions, morphologies, and V4+/V5+ ratios
were obtained and investigated as photocatalysts for organic dye degradation.
Potassium vanadates’ structural, morphological, and optical
properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction(XRD), Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(XPS), Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS), thermogravimetric
analysis (TGA) with mass spectrometry (MS), N2 adsorption,
scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL), and UV–vis
diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Synthesized K2V6O16·nH2O and KV3O8 showed an efficient absorption in the visible
wavelength region with a narrow band gap energy of 1.80 and 1.91 eV,
respectively. Their photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation
of methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar light illumination. The
KV3O8 microplatelets exhibited the greatest
photocatalytic activity, resulting in more than 90% degradation of
the dye within the first 30 min. It is suggested that the observed
excellent photocatalytic performance is attributed to the high content
of V4+ species. Furthermore, the influence of active species
was investigated, and the mechanism responsible for the photodegradation
of the MB dye was discussed for the first time for potassium vanadates. Potassium vanadates were synthesized
via the facile method
based on liquid-phase exfoliation with ion exchange. Different synthesis
temperatures (20−80 °C) resulted in various phase compositions,
morphologies, and V4+/V5+ ratios. The obtained
samples were demonstrated as efficient visible-light driven photocatalysts,
resulting in more than 90% degradation of methylene blue within the
first 30−60 min. The enhanced photoactivity is attributed to
the high content of V4+ species, which are beneficial for
the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes and their lifetime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Nadolska
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Institute of Nanotechnology and Materials Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdansk 80-233, Poland
| | - Mariusz Szkoda
- Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza11/12, Gdansk 80-233, Poland
| | - Konrad Trzciński
- Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza11/12, Gdansk 80-233, Poland
| | - Paweł Niedziałkowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Jacek Ryl
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Institute of Nanotechnology and Materials Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdansk 80-233, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Mielewczyk-Gryń
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Institute of Nanotechnology and Materials Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdansk 80-233, Poland
| | - Karolina Górnicka
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Institute of Nanotechnology and Materials Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdansk 80-233, Poland
| | - Marta Prześniak-Welenc
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Institute of Nanotechnology and Materials Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdansk 80-233, Poland
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4
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Song X, Liu G, Gao W, Di Y, Yang Y, Li F, Zhou S, Zhang J. Manipulation of Zinc Oxide with Zirconium Doping for Efficient Inverted Organic Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2006387. [PMID: 33475246 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202006387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the widely used electron transporting layers (ETLs) for organic solar cells (OSCs). However, low optical transparency along with thickness-sensitivity of ZnO ETL constrains the improvement of photovoltaic performance and large-scale fabrication compatibility. To resolve these issues, zirconium (Zr) doping is applied to tailor the optoelectronic and morphological properties of ZnO layer. This approach not only improves light transmittance with the suppressed parasitic absorption, but also provides an optimized surface morphology for enhancing charge extraction property and reducing potential of charge trap-assisted recombination. By using ZnO:Zr as ETL in inverted device configuration, the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PM6:Y6:PC71 BM solar cell devices is up to 17.2%, which makes an enhancement of 9.55% compared to ZnO-based devices (15.7%). As the thickness of ZnO:Zr ETL increases to ≈60 nm, the presence of the lower parasitic absorption together with uniform surface morphology can help photovoltaic performance maintain above 15%, which is beyond the performance of the pristine ZnO-based device achieving only 11.9%. Such superiority of ZnO:Zr ETL is also validated by a series of well-known BHJ systems, where in comparison with the devices based on pristine ZnO ETL, a better photovoltaic performance from ZnO:Zr device can be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Song
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Center of Micro-Nano Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Guilin Liu
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, No.1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Weilian Gao
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Center of Micro-Nano Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yongyue Di
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Center of Micro-Nano Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yunpeng Yang
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Center of Micro-Nano Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Fei Li
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Center of Micro-Nano Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Shunfeng Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Center of Micro-Nano Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Center of Micro-Nano Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
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Wibowo A, Marsudi MA, Amal MI, Ananda MB, Stephanie R, Ardy H, Diguna LJ. ZnO nanostructured materials for emerging solar cell applications. RSC Adv 2020; 10:42838-42859. [PMID: 35514924 PMCID: PMC9058181 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra07689a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been considered as one of the potential materials in solar cell applications, owing to its relatively high conductivity, electron mobility, stability against photo-corrosion and availability at low-cost. Different structures of ZnO materials have been engineered at the nanoscale, and then applied on the conducting substrate as a photoanode. On the other hand, the ZnO nanomaterials directly grown on the substrate have been attractive due to their unique electron pathways, which suppress the influence of surface states typically found in the former case. Herein, we review the recent progress of ZnO nanostructured materials in emerging solar cell applications, such as sensitized and heterojunction architectures, including those embedded with promising perovskite materials. The remarkable advancement in each solar cell architecture is highlighted towards achieving high power conversion efficiency and operational stability. We also discuss the foremost bottleneck for further improvements and the future outlook for large-scale practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie Wibowo
- Material Science and Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10 Bandung 40132 Indonesia
- Research Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10 Bandung 40132 Indonesia
| | - Maradhana Agung Marsudi
- Material Science and Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10 Bandung 40132 Indonesia
| | - Muhamad Ikhlasul Amal
- Research Center for Metallurgy and Materials, The Indonesian Institute of Sciences Puspitek Serpong Banten 15314 Indonesia
| | - Muhammad Bagas Ananda
- Material Science and Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10 Bandung 40132 Indonesia
| | - Ruth Stephanie
- Material Science and Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10 Bandung 40132 Indonesia
| | - Husaini Ardy
- Material Science and Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10 Bandung 40132 Indonesia
| | - Lina Jaya Diguna
- Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Universitas Prasetiya Mulya Kavling Edutown I.1, Jl. BSD Raya Utama, BSD City Tangerang 15339 Indonesia
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Wei B, Tang Z, Wang S, Qin C, Li C, Ding X, Gao Y, Portier X, Gourbilleau F, Stiévenard D, Xu T. Enhanced photovoltaic performance of inverted polymer solar cells through atomic layer deposited Al 2O 3 passivation of ZnO-nanoparticle buffer layer. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 29:395204. [PMID: 29972683 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aad131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this work, an atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 ultrathin layer was introduced to passivate the ZnO-nanoparticle (NP) buffer layer of inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on P3HT:PCBM. The surface morphology of the ZnO-NP/Al2O3 interface was systematically analyzed by using a variety of tools, in particular transmission electron microscopy (TEM), evidencing a conformal ALD-Al2O3 deposition. The thickness of the Al2O3 layers was optimized at the nanoscale to boost electron transport of the ZnO-NP layer, which can be attributed to the suppression of oxygen vacancy defects in ZnO-NPs confirmed by photoluminescence measurement. The optimal inverted PSCs passivated by ALD-Al2O3 exhibited an ∼22% higher power conversion efficiency than the control devices with a pristine ZnO-NP buffer layer. The employment of the ALD-Al2O3 passivation layer with precisely controlled thickness provides a promising approach to develop high efficiency PSCs with novel polymer materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wei
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Display and System Applications, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China
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7
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Lin H, Long X, Hu J, Qiu Y, Wang Z, Ma M, An Y, Yang S. Exploratory Study of Zn xPbO y Photoelectrodes for Unassisted Overall Solar Water Splitting. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:10918-10926. [PMID: 29578676 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b00421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A complete photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting system requires a photocathode and a photoanode to host water oxidation and reduction reactions, respectively. It is thus important to search for efficient photoelectrodes capable of full water splitting. Herein, we report on an exploratory study of a new photoelectrode family of Zn xPbO y-ZnPbO3 and Zn2PbO4-similarly synthesized by a simple and economical method and shown to be a promising photocathode (p-type semiconductor) and photoanode (n-type semiconductor), respectively. From PEC measurements, the bare ZnPbO3 photocathode achieved a photocurrent density of -0.94 mA/cm2 at 0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), whereas the pristine Zn2PbO4 photoanode delivered a photocurrent density of 0.51 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus RHE. By depositing suitable cocatalysts onto the photoelectrodes established above, we also demonstrated unassisted overall PEC water splitting, a rare case, if any, wherein a single material system is compositionally engineered for either of the photoelectrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Lin
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
| | - Xia Long
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
- Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School , Peking University , Shenzhen 518055 , China
| | - Jue Hu
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
| | - Yongcai Qiu
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
- Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School , Peking University , Shenzhen 518055 , China
| | - Zilong Wang
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
| | - Ming Ma
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
| | - Yiming An
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
| | - Shihe Yang
- Department of Chemistry , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
- Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School , Peking University , Shenzhen 518055 , China
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Park JB, Isik M, Park HJ, Jung IH, Mecerreyes D, Hwang DH. Polystyrene-block-Poly(ionic liquid) Copolymers as Work Function Modifiers in Inverted Organic Photovoltaic Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:4887-4894. [PMID: 29338176 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b17635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Interfacial layers play a critical role in building up the Ohmic contact between electrodes and functional layers in organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells. These layers are based on either inorganic oxides (ZnO and TiO2) or water-soluble organic polymers such as poly[(9,9-dioctyl-2,7-fluorene)-alt-(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)] and polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE). In this work, we have developed a series of novel poly(ionic liquid) nonconjugated block copolymers for improving the performance of inverted OPV cells by using them as work function modifiers of the indium tin oxide (ITO) cathode. Four nonconjugated polyelectrolytes (n-CPEs) based on polystyrene and imidazolium poly(ionic liquid) (PSImCl) were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The ratio of hydrophobic/hydrophilic block copolymers was varied depending on the ratio of polystyrene to the PSImCl block. The ionic density, which controls the work function of the electrode by forming an interfacial dipole between the electrode and the block copolymers, was easily tuned by simply changing the PSImCl molar ratio. The inverted OPV device with the ITO/PS29-b-PSImCl60 cathode achieved the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.55% among the synthesized block copolymers, exhibiting an even higher PCE than that of the reference OPV device with PEIE (7.30%). Furthermore, the surface properties of the block copolymers films were investigated by contact angle measurements to explore the influence of the controlled hydrophobic/hydrophilic characters on the device performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong Baek Park
- Department of Chemistry, and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University , Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea
| | - Mehmet Isik
- POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Joxe Mari Korta Center , Avda. Tolosa, 72, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Hea Jung Park
- Department of Chemistry, and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University , Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea
| | - In Hwan Jung
- Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University , 77 Jeongneung-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - David Mecerreyes
- POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Joxe Mari Korta Center , Avda. Tolosa, 72, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Do-Hoon Hwang
- Department of Chemistry, and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University , Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea
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Ambade SB, Ambade RB, Bagde SS, Eom SH, Mane RS, Shin WS, Lee SH. Low-Temperature Solution-Processed Thiophene-Sulfur-Doped Planar ZnO Nanorods as Electron-Transporting Layers for Enhanced Performance of Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:3831-3841. [PMID: 28029030 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b10843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
1-D ZnO represents a fascinating class of nanostructures that are significant to optoelectronics. In this work, we investigated the use of an eco-friendly, metal free in situ doping through a pure thiophene-sulfur (S) on low temperature processed (<95 °C) and annealed (<170 °C), planar 1-D ZnO nanorods (ZnRs) spin-coated as a hole-blocking and electron transporting layer (ETL) for inverted organic solar cells (iOSCs). The TEM, HRTEM, XPS, FT-IR, EDS and Raman studies clearly reveal that the thiophene-S (Thi-S) atom is incorporated on planar ZnRs. The investigations in electrical properties suggest the enhancement in conductivity after Thi-S doping on 1-D ZnRs. The iOSCs of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT: PC60BM) photoactive layer containing thiophene-S doped planar ZnRs (Thi-S-PZnRs) as ETL exhibits power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.68% under simulated AM 1.5 G, 100 mW cm-2 illumination. The ∼47% enhancement in PCE compared with pristine planar ZnRs (PCE = 2.38%) ETL is attributed to a combination of desirable energy level alignment, morphological modification, increased conductivity and doping effect. The universality of Thi-S-PZnRs ETL is demonstrated by the highest PCE of 8.15% in contrast to 6.50% exhibited by the iOSCs of ZnRs ETL for the photoactive layer comprising of poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophene-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-)-2-carboxylate-2-6-diyl)]: phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7-Th: PCB71M). This enhancement in PCE is observed to be driven mainly through improved photovoltaic parameters like fill factor (ff) as well as photocurrent density (Jsc), which are assigned to increased conductivity, exciton dissociation, and effective charge extraction, while; better ohmic contact, reduced charge recombination, and low leakage current density resulted in increased Voc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapnil B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Rohan B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Sushil S Bagde
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hun Eom
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
- Division of Advanced Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) , 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Rajaram S Mane
- Centre for Nanomaterials & Energy Devices, School of Physical Sciences, SRTM, University , 431606, Nanded, India
| | - Won Suk Shin
- Energy Materials Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology , Daejeon, Korea
| | - Soo-Hyoung Lee
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
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10
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Tran VH, Ambade RB, Ambade SB, Lee SH, Lee IH. Low-Temperature Solution-Processed SnO 2 Nanoparticles as a Cathode Buffer Layer for Inverted Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:1645-1653. [PMID: 27982562 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b10857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
SnO2 recently has attracted particular attention as a powerful buffer layer for organic optoelectronic devices due to its outstanding properties such as high electron mobility, suitable band alignment, and high optical transparency. Here, we report on facile low-temperature solution-processed SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in applications for a cathode buffer layer (CBL) of inverted organic solar cells (iOSCs). The conduction band energy of SnO2 NPs estimated by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy was 4.01 eV, a salient feature that is necessary for an appropriate CBL. Using SnO2 NPs as CBL derived from a 0.1 M precursor concentration, P3HT:PC60BM-based iOSCs showed the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.9%. The iOSC devices using SnO2 NPs as CBL revealed excellent long-term device stabilities, and the PCE was retained at ∼95% of its initial value after 10 weeks in ambient air. These solution-processed SnO2 NPs are considered to be suitable for the low-cost, high throughput roll-to-roll process on a flexible substrate for optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Van-Huong Tran
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering and Research Center of Advanced Materials Development, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Republic of Korea
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Rohan B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Swapnil B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Hyoung Lee
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Hwan Lee
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering and Research Center of Advanced Materials Development, Chonbuk National University , 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Republic of Korea
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11
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Ambade SB, Ambade RB, Bagde SS, Lee SH. Work-Function and Surface Energy Tunable Cyanoacrylic Acid Small-Molecule Derivative Interlayer on Planar ZnO Nanorods for Improved Organic Photovoltaic Performance. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:35270-35280. [PMID: 27976842 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b11865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The issue of work-function and surface energy is fundamental to "decode" the critical inorganic/organic interface in hybrid organic photovoltaics, which influences important photovoltaic events like exciton dissociation, charge transfer, photocurrent (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), etc. We demonstrate that by incorporating an interlayer of cyanoacrylic acid small molecular layer (SML) on solution-processed, spin-coated, planar ZnO nanorods (P-ZnO NRs), higher photovoltaic (PV) performances were achieved in both inverted organic photovoltaic (iOPV) and hybrid organic photovoltaic (HOPV) devices, where ZnO acts as an "electron-transporting layer" and as an "electron acceptor", respectively. For the tuned range of surface energy from 52.5 to 33 mN/m, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) iOPVs based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C60-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) increases from 3.16% to 3.68%, and that based on poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene)-2-carboxylate-2-6-diyl)] (PTB7:Th):[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) photoactive BHJ increases from 6.55% to 8.0%, respectively. The improved PV performance in iOPV devices is majorly attributed to enhanced photocurrents achieved as a result of reduced surface energy and greater electron affinity from the covalent attachment of the strong electron-withdrawing cyano moiety, while that in HOPV devices, where PCE increases from 0.21% to 0.79% for SML-modified devices, is ascribed to a large increase in Voc benefitted due to reduced work function effected from the presence of strong dipole moment in SML that points away from P-ZnO NRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapnil B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Rohan B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Sushil S Bagde
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Hyoung Lee
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University , 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea
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Liu C, Zhang L, Xiao L, Peng X, Cao Y. Doping ZnO with Water/Alcohol-Soluble Small Molecules as Electron Transport Layers for Inverted Polymer Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:28225-28230. [PMID: 27696803 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b10264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
By doping ZnO with porphyrin small molecules (FNEZnP-OE and FNEZnP-T) as cathode electron transport layers (ETLs), the inverted polymer solar cells (i-PSC) with PTB7:PC71BM (PTB7: polythieno[3,4-b]-thiophene-co-benzodithiophene, PC71BM:[6, 6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester) as the active materials exhibit enhanced device performance. While the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs with pure ZnO ETL is 7.52%, that of the devices with FNEZnP-T-doped ZnO ETL shows a slightly improved PCE of 8.09%, and that of the PSCs with FNEZnP-OE-doped ZnO ETL is further enhanced up to 9.24% with an over 20% improvement compared to that with pure ZnO ETL. The better performance is contributed by the better interfacial contact and reduced work function induced by 9,9-bis(30-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorenes and 3,4-bis(2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)-ethoxy)-phenyls in the porphyrin small molecules. More importantly, the PCE is still higher than 8% even when the thickness of FNEZnP-OE-doped ZnO ETL is up to 110 nm, which are important criteria for eventually making organic photovoltaic modules with roll-to-roll coat processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Liangang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xiaobin Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Kang H, Kim G, Kim J, Kwon S, Kim H, Lee K. Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells: Five Core Technologies for Their Commercialization. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2016; 28:7821-7861. [PMID: 27345936 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201601197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The past two decades of vigorous interdisciplinary approaches has seen tremendous breakthroughs in both scientific and technological developments of bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) based on nanocomposites of π-conjugated organic semiconductors. Because of their unique functionalities, the OSC field is expected to enable innovative photovoltaic applications that can be difficult to achieve using traditional inorganic solar cells: OSCs are printable, portable, wearable, disposable, biocompatible, and attachable to curved surfaces. The ultimate objective of this field is to develop cost-effective, stable, and high-performance photovoltaic modules fabricated on large-area flexible plastic substrates via high-volume/throughput roll-to-roll printing processing and thus achieve the practical implementation of OSCs. Recently, intensive research efforts into the development of organic materials, processing techniques, interface engineering, and device architectures have led to a remarkable improvement in power conversion efficiencies, exceeding 11%, which has finally brought OSCs close to commercialization. Current research interests are expanding from academic to industrial viewpoints to improve device stability and compatibility with large-scale printing processes, which must be addressed to realize viable applications. Here, both academic and industrial issues are reviewed by highlighting historically monumental research results and recent state-of-the-art progress in OSCs. Moreover, perspectives on five core technologies that affect the realization of the practical use of OSCs are presented, including device efficiency, device stability, flexible and transparent electrodes, module designs, and printing techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkyu Kang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies, GIST-ICL International Collaboration R&D Centre, Heeger Center for Advanced Materials, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Geunjin Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies, GIST-ICL International Collaboration R&D Centre, Heeger Center for Advanced Materials, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghwan Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies, GIST-ICL International Collaboration R&D Centre, Heeger Center for Advanced Materials, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Sooncheol Kwon
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies, GIST-ICL International Collaboration R&D Centre, Heeger Center for Advanced Materials, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Heejoo Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies, GIST-ICL International Collaboration R&D Centre, Heeger Center for Advanced Materials, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kwanghee Lee
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies, GIST-ICL International Collaboration R&D Centre, Heeger Center for Advanced Materials, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
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Ambade SB, Ambade RB, Eom SH, Baek MJ, Bagde SS, Mane RS, Lee SH. Co-functionalized organic/inorganic hybrid ZnO nanorods as electron transporting layers for inverted organic solar cells. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:5024-5036. [PMID: 26864170 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr08849f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In an unprecedented attempt, we present an interesting approach of coupling solution processed ZnO planar nanorods (NRs) by an organic small molecule (SM) with a strong electron withdrawing cyano moiety and the carboxylic group as binding sites by a facile co-functionalization approach. Direct functionalization by SMs (SM-ZnO NRs) leads to higher aggregation owing to the weaker solubility of SMs in solutions of ZnO NRs dispersed in chlorobenzene (CB). A prior addition of organic 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid (MEA) over ZnO NRs not only inhibits aggregation of SMs over ZnO NRs, but also provides enough sites for the SM to strongly couple with the ZnO NRs to yield transparent SM-MEA-ZnO NRs hybrids that exhibited excellent capability as electron transporting layers (ETLs) in inverted organic solar cells (iOSCs) of P3HT:PC60BM bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) photoactive layers. A strongly coupled SM-MEA-ZnO NR hybrid reduces the series resistance by enhancing the interfacial area and tunes the energy level alignment at the interface between the (indium-doped tin oxide, ITO) cathode and BHJ photoactive layers. A significant enhancement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) was achieved for iOSCs comprising ETLs of SM-MEA-ZnO NRs (3.64%) advancing from 0.9% for pristine ZnO NRs, while the iOSCs of aggregated SM-ZnO NRs ETL exhibited a much lower PCE of 2.6%, thus demonstrating the potential of the co-functionalization approach. The superiority of the co-functionalized SM-MEA-ZnO NRs ETL is also evident from the highest PCE of 7.38% obtained for the iOSCs comprising BHJ of PTB7-Th:PC60BM compared with extremely poor 0.05% for non-functionalized ZnO NRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapnil B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea.
| | - Rohan B Ambade
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seung Hun Eom
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea.
| | - Myung-Jin Baek
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Republic of Korea
| | - Sushil S Bagde
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea.
| | - Rajaram S Mane
- Centre for Nanomaterials & Energy Devices, School of Physical Sciences, SRTM, University, 431606, Nanded, India
| | - Soo-Hyoung Lee
- School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, 664-14, 1-ga Deokjin-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea.
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Li Z, Yang D, Zhao X, Li Z, Zhang T, Wu F, Yang X. New PDI-based small-molecule cathode interlayer material with strong electron extracting ability for polymer solar cells. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra22479b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A solution-processed and thickness-insensitive small-molecule perylene diimide derivative, namely PDI-N3I, was synthesized and successfully applied to conventional PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- P. R. China
| | - Dalei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- P. R. China
| | - Xiaoli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- P. R. China
| | - Zidong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- P. R. China
| | - Tong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- P. R. China
| | - Fan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- P. R. China
| | - Xiaoniu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- P. R. China
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