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Machín A, Márquez F. Advancements in Photovoltaic Cell Materials: Silicon, Organic, and Perovskite Solar Cells. Materials (Basel) 2024; 17:1165. [PMID: 38473635 DOI: 10.3390/ma17051165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of photovoltaic cells is intrinsically linked to advancements in the materials from which they are fabricated. This review paper provides an in-depth analysis of the latest developments in silicon-based, organic, and perovskite solar cells, which are at the forefront of photovoltaic research. We scrutinize the unique characteristics, advantages, and limitations of each material class, emphasizing their contributions to efficiency, stability, and commercial viability. Silicon-based cells are explored for their enduring relevance and recent innovations in crystalline structures. Organic photovoltaic cells are examined for their flexibility and potential for low-cost production, while perovskites are highlighted for their remarkable efficiency gains and ease of fabrication. The paper also addresses the challenges of material stability, scalability, and environmental impact, offering a balanced perspective on the current state and future potential of these material technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abniel Machín
- Environmental Catalysis Research Laboratory, Division of Natural Sciences and Technology, Universidad Ana G. Méndez-Cupey Campus, San Juan, PR 00926, USA
| | - Francisco Márquez
- Nanomaterials Research Group, Department of Natural Sciences and Technology, Universidad Ana G. Méndez-Gurabo Campus, Gurabo, PR 00778, USA
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Lim SM, Jeong H, Moon J, Park JT. Amphiphilic Graft Copolymers as Templates for the Generation of Binary Metal Oxide Mesoporous Interfacial Layers for Solid-State Photovoltaic Cells. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2024; 14:352. [PMID: 38392726 PMCID: PMC10891625 DOI: 10.3390/nano14040352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The binary metal oxide mesoporous interfacial layers (bi-MO meso IF layer) templated by a graft copolymer are synthesized between a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate and nanocrystalline TiO2 (nc-TiO2). Amphiphilic graft copolymers, Poly(epichlorohydrin)-graft-poly(styrene), PECH-g-PS, were used as a structure-directing agent, and the fabricated bi-MO meso IF layer exhibits good interconnectivity and high porosity. Even if the amount of ZnO in bi-MO meso IF layer increased, it was confirmed that the morphology and porosity of the bi-MO meso IF layer were well-maintained. In addtion, the bi-MO meso IF layer coated onto FTO substrates shows higher transmittance compared with a pristine FTO substrate and dense-TiO2/FTO, due to the reduced surface roughness of FTO. The overall conversion efficiency (η) of solid-state photovoltaic cells, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 used as a photoanode, reaches 5.0% at 100 mW cm-2, which is higher than that of DSSCs with an nc-TiO2 layer/dense-TiO2 layer (4.2%), resulting from enhanced light harvesting, good interconnectivity, and reduced interfacial resistance. The cell efficiency of the device did not change after 15 days, indicating that the bi-MO meso IF layer with solid-state electrolyte has improved electrode/electrolyte interface and electrochemical stability. Additionally, commercial scattering layer/nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 photoanode-fabricated solid-state photovoltaic cells (DSSCs) achieved an overall conversion efficiency (η) of 6.4% at 100 mW cm-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Man Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Hayeon Jeong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Juyoung Moon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Tae Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
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Park JH, Noh YW, Ha JM, Harit AK, Tripathi A, Lee J, Lee BR, Song MH, Woo HY. Anionic Conjugated Polyelectrolyte as a Semiconducting Additive for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023. [PMID: 37983071 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Perovskite defects are a major hurdle in the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). While various defect passivation materials have been explored, most are insulators that hinder charge transport. This study investigates the potential of two different π-conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs), MPS2-TEA and PCPDTBT2-TMA, as semiconducting additives in PSCs. The CPEs differ in electrical conductivity, offering a unique approach to bridge defect mitigation and charge carrier transport. Unlike previous uses of CPEs mainly as interlayers or charge transport layers, we explore their direct effect on defect passivation within a perovskite layer. Secondary ion microscopy reveals the even distribution of CPEs within the perovskite layer and their efficient defect passivation potential is studied through various spectroscopic analyses. Comparing MPS2-TEA and PCPDTBT2-TMA, we find MPS2-TEA to be superior in defect passivation. The highly conductive nature of PCPDTBT2-TMA due to self-doping diminishes its defect passivation ability. The negative sulfonate groups in the side chains of PCPDTBT2-TMA stabilize polarons, reducing defect passivation capability. Finally, the PSCs with MPS2-TEA achieve remarkable power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 22.7% for 0.135 cm2 and 20.0% for large-area (1 cm2) cells. Furthermore, the device with MPS2-TEA maintained over 87.3% of initial PCE after 960 h at continuous 1-sun illumination and 89% of PCE after 850 h at 85 °C in a nitrogen glovebox without encapsulation. This highlights CPEs as promising defect passivation additives, unlocking potential for improved efficiency and stability not only in PSCs but also in wider applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong Hyun Park
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Wook Noh
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Min Ha
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Amit Kumar Harit
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Ayushi Tripathi
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongjae Lee
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo Ram Lee
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419 Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Hoon Song
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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Pociask-Bialy M. Polyethylene Protective Coating with Anti-Reflective Properties for Silicon Photovoltaic Cells. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:ma16114004. [PMID: 37297140 DOI: 10.3390/ma16114004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to find the effect of polyethylene (PE) coatings on the short-circuit current of silicon photovoltaic cells covered with glass, in order to improve the short-circuit current of the cells. Various combinations of PE films (thicknesses ranging from 9 to 23 µm, number of layers ranging from two to six) with glasses (greenhouse, float, optiwhite and acrylic glass) were investigated. The best current gain of 4.05% was achieved for the coating combining a 1.5 mm thick acrylic glass with 2 × 12 µm thick PE films. This effect can be related to the formation of an array of micro-wrinkles and micrometer-sized air bubbles with a diameter of 50 to 600 µm in the films, which served as micro-lenses and enhanced light trapping.
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Montalvo-Galicia F, Sanz-Pascual MT, Rosales-Quintero P, Moreno-Moreno M. Solar Cell Parameter Extraction Method from Illumination and Dark I-V Characteristics. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:nano12121955. [PMID: 35745294 PMCID: PMC9227553 DOI: 10.3390/nano12121955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
A novel method to extract the seven parameters of the double-diode model of solar cells using the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics under illumination and in the dark is presented. The algorithm consists of two subroutines which are alternatively run to adjust all the parameters of the cell in an iterative process. Curve fitting of the light I-V characteristics ensures accuracy in the prediction of the maximum power point, whereas simultaneously fitting the dark I-V characteristics results in a set of physically meaningful parameters that provide information about the physical performance of the photovoltaic devices. Experimental I-V curves of in-house solar cells are used to validate the proposed parameter extraction method, which can be furthermore applied to other types of p-n junction-based photovoltaic devices.
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Abstract
Microalgae are the promising source of products having a low and high economic value that include feedstock and vitamin supplements. Presently, their cultivation is being carried out by using sunlight in the open raceway ponds. However, this process has disadvantages like fluctuations in irradiance of the sunlight due to climatic changes and bad weather. Artificial lights, exploiting light-emitting diodes are beneficial in increasing the volumetric productivity of the microalgal biomass as it provides continuous illumination in the photobioreactors and assist in the external and internal design. However, the application of light-emitting diodes accrues high input costs. Though the cost of light-emitting diodes was estimated long ago, there is no recent economic analysis of the same. This study aims to enlist the applications of light-emitting diodes in microalgal cultivation with reference to internally illuminated photobioreactors coupled with the evaluation of the cost and energy balance of the artificial lights. The calculation shows that the electrical energy cost incurred during the application of light-emitting diodes for microalgae cultivation is approximately USD 15.19 kg-1 DW. The collective fraction of electrical energy transformed into chemical energy (microalgae biomass) is around 6-8%. The cost of the light-emitting diodes can be decreased by the application of an Arduino-based automated control system to control the power supply to LEDs, photovoltaic powered photobioreactors and additional light. These techniques of input cost reduction have also been explored deeply in the present study. As estimated, they can reduce the cost of light-emitting diodes by 50%.HighlightsDiscussion on the current application of light-emitting diodes for microalgae cultivationA broad discussion on internally illuminated photobioreactors and their modificationsMicroalgae cultivation cost exploiting LEDs' is around USD 15.19 kg-1 DWNet conservation of electrical energy during the cultivation process is 6-8%Photovoltaic powered PBRs and Arduino microcontrollers will decrease cultivation cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Singh
- School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Vishal Mishra
- School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
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Saeed MA, Shahzad A, Rasool K, Mateen F, Oh J, Shim JW. 2D MXene: A Potential Candidate for Photovoltaic Cells? A Critical Review. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2022; 9:e2104743. [PMID: 35166059 PMCID: PMC8981901 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202104743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The 2D transition metal carbides/nitrides (2D MXenes) are a versatile class of 2D materials for photovoltaic (PV) systems. The numerous advantages of MXenes, including their excellent metallic conductivity, high optical transmittance, solution processability, tunable work-function, and hydrophilicity, make them suitable for deployment in PV technology. This comprehensive review focuses on the synthesis methodologies and properties of MXenes and MXene-based materials for PV systems. Titanium carbide MXene (Ti3 C2 Tx ), a well-known member of the MXene family, has been studied in many PV applications. Herein, the effectiveness of Ti3 C2 Tx as an additive in different types of PV cells, and the synergetic impact of Ti3 C2 Tx as an interfacial material on the photovoltaic performance of PV cells, are systematically examined. Subsequently, the utilization of Ti3 C2 Tx as a transparent conductive electrode, and its influence on the stability of the PV cells, are discussed. This review also considers problems that emerged from previous studies, and provides guidelines for the further exploration of Ti3 C2 Tx and other members of the 2D MXene family in PV technology. This timely study is expected to provide comprehensive understanding of the current status of MXenes, and to set the direction for the future development in 2D material design and processing for PVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ahsan Saeed
- Division of Electronics and Electrical EngineeringDongguk UniversitySeoul04620Republic of Korea
| | - Asif Shahzad
- Department of Energy and Materials EngineeringDongguk UniversitySeoul04620Republic of Korea
| | - Kashif Rasool
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research InstituteHamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)Qatar Foundation34110DohaQatar
| | - Fahad Mateen
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringDongguk UniversitySeoul04620Republic of Korea
| | - Jae‐Min Oh
- Department of Energy and Materials EngineeringDongguk UniversitySeoul04620Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Won Shim
- School of Electrical EngineeringKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
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Lie S, Bruno A, Wong LH, Etgar L. Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells with > 13% Efficiency and 27% Transperancy Using Plasmonic Au Nanorods. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:11339-11349. [PMID: 35201744 PMCID: PMC8915162 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c22748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Semitransparent hybrid perovskites open up applications in windows and building-integrated photovoltaics. One way to achieve semitransparency is by thinning the perovskite film, which has several benefits such as cost efficiency and reduction of lead. However, this will result in a reduced light absorbance; therefore, to compromise this loss, it is possible to incorporate plasmonic metal nanostructures, which can trap incident light and locally amplify the electromagnetic field around the resonance peaks. Here, Au nanorods (NRs), which are not detrimental for the perovskite and whose resonance peak overlaps with the perovskite band gap, are deposited on top of a thin (∼200 nm) semitransparent perovskite film. These semitransparent perovskite solar cells with 27% average visible transparency show enhancement in the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor, demonstrating 13.7% efficiency (improved by ∼6% compared to reference cells). Space-charge limited current, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Mott-Schottky analyses shed more light on the trap density, nonradiative recombination, and defect density in these Au NR post-treated semitransparent perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, Au NR implementation enhances the stability of the solar cell under ambient conditions. These findings show the ability to compensate for the light harvesting of semitransparent perovskites using the plasmonic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stener Lie
- Singapore-HUJ
Alliance for Research and Enterprise (SHARE), Nanomaterials for Energy
and Energy-Water Nexus (NEW), Campus for
Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
- School
of Material Science and Engineering, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Annalisa Bruno
- Energy
Research Institute, Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore 637141, Singapore
| | - Lydia Helena Wong
- Singapore-HUJ
Alliance for Research and Enterprise (SHARE), Nanomaterials for Energy
and Energy-Water Nexus (NEW), Campus for
Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
- School
of Material Science and Engineering, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Lioz Etgar
- Singapore-HUJ
Alliance for Research and Enterprise (SHARE), Nanomaterials for Energy
and Energy-Water Nexus (NEW), Campus for
Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
- Institute
of Chemistry, Casali Center for Applied Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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Zaidi B, Smida N, Althobaiti MG, Aldajani AG, Almdhaibri SD. Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Based Nanocomposites for Photovoltaic Application: Functionalization, Structural, and Optical Properties. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:1093. [PMID: 35335425 DOI: 10.3390/polym14061093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a systematic review of nanostructured organic materials, including synthesis methods, functionalization, and applications. First, we report the chemical and physical procedures used for preparing the polymer/carbon nanotube composites described in the literature over the last decade. We compare the properties of different polymer-based prototypes of organic nanocomposites functionalized with carbon nanotubes. Theoretical and experimental vibrational investigations provide evidence of the molecular structure describing the interaction between both components, showing that the allowed amount of carbon nanotubes and their dispersion states differ across polymers. Moreover, the nature of the solvent used in the preparation has a significant impact on the dispersion process. The integration of these materials in photovoltaic applications is discussed, where the impact of nanoparticles is evidenced through the correlation between experimental analyses and theoretical approaches based on density functional theory. Alterations in optical properties, evaluated from the absorption and luminescence process, are coherent with the solar spectrum, and a good distribution of donor/acceptor interpenetration was observed. In all cases, it was demonstrated that the performance improvement is physically related to the charge transfer from the organic matrix to the nanoparticles.
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Zhu X, Fu Q, Yang R, Zhang Y. A High Power-Conversion-Efficiency Voltage Boost Converter with MPPT for Wireless Sensor Nodes. Sensors (Basel) 2021; 21:s21165447. [PMID: 34450889 PMCID: PMC8401396 DOI: 10.3390/s21165447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A high power-conversion-efficiency voltage boost converter with MPPT for wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) is proposed in this paper. Since tiny wireless sensor nodes are all over complex environments, an efficient power management system (PMS) must be equipped to achieve long-term self-power supply and maintain regular operation. It is common to use Photovoltaic cells (PV) to harvest sunlight in the environment. However, most existing interface boost integrated circuits for the PV cell have low efficiency. This paper presents a voltage boost converter (VBC) with high power conversion efficiency (PCE) for WSNs. The integrated circuit (IC) designed in this paper includes a novel four-phase high-efficiency charge pump module, an ultra-low-power perturbation observation (P&O) MPPT control circuit module, a feedback control module, a nano-ampere current reference, etc. Manufactured in a standard 0.35 um complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the chip area is 3.15 mm × 2.43 mm. Test results demonstrate that when the output voltage of the PV cell is more than 0.5 V, VBC can improve the voltage to 3Vin, and the calculated voltage conversion efficiency can reach 99.4%. P&O MPPT algorithm makes output power improving 8.53%. Furthermore, when the output load current is 297uA, the output PCE achieves 85.1%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiwen Zhu
- MEMS Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.Z.); (Q.F.); (R.Y.)
| | - Qiang Fu
- MEMS Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.Z.); (Q.F.); (R.Y.)
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing (Harbin Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Ruimo Yang
- MEMS Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.Z.); (Q.F.); (R.Y.)
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- MEMS Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.Z.); (Q.F.); (R.Y.)
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing (Harbin Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China
- Correspondence:
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Fetliński B, Turczyński S, Malinowski M, Szczepański P. Down-Shifting in the YAM: Ce 3+ + Yb 3+ System for Solar Cells. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:2753. [PMID: 34070993 DOI: 10.3390/ma14112753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we investigate Ce3+ to Yb3+ energy transfer in Y4Al2O9 (YAM) for potential application in solar spectrum down-converting layers for photovoltaic devices. Photoluminescence properties set, of 10 samples, of the YAM host activated with Ce3+ and Yb3+ with varying concentrations are presented, and the Ce3+ to Yb3+ energy transfer is proven. Measurement of highly non-exponential luminescence decays of Ce3+ 5d band allowed for the calculation of maximal theoretical quantum efficiency, of the expected down-conversion process, equal to 123%. Measurements of Yb3+ emission intensity, in the function of excitation power, confirmed the predominantly single-photon downshifting character of Ce3+ to Yb3+ energy transfer. Favorable location of the Ce3+ 5d bands in YAM makes this system a great candidate for down-converting, and down-shifting, luminescent layers for photovoltaics.
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Agoro MA, Mbese JZ, Meyer EL. Electrochemistry of Inorganic OCT-PbS/HDA and OCT-PbS Photosensitizers Thermalized from Bis( N-diisopropyl- N-octyldithiocarbamato) Pb(II) Molecular Precursors. Molecules 2020; 25:E1919. [PMID: 32326265 PMCID: PMC7221899 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inorganic nanocrystal solar cells have been tagged as the next generation of synthesizers that have the potential to break new ground in photovoltaic cells. This synthetic route offers a safe, easy and cost-effective method of achieving the desired material. The present work investigates the synthesis of inorganic PbS sensitizers through a molecular precursor route and their impact on improving the conversion efficiency in photovoltaic cells. PbS photosensitizers were deposited on TiO2 by direct deposition, and their structure, morphologies and electrocatalytic properties were examined. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms PbS nanocrystal structure and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) displays the crystalline phase of uniform size and distribution of PbS, indicating compact surface nanoparticles. The electrocatalytic activity by lead sulfide, using N-di-isopropyl-N-octyldithiocarbamato (OCT) without hexadecylamine (HDA) capping (OCT-PbS) was very low in HI-30 electrolyte, due to its overpotential, while lead sulfide with OCT and HDA-capped (OCT-PbS/HDA) sensitizer exhibited significant electrocatalytic activity with moderate current peaks due to a considerable amount of reversibility. The OCT-PbS sensitizer exhibited a strong resistance interaction with the electrolyte, indicating very poor catalytic activity compared to the OCT-PbS/HDA sensitizer. The values of the open-circuit voltage (VOC) were ~0.52 V, with a fill factor of 0.33 for OCT-PbS/HDA. The better conversion efficiency displayed by OCT-PbS/HDA is due to its nanoporous nature which improves the device performance and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojeed A. Agoro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
- Fort Hare Institute of Technology, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa;
| | - Johannes Z. Mbese
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
| | - Edson L. Meyer
- Fort Hare Institute of Technology, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa;
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Mbese JZ, Meyer EL, Agoro MA. Electrochemical Performance of Photovoltaic Cells using HDA Capped-SnS Nanocrystal from bis ( N-1,4-Phenyl- N-Morpho-Dithiocarbamato) Sn(II) Complexes. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2020; 10:nano10030414. [PMID: 32120983 PMCID: PMC7152851 DOI: 10.3390/nano10030414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Great consideration is placed on the choice of capping agents' base on the proposed application, in order to cater to the particular surface, size, geometry, and functional group. Change in any of the above can influence the characteristics properties of the nanomaterials. The adoption of hexadecylamine (HDA) as a capping agent in single source precursor approach offers better quantum dots (QDs) sensitizer materials with good quantum efficiency photoluminescence and desirable particles size. Structural, morphological, and electrochemical instruments were used to evaluate the characterization and efficiency of the sensitizers. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) results display both reduction and oxidation peaks for both materials. XRD for SnS/HDA and SnS photosensitizers displays eleven peaks within the values of 27.02° to 66.05° for SnS/HDA and 26.03° to 66.04° for SnS in correlation to the orthorhombic structure. Current density-voltage (I-V) results for SnS/HDA exhibited a better performance compared to SnS sensitizers. Bode plot results indicate electrons lifetime (τ) for SnS/HDA photosensitizer have superiority to the SnS photosensitizer. The results connote that SnS/HDA exhibited a better performance compared to SnS sensitizers due to the presence of HDA capping agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Z. Mbese
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
- Correspondence: (J.Z.M.); (E.L.M); (M.A.A.)
| | - Edson L. Meyer
- Fort Hare Institute of Technology, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
- Correspondence: (J.Z.M.); (E.L.M); (M.A.A.)
| | - Mojeed A. Agoro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
- Fort Hare Institute of Technology, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
- Correspondence: (J.Z.M.); (E.L.M); (M.A.A.)
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Tebyetekerwa M, Zhang J, Liang K, Duong T, Neupane GP, Zhang L, Liu B, Truong TN, Basnet R, Qiao X, Yin Z, Lu Y, Macdonald D, Nguyen HT. Quantifying Quasi-Fermi Level Splitting and Mapping its Heterogeneity in Atomically Thin Transition Metal Dichalcogenides. Adv Mater 2019; 31:e1900522. [PMID: 31062437 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201900522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
One of the most fundamental parameters of any photovoltaic material is its quasi-Fermi level splitting (∆µ) under illumination. This quantity represents the maximum open-circuit voltage (Voc ) that a solar cell fabricated from that material can achieve. Herein, a contactless, nondestructive method to quantify this parameter for atomically thin 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is reported. The technique is applied to quantify the upper limits of Voc that can possibly be achieved from monolayer WS2 , MoS2 , WSe2 , and MoSe2 -based solar cells, and they are compared with state-of-the-art perovskites. These results show that Voc values of ≈1.4, ≈1.12, ≈1.06, and ≈0.93 V can be potentially achieved from solar cells fabricated from WS2 , MoS2 , WSe2 , and MoSe2 monolayers at 1 Sun illumination, respectively. It is also observed that ∆µ is inhomogeneous across different regions of these monolayers. Moreover, it is attempted to engineer the observed ∆µ heterogeneity by electrically gating the TMD monolayers in a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure that effectively changes the doping level of the monolayers electrostatically and improves their ∆µ heterogeneity. The values of ∆µ determined from this work reveal the potential of atomically thin TMDs for high-voltage, ultralight, flexible, and eye-transparent future solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Tebyetekerwa
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jian Zhang
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Kun Liang
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- School of Mechatronic Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - The Duong
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Guru Prakash Neupane
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Linglong Zhang
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Boqing Liu
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Thien N Truong
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Rabin Basnet
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Xiaojing Qiao
- School of Mechatronic Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zongyou Yin
- Research School of Chemistry, College of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Yuerui Lu
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Daniel Macdonald
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Hieu T Nguyen
- Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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15
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Manjakkal L, Navaraj WT, Núñez CG, Dahiya R. Graphene-Graphite Polyurethane Composite Based High-Energy Density Flexible Supercapacitors. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2019; 6:1802251. [PMID: 30989034 PMCID: PMC6446598 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201802251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Energy autonomy is critical for wearable and portable systems and to this end storage devices with high-energy density are needed. This work presents high-energy density flexible supercapacitors (SCs), showing three times the energy density than similar type of SCs reported in the literature. The graphene-graphite polyurethane (GPU) composite based SCs have maximum energy and power densities of 10.22 µWh cm-2 and 11.15 mW cm-2, respectively, at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and operating voltage of 2.25 V (considering the IR drop). The significant gain in the performance of SCs is due to excellent electroactive surface per unit area (surface roughness 97.6 nm) of GPU composite and high electrical conductivity (0.318 S cm-1). The fabricated SCs show stable response for more than 15 000 charging/discharging cycles at current densities of 10 mA cm-2 and operating voltage of 2.5 V (without considering the IR drop). The developed SCs are tested as energy storage devices for wide applications, namely: a) solar-powered energy-packs to operate 84 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for more than a minute and to drive the actuators of a prosthetic limb; b) powering high-torque motors; and c) wristband for wearable sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libu Manjakkal
- Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) GroupSchool of EngineeringUniversity of GlasgowG12 8QQGlasgowUK
| | - William Taube Navaraj
- Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) GroupSchool of EngineeringUniversity of GlasgowG12 8QQGlasgowUK
| | - Carlos García Núñez
- Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) GroupSchool of EngineeringUniversity of GlasgowG12 8QQGlasgowUK
- SUPAInstitute of Thin FilmsSensors and ImagingSchool of ComputingEngineering and Physical SciencesUniversity of the West of ScotlandPA12BEPaisleyScotlandUK
| | - Ravinder Dahiya
- Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) GroupSchool of EngineeringUniversity of GlasgowG12 8QQGlasgowUK
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16
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Xiao B, Tang A, Yang J, Mahmood A, Sun X, Zhou E. Quinoxaline-Containing Nonfullerene Small-Molecule Acceptors with a Linear A 2-A 1-D-A 1-A 2 Skeleton for Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-Based Organic Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:10254-10261. [PMID: 29521083 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
We used the quinoxaline (Qx) unit to design and synthesize two nonfullerene small-molecule acceptors of Qx1 and Qx1b with an A2-A1-D-A1-A2 skeleton, where indacenodithiophene (IDT), Qx, and rhodanine (R) were adopted as the central donor (D), bridge acceptors (A1), and terminal acceptors (A2), respectively. Qx1 and Qx1b contain different side chains of 4-hexylphenyl and octyl in the central IDT segment to modulate the properties of final small molecules. Both small molecules show good thermal stability, high solubility, and strong and broad absorption spectra with optical band gaps of 1.74 and 1.68 eV, respectively. Qx1 and Qx1b exhibit the complementary absorption spectra with the classic poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and the high-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels of -3.60 and -3.66 eV, respectively. Polymer solar cells based on P3HT:Qx1 showed a high open-circuit voltage ( Voc) of 1.00 V and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.03%, whereas P3HT:Qx1b achieved a Voc of 0.95 V and a PCE of 4.81%. These results demonstrate that the Qx unit is also an effective building block to construct promising n-type nonfullerene small molecules to realize a relatively high Voc and PCE for P3HT-based solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , P. R. China
| | - Ailing Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
| | - Jing Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , P. R. China
| | - Asif Mahmood
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , P. R. China
| | - Xiangnan Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
| | - Erjun Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience , National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
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17
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Pradhan P, Aryal P, Attygalle D, Ibdah AR, Koirala P, Li J, Bhandari KP, Liyanage GK, Ellingson RJ, Heben MJ, Marsillac S, Collins RW, Podraza NJ. Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Analysis of First Stage CuIn 1-xGa xSe₂ Growth: Indium-Gallium Selenide Co-Evaporation. Materials (Basel) 2018; 11:ma11010145. [PMID: 29337931 PMCID: PMC5793643 DOI: 10.3390/ma11010145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) has been applied for in-situ monitoring of the first stage of copper indium-gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin film deposition by the three-stage co-evaporation process used for fabrication of high efficiency thin film photovoltaic (PV) devices. The first stage entails the growth of indium-gallium selenide (In1-xGax)₂Se₃ (IGS) on a substrate of Mo-coated soda lime glass maintained at a temperature of 400 °C. This is a critical stage of CIGS deposition because a large fraction of the final film thickness is deposited, and as a result precise compositional control is desired in order to achieve the optimum performance of the resulting CIGS solar cell. RTSE is sensitive to monolayer level film growth processes and can provide accurate measurements of bulk and surface roughness layer thicknesses. These in turn enable accurate measurements of the bulk layer optical response in the form of the complex dielectric function ε = ε₁ - iε₂, spectra. Here, RTSE has been used to obtain the (ε₁, ε₂) spectra at the measurement temperature of 400 °C for IGS thin films of different Ga contents (x) deduced from different ranges of accumulated bulk layer thickness during the deposition process. Applying an analytical expression in common for each of the (ε₁, ε₂) spectra of these IGS films, oscillator parameters have been obtained in the best fits and these parameters in turn have been fitted with polynomials in x. From the resulting database of polynomial coefficients, the (ε₁, ε₂) spectra can be generated for any composition of IGS from the single parameter, x. The results have served as an RTSE fingerprint for IGS composition and have provided further structural information beyond simply thicknesses, for example information related to film density and grain size. The deduced IGS structural evolution and the (ε₁, ε₂) spectra have been interpreted as well in relation to observations from scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy profiling analyses. Overall the structural, optical and compositional analysis possible by RTSE has assisted in understanding the growth and properties of three stage CIGS absorbers for solar cells and shows future promise for enhancing cell performance through monitoring and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puja Pradhan
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Puruswottam Aryal
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Dinesh Attygalle
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Abdel-Rahman Ibdah
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Prakash Koirala
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Jian Li
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Khagendra P Bhandari
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Geethika K Liyanage
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Randy J Ellingson
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Michael J Heben
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Sylvain Marsillac
- Virginia Institute of Photovoltaics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA.
| | - Robert W Collins
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
| | - Nikolas J Podraza
- Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
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18
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Kinoshita H, Jeon I, Maruyama M, Kawahara K, Terao Y, Ding D, Matsumoto R, Matsuo Y, Okada S, Ago H. Highly Conductive and Transparent Large-Area Bilayer Graphene Realized by MoCl 5 Intercalation. Adv Mater 2017; 29:1702141. [PMID: 28922479 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201702141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Bilayer graphene (BLG) comprises a 2D nanospace sandwiched by two parallel graphene sheets that can be used to intercalate molecules or ions for attaining novel functionalities. However, intercalation is mostly demonstrated with small, exfoliated graphene flakes. This study demonstrates intercalation of molybdenum chloride (MoCl5 ) into a large-area, uniform BLG sheet, which is grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This study reveals that the degree of MoCl5 intercalation strongly depends on the stacking order of the graphene; twist-stacked graphene shows a much higher degree of intercalation than AB-stacked. Density functional theory calculations suggest that weak interlayer coupling in the twist-stacked graphene contributes to the effective intercalation. By selectively synthesizing twist-rich BLG films through control of the CVD conditions, low sheet resistance (83 Ω ▫-1 ) is realized after MoCl5 intercalation, while maintaining high optical transmittance (≈95%). The low sheet resistance state is relatively stable in air for more than three months. Furthermore, the intercalated BLG film is applied to organic solar cells, realizing a high power conversion efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kinoshita
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
| | - Il Jeon
- School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Mina Maruyama
- Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kenji Kawahara
- Global Innovation Center (GIC), Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
| | - Yuri Terao
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
| | - Dong Ding
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
| | - Rika Matsumoto
- Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Kanagawa, 243-0297, Japan
| | - Yutaka Matsuo
- School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Susumu Okada
- Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ago
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
- Global Innovation Center (GIC), Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
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19
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Vargas-Estevez C, Duch M, Duque M, Del Campo FJ, Enriquez-Barreto L, Murillo G, Torras N, Plaza JA, Saura CA, Esteve J. Suspended Silicon Microphotodiodes for Electrochemical and Biological Applications. Small 2017; 13:1701920. [PMID: 28945947 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201701920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Local electric stimulation of tissues and cells has gained importance as therapeutic alternative in the treatment of many diseases. These alternatives aim to deliver a less invasively stimuli in liquid media, making imperative the development of versatile micro- and nanoscale solutions for wireless actuation. Here, a simple microfabrication process to produce suspended silicon microphotodiodes that can be activated by visible light to generate local photocurrents in their surrounding medium is presented. Electrical characterization using electrical probes confirms their diode behavior. To demonstrate their electrochemical performance, an indirect test is implemented in solution through photoelectrochemical reactions controlled by a white-LED lamp. Furthermore, their effects on biological systems are observed in vitro using mouse primary neurons in which the suspended microphotodiodes are activated periodically with white-LED lamp, bringing out observable morphological changes in neuronal processes. The results demonstrate a simplified and cost-effective wireless tool for photovoltaic current generation in liquid media at the microscale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Vargas-Estevez
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Marta Duch
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Marcos Duque
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Del Campo
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Lilian Enriquez-Barreto
- Neurobiology of Alzheimer's Disease Lab, Institut de Neurociències (INc), Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Murillo
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Núria Torras
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - José A Plaza
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Carlos A Saura
- Neurobiology of Alzheimer's Disease Lab, Institut de Neurociències (INc), Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Jaume Esteve
- Micro and Nano-Tools Group, Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
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20
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Koida T, Ueno Y, Nishinaga J, Higuchi H, Takahashi H, Iioka M, Shibata H, Niki S. Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 Solar Cells with Amorphous In 2O 3-Based Front Contact Layers. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:29677-29686. [PMID: 28828852 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b07092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Amorphous (a-) In2O3-based front contact layers composed of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) and transparent oxide semiconductor (TOS) layers were proved to be effective in enhancing the short-circuit current density (Jsc) of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells with a glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/TOS/TCO structure, while maintaining high fill factor (FF) and open-circuit voltage (Voc). An n-type a-In-Ga-Zn-O layer was introduced between the CdS and TCO layers. Unlike unintentionally doped ZnO broadly used as TOS layers in CIGS solar cells, the grain-boundary(GB)-free amorphous structure of the a-In-Ga-Zn-O layers allowed high electron mobility with superior control over the carrier density (N). High FF and Voc values were achieved in solar cells containing a-In-Ga-Zn-O layers with N values broadly ranging from 2 × 1015 to 3 × 1018 cm-3. The decrease in FF and Voc produced by the electronic inhomogeneity of solar cells was mitigated by controlling the series resistance within the TOS layer of CIGS solar cells. In addition, a-In2O3:H and a-In-Zn-O layers exhibited higher electron mobilities than the ZnO:Al layers conventionally used as TCO layers in CIGS solar cells. The In2O3-based layers exhibited lower free carrier absorption while maintaining similar sheet resistance than ZnO:Al. The TCO and TOS materials and their combinations did not significantly change the Voc of the CIGS solar cells and the mini-modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Koida
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Yuko Ueno
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Jiro Nishinaga
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Hirohumi Higuchi
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Hideki Takahashi
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Masayuki Iioka
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Hajime Shibata
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Shigeru Niki
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
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21
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Guo P, Luo G, Su Q, Li J, Zhang P, Tong J, Yang C, Xia Y, Wu H. Boosting Up Performance of Inverted Photovoltaic Cells from Bis(alkylthien-2-yl)dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']benzo[1,2-b:4',5'-b']di thiophene-Based Copolymers by Advantageous Vertical Phase Separation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:10937-10945. [PMID: 28276681 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b15436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The photovoltaic cells (PVCs) from conjugated copolymers of PDTBDT-BT and PDTBDT-FBT with 5,10-bis(4,5-didecylthien-2-yl)dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene as electron donor moieties and benzothiadiazole and/or 5,6-difluorobenzothiadiazole as electron acceptor moieties are optimized by employing alcohol-soluble PFN (poly(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)) as cathode modification interlayer. The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of inverted PVCs (i-PVCs) from PDTBDT-BT and PDTBDT-FBT with devices configuration as ITO/PFN/active layer/MoO3/Ag are increased from 4.97% to 8.54% and 5.92% to 8.74%, in contrast to those for the regular PVCs (r-PVCs) with devices configuration as ITO/PEDOT:PSS/active layer/Ca/Al under 100 mW/cm2 AM 1.5 illumination. The optical modeling calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations reveal that the r-PVCs and i-PVCs from the copolymers exhibit similar light harvesting characteristics, and the enhancements of the PCEs of the i-PVCs from the copolymers are mainly contributed to the favorable vertical phase separation as the strongly polymer-enriched top surface layers and slightly PC71BM (phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester)-enriched bottom surface layers are correspondingly connected to the anodes and cathodes of the i-PVCs, while they are opposite in the r-PVCs. As we known, it is the first time to experimentally verify that the i-PVCs with alcohol-soluble conjugated polymers cathode modification layers enjoy favorable vertical phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengzhi Guo
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Intelligent Control of Ministry Education, Lanzhou Jiaotong University , Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China
| | - Guoping Luo
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Su
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Intelligent Control of Ministry Education, Lanzhou Jiaotong University , Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Intelligent Control of Ministry Education, Lanzhou Jiaotong University , Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Intelligent Control of Ministry Education, Lanzhou Jiaotong University , Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China
| | - Junfeng Tong
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Intelligent Control of Ministry Education, Lanzhou Jiaotong University , Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China
| | - Chunyan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Intelligent Control of Ministry Education, Lanzhou Jiaotong University , Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China
| | - Yangjun Xia
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Intelligent Control of Ministry Education, Lanzhou Jiaotong University , Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, University of California , Santa Barbara, California 93106-5090 United States
| | - Hongbin Wu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
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22
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Peng W, Du J, Pan Z, Nakazawa N, Sun J, Du Z, Shen G, Yu J, Hu JS, Shen Q, Zhong X. Alloying Strategy in Cu-In-Ga-Se Quantum Dots for High Efficiency Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:5328-5336. [PMID: 28092935 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b14649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
I-III-VI2 group "green" quantum dots (QDs) are attracting increasing attention in photoelectronic conversion applications. Herein, on the basis of the "simultaneous nucleation and growth" approach, Cu-In-Ga-Se (CIGSe) QDs with light harvesting range of about 1000 nm were synthesized and used as sensitizer to construct quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), wild-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses demonstrate that the Ga element was alloyed in the Cu-In-Se (CISe) host. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and femtosecond (fs) resolution transient absorption (TA) measurement results indicate that the alloying strategy could optimize the electronic structure in the obtained CIGSe QD material, thus matching well with TiO2 substrate and favoring the photogenerated electron extraction. Open circuit voltage decay (OCVD) and impedance spectroscopy (IS) tests indicate that the intrinsic recombination in CIGSe QDSCs was well suppressed relative to that in CISe QDSCs. As a result, CIGSe based QDSCs with use of titanium mesh supported mesoporous carbon counter electrode exhibited a champion efficiency of 11.49% (Jsc = 25.01 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.740 V, FF = 0.621) under the irradiation of full one sun in comparison with 9.46% for CISe QDSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiang Peng
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jun Du
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zhenxiao Pan
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Naoki Nakazawa
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Electro-Communications , Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Jiankun Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zhonglin Du
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Gencai Shen
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Juan Yu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jin-Song Hu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China
| | - Qing Shen
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Electro-Communications , Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) , Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Xinhua Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237, China
- College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University , 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
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23
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Gao Y, Liu M, Zhang Y, Liu Z, Yang Y, Zhao L. Recent Development on Narrow Bandgap Conjugated Polymers for Polymer Solar Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2017; 9:E39. [PMID: 30970721 PMCID: PMC6432257 DOI: 10.3390/polym9020039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
There have been exciting developments in the field of polymer solar cells (PSCs) as the potential competitor to the traditional silicon-based solar cells in the past decades. The most successful PSCs are based on the bulk hetero-junction (BHJ) structure, which contains a bicontinuous nanoscale interpenetrating network of a conjugated polymer and a fullerene blend. The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of BHJ PSCs have now exceeded 11%. In this review, we present an overview of recent emerging developments of narrow bandgap conjugated polymers for PSCs. We focus on a few important acceptors used in the donor-acceptor type conjugated polymers for highly efficient PSCs. We also reviewed the emerged donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) side chains polymers. The band-gaps and energy levels as well as the photovoltaic performances of conjugated polymers are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyue Gao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
| | - Ming Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
| | - Yong Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
| | - Zhitian Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
| | - Yulin Yang
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
| | - Liancheng Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
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24
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Yi SG, Kim SH, Park S, Oh D, Choi HY, Lee N, Choi YJ, Yoo KH. Mo 1-xW xSe 2-Based Schottky Junction Photovoltaic Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:33811-33820. [PMID: 27960385 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b11768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We developed Schottky junction photovoltaic cells based on multilayer Mo1-xWxSe2 with x = 0, 0.5, and 1. To generate built-in potentials, Pd and Al were used as the source and drain electrodes in a lateral structure, and Pd and graphene were used as the bottom and top electrodes in a vertical structure. These devices exhibited gate-tunable diode-like current rectification and photovoltaic responses. Mo0.5W0.5Se2 Schottky diodes with Pd and Al electrodes exhibited higher photovoltaic efficiency than MoSe2 and WSe2 devices with Pd and Al electrodes, likely because of the greater adjusted band alignment in Mo0.5W0.5Se2 devices. Furthermore, we showed that Mo0.5W0.5Se2-based vertical Schottky diodes yield a power conversion efficiency of ∼16% under 532 nm light and ∼13% under a standard air mass 1.5 spectrum, demonstrating their remarkable potential for photovoltaic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sum-Gyun Yi
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Hyun Kim
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungjin Park
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Donggun Oh
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwan Young Choi
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Nara Lee
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Jai Choi
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Hwa Yoo
- Department of Physics, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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25
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Abstract
Hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite photovoltaic cells have already surpassed 20% conversion efficiency in the few years that they have been seriously studied. However, many fundamental questions still remain unanswered as to why they are so good. One of these is "Is the organic cation really necessary to obtain high quality cells?" In this study, we show that an all-inorganic version of the lead bromide perovskite material works equally well as the organic one, in particular generating the high open circuit voltages that are an important feature of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kulbak
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gary Hodes
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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26
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Hailegnaw B, Kirmayer S, Edri E, Hodes G, Cahen D. Rain on Methylammonium Lead Iodide Based Perovskites: Possible Environmental Effects of Perovskite Solar Cells. J Phys Chem Lett 2015; 6:1543-7. [PMID: 26263309 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The great promise of hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite (HOIP)-based solar cells is being challenged by its Pb content and its sensitivity to water. Here, the impact of rain on methylammonium lead iodide perovskite films was investigated by exposing such films to water of varying pH values, simulating exposure of the films to rain. The amount of Pb loss was determined using both gravimetric and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measurements. Using our results, the extent of Pb loss to the environment, in the case of catastrophic module failure, was evaluated. Although very dependent on module siting, even total destruction of a large solar electrical power generating plant, based on HOIPs, while obviously highly undesirable, is estimated to be far from catastrophic for the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bekele Hailegnaw
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Saar Kirmayer
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Eran Edri
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gary Hodes
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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27
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Abstract
High photovoltaic efficiency is one of the most important keys to the commercialization of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) in the quickly growing renewable electricity generation market. The heart of the DSSC system is a wide bandgap semiconductor based photoelectrode film that helps to adsorb dye molecules and transport the injected electrons away into the electrical circuit. However, charge recombination, poor light harvesting efficiency and slow electron transport of the nanocrystalline oxide photoelectrode film are major issues in the DSSC's performance. Recently, semiconducting composites based on carbonaceous materials (carbon nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene) have been shown to be promising materials for the photoelectrode of DSSCs due to their fascinating properties and low cost. After a brief introduction to development of nanocrystalline oxide based films, this Review outlines advancements that have been achieved in the application of carbonaceous-based materials in the photoelectrode of DSSCs and how these advancements have improved performance. In addition, several of the unsolved issues in this research area are discussed and some important future directions are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munkhbayar Batmunkh
- School of Chemical Engineering The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia; School of Chemical and Physical Sciences Flinders University Bedford Park Adelaide South Australia 5042 Australia
| | - Mark J Biggs
- School of Chemical Engineering The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia; School of Science Loughborough University Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 3TU UK
| | - Joseph G Shapter
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences Flinders University Bedford Park Adelaide South Australia 5042 Australia
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28
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Verreet B, Heremans P, Stesmans A, Rand BP. Microcrystalline organic thin-film solar cells. Adv Mater 2013; 25:5504-5507. [PMID: 23939936 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201301643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Revised: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Microcrystalline organic films with tunable thickness are produced directly on an indium-tin-oxide substrate, by crystallizing a thin amorphous rubrene film followed by its use as a template for subsequent homoepitaxial growth. These films, with exciton diffusion lengths exceeding 200 nm, produce solar cells with increasing photocurrents at thicknesses up to 400 nm with a fill factor >65%, demonstrating significant potential for microcrystalline organic electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bregt Verreet
- imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven, B-3001, Belgium; Semiconductor Physics Section, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, Leuven, B-3001, Belgium
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29
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Wu J, Wang ZM, Dorogan VG, Li S, Lee J, Mazur YI, Kim ES, Salamo GJ. Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the optical properties of strain-free quantum ring solar cells. Nanoscale Res Lett 2013; 8:5. [PMID: 23281811 PMCID: PMC3563512 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276x-8-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Strain-free GaAs/Al0.33Ga0.67As quantum rings are fabricated by droplet epitaxy. Both photoresponse and photoluminescence spectra confirm optical transitions in quantum rings, suggesting that droplet epitaxial nanomaterials are applicable to intermediate band solar cells. The effects of post-growth annealing on the quantum ring solar cells are investigated, and the optical properties of the solar cells with and without thermal treatment are characterized by photoluminescence technique. Rapid thermal annealing treatment has resulted in the significant improvement of material quality, which can be served as a standard process for quantum structure solar cells grown by droplet epitaxy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiming M Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, People's Republic of China
- Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Vitaliy G Dorogan
- Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Shibin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, People's Republic of China
| | - Jihoon Lee
- Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
- College of Electronics and Information, Kwangwoon University, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 139-701, South Korea
| | - Yuriy I Mazur
- Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Eun Soo Kim
- College of Electronics and Information, Kwangwoon University, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 139-701, South Korea
| | - Gregory J Salamo
- Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
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