Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yongtao Liu, Patrick Trimby, Liam Collins, Mahshid Ahmadi, Aimo Winkelmann, Roger Proksch, Olga S. Ovchinnikova
Summary: Metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells have gained global attention in research. Understanding the crystal orientation and ferroic properties of MHP twin stripes is essential to comprehend the impact of ferroic behavior on the optoelectronic properties. Investigating these aspects provides insight into the influence of subgrain structures in MHPs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matteo Degani, Qingzhi An, Miguel Albaladejo-Siguan, Yvonne J. Hofstetter, Changsoon Cho, Fabian Paulus, Giulia Grancini, Yana Vaynzof
Summary: This study presents a dual interfacial modification approach by incorporating large organic cations at both the bottom and top interfaces of the perovskite active layer, leading to simultaneous improvement in both open-circuit voltage and fill factor of the devices, reaching a champion device efficiency of 23.7%. This dual interfacial modification is fully compatible with bulk modification of the perovskite active layer by ionic liquids, resulting in efficient and stable inverted architecture devices.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yuying Yao, Jing Zhang, Hang Su, Yong Li, Nan Li, Ting Nie, Lidan Liu, Xiaodong Ren, Ningyi Yuan, Jianning Ding, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu
Summary: Perovskite solar cells have high efficiency but low stability due to moisture permeation from grain boundaries and defects. A passivation agent called 3,4,5,6-tetrafluorophthalicacid (TFPA) is designed to improve both efficiency and stability. TFPA is found to distribute along grain boundaries, reducing film roughness and facilitating hole transporting. The device with TFPA modification shows outstanding efficiency and stability, with a champion efficiency of 23.70% and maintaining 90% of initial efficiency after 5200 hours.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jongpil Ye, Jaehoon Jeong
Summary: The grain structure of graphene significantly influences its properties, making it crucial to control for application. Inconsistent results regarding the correlation between the grain structures of graphene and underlying Cu have been found in previous investigations. Research suggests that the origin of this discrepancy lies in the effects of copper grain boundary structure on graphene growth.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Akmal Kamarudin, Shahrir Razey Sahamir, Kohei Nishimura, Satoshi Iikubo, Kenji Yoshino, Takashi Minemoto, Qing Shen, Shuzi Hayase
Summary: The research focuses on improving the performance of lead-free tin-based perovskite solar cells by using A-site cation substitution with DMAI salt. The optimized concentration of DMAI enhances the solar cell's performance, leading to higher open-circuit voltage, better surface morphology, higher built-in potential, and suppressed tin oxidation, which in turn reduces the hole carrier density.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhuang Zhang, Huanhuan Wang, T. Jesper Jacobsson, Jingshan Luo
Summary: In the field of perovskite solar cells, evaluating and comparing stability has always been a challenge. This study proposes a single indicator to describe device stability and conducts a statistical analysis using data from over 7000 devices, providing important insights for achieving more stable perovskite solar cells.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mubai Li, Riming Sun, Jingxi Chang, Jingjin Dong, Qiushuang Tian, Hongze Wang, Zihao Li, Pinghui Yang, Haokun Shi, Chao Yang, Zichao Wu, Renzhi Li, Yingguo Yang, Aifei Wang, Shitong Zhang, Fangfang Wang, Wei Huang, Tianshi Qin
Summary: Incorporating mixed ion is a commonly used strategy to stabilize black-phase formamidinium lead iodide perovskite for high-efficiency solar cells. However, these devices commonly suffer from photoinduced phase segregation and humidity instability. The research found that the mixed halide perovskites generally fail to grow into a homogenous and high-crystalline film due to multiple pathways of crystal nucleation. To address this issue, a multifunctional fluorinated additive was designed to restrain the intermediate phases and promote oriented crystallization of the a-phase of perovskite. The polymerized additives in the perovskite film formation formed a hydrogen-bonded network to stabilize the a-phase and imparted a strongly hydrophobic effect to the film against liquid water.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hanyu Wang, Wenjing Zou, Yukun Ouyang, Xingchong Liu, Haimin Li, Hu Luo, Xiaopeng Zhao
Summary: The addition of oxamic acid potassium salt (OAPS) as a bifunctional additive to perovskite film effectively reduces nonradiative recombination loss, inhibits the formation of iodide Frenkel defects and I- ion migration, leading to enhanced power conversion efficiency and improved device stability.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Samira Vafaei, Mohammad Hossein Hekmatshoar, Farhang Abbasi
Summary: In this study, the optical, morphological, and photovoltaic properties of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells were investigated by embedding multi-walled carbon nanotubes grafted with poly(3-dodecylthiophene) (MWCNT-g-PDDT) and pure MWCNT into the active layer. It was found that the addition of 0.01% MWCNT-g-PDDT improved the photoresponse of the perovskite structure in the wavelength range of 400-800 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the addition of 0.01% MWCNT-g-PDDT reduced pin-holes and empty spaces, while enhancing the J(sc) and PCE through a reduction in series resistance and improved charge transfer.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zaiwei Wang, Lewei Zeng, Tong Zhu, Hao Chen, Bin Chen, Dominik J. Kubicki, Adam Balvanz, Chongwen Li, Aidan Maxwell, Esma Ugur, Roberto dos Reis, Matthew Cheng, Guang Yang, Biwas Subedi, Deying Luo, Juntao Hu, Junke Wang, Sam Teale, Suhas Mahesh, Sasa Wang, Shuangyan Hu, Eui Dae Jung, Mingyang Wei, So Min Park, Luke Grater, Erkan Aydin, Zhaoning Song, Nikolas J. Podraza, Zheng-Hong Lu, Jinsong Huang, Vinayak P. Dravid, Stefaan De Wolf, Yanfa Yan, Michael Gratzel, Merx G. Kanatzidis, Edward H. Sargent
Summary: Researchers have discovered that lattice distortion in iodide/bromide mixed perovskites can suppress phase segregation, leading to increased ion-migration energy barrier. By using an approximately 2.0-electron-volt rubidium/caesium mixed-cation inorganic perovskite with large lattice distortion, they achieved an efficiency of 24.3% in all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells. This is the first reported certified efficiency for perovskite-based triple-junction solar cells.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lidia Romani, Andrea Speltini, Francesco Ambrosio, Edoardo Mosconi, Antonella Profumo, Marcello Marelli, Serena Margadonna, Antonella Milella, Francesco Fracassi, Andrea Listorti, Filippo De Angelis, Lorenzo Malavasi
Summary: This study presents a water-stable metal halide perovskite and demonstrates its application in promoting photocatalysis in aqueous medium, leading to impressive hydrogen evolution rate. The composite with g-C3N4 shows synergistic activity and efficient photocatalytic performance in water, paving the way for a new class of light-driven catalysts.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hehe Huang, Xuliang Zhang, Chenyu Zhao, Jianyu Yuan
Summary: In this study, a hybrid strategy using the conjugated polyelectrolyte PFN-Br and all-inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) is reported. By passivating the surface of CsPbI3 QDs with hydrophobic PFN-Br, the defect states and migration of halide ions can be reduced, leading to improved stability and a champion efficiency of 15.07% for the hybrid PFN-Br/CsPbI3 QD solar cell.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kai Zou, Qihua Li, Jingquan Fan, Hebing Tang, Lixin Chen, Shuxia Tao, Tingting Xu, Wei Huang
Summary: Surface passivation is an effective strategy to reduce defects in perovskite solar cells. In this study, the passivation effects of pyridine and its derivatives with different functional groups were compared. Py-NH2 was found to be the best passivation agent, reducing defect density and improving conversion efficiency and long-term stability in carbon-based perovskite solar cells.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Zhang, Shurong Wang, Huanhuan Yao, Zhiyue Tang, Liming Ding, Feng Hao
Summary: In this study, the phase separation of PEDOT and PSS chains in the film was controlled by ammonium carbamate (AC), resulting in a modified film with lower trap density and more facile carrier transport. As a result, tin halide perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) using the modified PEDOT:PSS film achieved a significantly improved short-circuit photocurrent (J(sc)), open-circuit voltage (V-oc), and power conversion efficiency (PCE).
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Wu, Guoqing Xiong, Ziyao Yue, Ziyao Dong, Yuanhang Cheng
Summary: This review article discusses the defects in wide-bandgap mixed-halide perovskite solar cells and their detrimental effects on material and device performance. Various device engineering strategies for defect passivation are summarized, providing insights for future development of wide-bandgap mixed-halide perovskite solar cells.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Erik C. Garnett, Bruno Ehrler, Albert Polman, Esther Alarcon-Llado
Summary: Photovoltaic systems have achieved impressive efficiencies, but there is still room for improvement to reach the fundamental efficiency limit. Photonic design plays a crucial role in approaching the efficiency limit, enhancing light absorption and trapping, and advancing the next generation of solar cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bin Zhu, Ding Yi, Yuxi Wang, Hongyu Sun, Gang Sha, Gong Zheng, Erik C. Garnett, Bozhi Tian, Feng Ding, Jia Zhu
Summary: By experiment and theoretical exploration, the self-inhibition effect of manganese incorporation in nanoscaled silicon has been confirmed, which leads to the suppression of metal incorporation and improves the transport properties of corresponding field-effect devices.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Susan A. Rigter, Xueying L. Quinn, Rishi E. Kumar, David P. Fenning, Philippe Massonnet, Shane R. Ellis, Ron M. A. Heeren, Katrine L. Svane, Aron Walsh, Erik C. Garnett
Summary: The addition of acetate precursors promotes rapid desolvation for making a variety of compositions of amorphous lead halide perovskite films. By controlling the amount of acetate, the transition from fully crystalline to fully amorphous films can be tuned, resulting in an intermediate state with crystalline islands embedded in an amorphous matrix.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Zhoumuyan Geng, Johanna Theenhaus, Biplab K. Patra, Jian-Yao Zheng, Joris Busink, Erik C. Garnett, Said R. K. Rodriguez
Summary: The study demonstrates that even a modest numerical aperture can artificially generate Fano resonances and Rabi splittings. These artificial features may obscure the anticrossing of a strongly coupled light-matter system.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Julia S. van der Burgt, Christian D. Dieleman, Eric Johlin, Jaco J. Geuchies, Arjan J. Houtepen, Bruno Ehrler, Erik C. Garnett
Summary: Accurately controlling light emission using nano- and microstructured lenses and antennas is an active field of research. In this work, highly directional light emission from patterned quantum dots aligned underneath all-dielectric nanostructured microlenses was achieved through direct electron beam patterning, refined lens fabrication, and a new measurement technique combining integrating sphere microscopy with Fourier microscopy. High directivity was observed from three different materials emitting at different wavelengths.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sven H. C. Askes, Erik C. Garnett
Summary: Plasmonic photochemistry is driven by a rich collection of mechanisms such as near-field effects, hot charge carriers, energy transfer, and thermal effects, often achieved through continuous wave illumination. By judiciously choosing nanoreactor geometry and materials, direct thermal imprint of plasmonic optical absorption hotspots onto the lattice can be achieved with high fidelity. Transition metal nitrides show ideal material properties for unprecedented peak temperatures and internal heat gradients, outperforming noble metals by up to ten thousand times in pulsed photothermal chemical conversion, opening up a completely unexplored realm of nano-photochemistry.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Huygen J. Joebsis, Valentina M. Caselli, Sven H. C. Askes, Erik C. Garnett, Tom J. Savenije, Freddy T. Rabouw, Eline M. Hutter
Summary: The study investigates the optoelectronic properties of Cs2AgBiBr6 (CABB) thin films using steady state and transient absorption and reflectance spectroscopy, revealing distortions in optical measurements and discussing the pathways behind conductivity loss in the films.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Eitan Oksenberg, Ilan Shlesinger, Angelos Xomalis, Andrea Baldi, Jeremy J. Baumberg, A. Femius Koenderink, Erik C. Garnett
Summary: By monitoring the interfacial environment of a thousand single nanocavities with slightly varied resonance energies, an effective absorption spectrum of metal-bound molecules and a rich plasmon-driven chemistry landscape was constructed. The unavoidable energy losses associated with metals can carry valuable information on energy transfer to the adsorbed molecules. Using methylene blue as a model system, shifts in the absorption spectrum of molecules following surface adsorption were measured, revealing a rich plasmon-driven reactivity landscape with distinct reaction pathways occurring in separate resonance energy windows.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christian D. Dieleman, Julia van der Burgt, Neha Thakur, Erik C. Garnett, Bruno Ehrler
Summary: Lead-halide perovskite (LHP) nanocrystals are an interesting material platform due to their easy synthesis and compositional versatility, allowing for tunable band gap and high photoluminescence quantum yield. Patterning colloidal LHP nanocrystals with electron-beam lithography can lead to more intricate designs and improve efficiencies. Despite some reduction in luminescent properties, this research represents a step towards patterning LHP nanocrystals at the nanoscale for device fabrication.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tom Veeken, Benjamin Daiber, Harshal Agrawal, Mark Aarts, Esther Alarcon-Llado, Erik C. Garnett, Bruno Ehrler, Jorik van de Groep, Albert Polman
Summary: We introduce a soft-stamping method for printing a homogenous layer of CdSeTe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots on Si nanocylinders. By engineered coupling of the quantum dots to resonant modes, we achieve accurate control of the angular emission. Experimental measurements support the simulation results and demonstrate the potential applications of the soft imprint technique in integrating optical emitters with nanophotonic geometries.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Julia S. van der Burgt, Francesca Scalerandi, Jeroen J. de Boer, Susan A. Rigter, Erik C. Garnett
Summary: In this work, the photo-induced halide segregation in perovskites is utilized to achieve responsive, reconfigurable, and self-optimizing materials, enabling directional light emission through training with a nanophotonic microlens. The self-optimized material shows the characteristics of mimicking, improving over time, and memory, which are essential for learning, and holds the intriguing prospect of intelligent optoelectronic materials.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eitan Oksenberg, Ilan Shlesinger, Gokcen Tek, A. Femius Koenderink, Erik C. C. Garnett
Summary: The surface-enhanced counterparts of Raman scattering (SERS) and infrared (IR) absorption (SEIRAS) are commonly used to probe and identify nanoscale matter and small populations of molecules. In this study, a complementary surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopy approach is presented to probe the vibrational signature of metal-bound molecular monolayers. Nanocavities are designed and produced with sharp and tunable visible (VIS) and mid-IR gap resonances by placing nanorods on a mirror that is coated with a thin dielectric spacer.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anna Capitaine, Mehrnaz Bochet-Modaresialam, Peeranuch Poungsripong, Cleimence Badie, Vasile Heresanu, Olivier Margeat, Lionel Santinacci, David Grosso, Erik Garnett, Beniamino Sciacca
Summary: Large scale and low-cost nanopatterning of materials is of tremendous interest in optoelectronic devices. Nanoimprint lithography, a promising strategy for high-throughput nanofabrication, is enabled by pattern replication of an electron-beam lithography (EBL) master into PDMS. However, the use of colloidal nanoparticles as resist materials for nanoimprint lithography is still lacking deep understanding. In this study, supported metallic nanocubes and the surfactant layer trapped between nanocubes and the substrate were investigated to gain insights into nanoparticle imprinting. The results reveal the importance of a minimum thickness of the surfactant layer in mitigating van der Waals forces and enabling optimal nanoparticle mobility.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Julia S. van der Burgt, Susan A. Rigter, Nelson de Gaay Fortman, Erik C. Garnett
Summary: A system that overcomes the limitations of solar tracking and poor absorption of diffuse sunlight by utilizing light-induced halide segregation in mixed halide perovskite films is presented. By using a monolayer of silica microspheres to focus direct sunlight, a low bandgap region is formed in the focal point through light-induced phase segregation, resulting in an increase in voltage characteristic for concentrating systems. Diffuse sunlight is still absorbed by the high bandgap material, avoiding the loss of diffuse sunlight seen in conventional concentrators. The concept shows a 6.6% absolute increase in power conversion efficiency compared to the film without microspheres, indicating the promising potential for a self-optimizing concentrating system.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hongyu Sun, Sarah Gillespie, Susan A. Rigter, Julia S. van der Burgt, Kunal Datta, Erik C. Garnett
Summary: Back-contact perovskite solar cells have the potential for high efficiency, but currently reported efficiencies are lower than planar perovskite solar cells. This study investigates the loss mechanisms that cause the low efficiency in back-contact perovskite solar cells. The results identify front surface recombination, increased nonradiative recombination at the hole contact layer/perovskite interface, and extraction barriers as the main mechanisms limiting high efficiencies.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)