Article
Energy & Fuels
Aycan Atli, Abdullah Yildiz
Summary: An opaque platinum film as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells demonstrates enhanced reflectivity, smaller resistance, and excellent adhesion properties. As a result, the DSSC with the opaque platinum film achieves a higher electrical power conversion efficiency compared to the transparent platinum film under the same conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
S. Visnupriya, N. Prabavathi, P. Vijayakumar, N. Santhosh, K. Pradeeswari
Summary: This work presents a facile route for fabricating bimetallic (tungsten and molybdenum)-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as a promising electrocatalyst for dye-sensitized solar cells. The properties of the nanocomposites were investigated using various characterization tools, and their photovoltaic and electrochemical performance were evaluated. The bimetallic nanocomposites exhibited comparable power conversion efficiency to traditional materials and could be a feasible alternative with reduced production cost.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
J. Luo, J. C. Liu, Z. Q. Zhao, S. H. Sun, Y. Zhu, Y. M. Hu
Summary: Orthogonal Cu3SnS4 (CTS) nano-crystals were synthesized, with Cu7S4 seeds forming first at 130 degrees C and orthorhombic CTS nano-crystals forming at 180 degrees C. Selenization at 500 degrees C for 20 minutes resulted in the formation of CTSXSe4-X, which showed good conductivity and electrocatalytic activity for I-3(-) reduction when used as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. The optimal 1.7 μm thick CTSXSe4-X counter electrode achieved a power conversion efficiency of 7.57%.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Paolo Mariani, Antonio Agresti, Luigi Vesce, Sara Pescetelli, Alessandro Lorenzo Palma, Flavia Tomarchio, Panagiotis Karagiannidis, Andrea C. Ferrari, Aldo Di Carlo
Summary: The Z-type Dye Sensitized Solar Modules with screen printed graphene-based vertical interconnects prevent corrosion of interconnects in contact with electrolytic species and demonstrate a significant enhancement in power conversion efficiency compared to conventional Ag interconnects. The modules show a stability of 1000 hours under 85 degrees C stress test, paving the way for original design layouts with decreased dead area and increased generated power per aperture area.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yonrapach Areerob, Chaowalit Hamontree, Phitchan Sricharoen, Nunticha Limchoowong, Sakchai Laksee, Won-Chun Oh, Kongsak Pattarith
Summary: A novel gamma-irradiated chitosan-doped reduced graphene-CuInS2 composite was used as the counter electrode to address the issues associated with traditional counter electrodes. It exhibited higher photovoltaic efficiency compared to a Pt-based device.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Md. Mahbubur Rahman
Summary: The novel nickel nitroprusside (NNP) nanoparticles incorporated with graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) were successfully utilized as a low-cost and effective counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This nanohybrid CE showed significantly improved electrocatalytic behavior for redox reactions and achieved a comparable photovoltaic performance to the reference Pt-CE, demonstrating its potential as a suitable replacement for Pt-CE in DSSCs.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Can Zou, Mengjiong Chen, Ziren Zhou, Shuang Yang, Yu Hou, Huagui Yang
Summary: This study presents a novel hierarchical Co3O4/graphene oxide composite material as the CE material for DSSCs, demonstrating photovoltaic performance comparable to traditional Pt CE, attributed to its excellent electrocatalytic activity and high conductivity.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Mathew K. Francis, P. Balaji Bhargav, N. Santhosh, Nafis Ahmed, C. Balaji, R. Govindaraj
Summary: MoS2-based transition metal dichalcogenide nanoflowers were synthesized using the hydrothermal method in this study to examine their potential as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). MoS2-HCP counter electrode showed better electrochemical performance with 5% power conversion efficiency achieved. The bifacial concept of DSSC was demonstrated with 2.2% power conversion efficiency under rear-side illumination.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hina Pervaiz, Zuhair S. Khan, Nadia Shahzad, Ghulam Ali, Naseem Iqbal, Sofia Javed
Summary: This study introduces a method for synthesizing and depositing organic/inorganic composite ink for the preparation of counter electrodes in flexible dye-sensitized solar cells. The results demonstrate that the composite ink-based counter electrodes exhibit higher catalytic activity, power conversion efficiencies, and redox diffusion rate compared to traditional counter electrodes.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
U. A. Kamarulzaman, M. Y. A. Rahman, M. S. Su'ait, A. A. Umar
Summary: NiPd alloy-rGO prepared by LPD technique was studied as CE for DSSC, showing potential to replace Pt with comparable efficiency. Ni content and Ni:Pd ratio were found to significantly influence the device performance.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abdelaal S. A. Ahmed, Wanchun Xiang, Fatma S. M. Hashem, Xiujian Zhao
Summary: By preparing CB-SiO2 composite as CEs for DSSCs, higher electrocatalytic activity and power conversion efficiency can be achieved. Increasing the thickness of CE significantly enhances the performance of the devices.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Lu Zhang, Weichao Chen, Ting Wang, Yunjiang Li, Chunhui Ma, Yuxiao Zheng, Jian Gong
Summary: This study presents a one-step strategy for loading PW11Co polyoxometalates on graphene-like Co0.85Se on conductive glass substrates, forming a transparent PW11Co/Co0.85Se composite counter electrode with excellent electrocatalytic performance. The efficiencies of DSSCs using this composite electrode are higher than those with Pt or pure Co0.85Se electrodes, marking the first use of polyoxometalates in bifacial DSSCs and expanding their application in photoelectronic devices.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Arimakula Chamatam Kasi Reddy, Maddala Gurulakshmi, Parnapalli Muni Mounika, Ambapuram Meenakshamma, Katta Venkateswarlu, Yorva Pedda Venkata Subbaiah, Mitty Raghavender
Summary: Counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were fabricated using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and platinum (Pt) solution, with high transparency and adhesion on an FTO glass substrate, through the Marker pen lithography coating method. The morphology and roughness of the PEDOT:PSS-MPL and Pt-MPL CEs were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), while the electrochemical properties were evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The device performance was assessed through current density-voltage (J-V) measurements, with the Pt-MPL and PEDOT:PSS-MPL CEs achieving power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 4.25% and 3.00%, respectively, compared to dip coated PEDOT:PSS-DC and Pt-DC CEs.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Fan Yang, Yurui Gao, Pengcheng Zhao, Yuan He, Yuqiao Wang
Summary: In this study, 1D ZnO@C@MoS(2) nanoarrays on conducting glass were fabricated as an effective counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. The power conversion efficiency reached 3.61% due to enhanced electron transfer and electrocatalytic activity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shanmuganathan Venkatesan, Wei-Hsun Lin, Tzu-Hsien Hsu, Hsisheng Teng, Yuh-Lang Lee
Summary: The research focuses on developing high-performance counter electrodes for bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells using nonplatinum material to achieve low-cost and high-efficiency solar cells. By controlling the thickness of the PEDOT film, higher cell performance was achieved. The newly developed sandwich photoelectrode structure exhibited higher efficiency for the solar cells.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Siva Nemala Sankar, Joao Fernandes, Marilia Barreiros dos Santos, Begona Espina, Pedro Alpuim, Ander Garcia Diez, Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez, Lalita Saini, Suvigya Kaushik, Gopinadhan Kalon, Andrea Capasso
Summary: In this study, an efficient and green strategy was proposed to fabricate mu m-thick, graphene-based laminates by liquid phase exfoliation and vacuum filtration. The membranes showed structural and mechanical stability during long-term operation in water, and exhibited size selection and anion-selectivity in ion transport studies. Additionally, the membranes demonstrated high rejection rates and antibacterial properties. Therefore, these green graphene-based membranes offer a viable option for future water management applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rui M. R. Pinto, Siva Sankar Nemala, Mohammadmahdi Faraji, Joao Fernandes, Clara Ponte, Giovanni De Bellis, Aritz Retolaza, K. B. Vinayakumar, Andrea Capasso
Summary: Material jetting techniques allow selective deposition of droplets of materials in liquid or powder form by drop-on-demand printing. This study printed zero-dimensional multi-layer shell-structured fullerene material on polyethylene terephthalate substrates using drop-on-demand inkjet printing. The printed CNO structures showed high sensitivity to temperature and humidity, making them potential candidates for inkjet-printed technologies such as environmental and gas sensors.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Tommaso Venanzi, Lorenzo Graziotto, Francesco Macheda, Simone Sotgiu, Taoufiq Ouaj, Elena Stellino, Claudia Fasolato, Paolo Postorino, Vaidotas Miseikis, Marvin Metzelaars, Paul Koegerler, Bernd Beschoten, Camilla Coletti, Stefano Roddaro, Matteo Calandra, Michele Ortolani, Christoph Stampfer, Francesco Mauri, Leonetta Baldassarre
Summary: We performed resonance Raman spectroscopy measurements on graphene with excitation photon energy as low as 1.16 eV to investigate the interaction between low-energy carriers and lattice vibrations. By utilizing excitation energy close to the Dirac point at K, we observed a significant increase in the intensity ratio between the double-resonant 2D and 2D' peaks compared to graphite. Through theoretical calculations, we determined that this observation is attributed to an enhanced, momentum-dependent coupling between electrons and Brillouin zone-boundary optical phonons, which has implications for modeling transport in graphene devices operating at room temperature.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Mbaye Dieng, Siva Sankar, Pingping Ni, Ileana Florea, Pedro Alpuim, Andrea Capasso, Abderrahim Yassar, Fatima Zahra Bouanis
Summary: Large-scale production of solution-processable graphene nanosheets (GNSs) has opened up possibilities for their use as gas sensors. This study demonstrates the fabrication of functional gas sensors using a scalable deposition method and non-covalent functionalization of GNS films with Co-porphyrin and Fe-phthalocyanines. The chemiresistive sensor response of the functionalized GNSs towards low concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was significantly improved compared to pristine GNSs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Valeria Milotti, Stefania Cacovich, Davide Raffaele Ceratti, Daniel Ory, Jessica Barichello, Fabio Matteocci, Aldo Di Carlo, Polina M. Sheverdyaeva, Philip Schulz, Paolo Moras
Summary: This study tracks the evolution of the chemical and optoelectronic properties of FAPbBr(3) films under soft X-ray irradiation using photoemission spectroscopy and micro-photoluminescence. Two contrasting processes are observed during irradiation: material degradation and self-healing. The degradation is characterized by the formation of Pb-0 metallic clusters, loss of gaseous Br-2, and decrease and shift of the photoluminescence emission. The recovery of the photoluminescence signal is attributed to self-healing through the re-oxidation of Pb-0 and migration of FA(+) and Br- ions. This degradation/self-healing effect has the potential to extend the lifetime of perovskite-based X-ray detectors.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jie Xu, Suresh Kumar Podapangi, Sathy Harshavardhan Reddy, Luigi Angelo Castriotta, Aldo Di Carlo, Thomas M. Brown
Summary: This study investigates the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under indoor and outdoor light conditions, and finds that the bromine content has a significant effect on the bandgap of the cells. By analyzing the crystal structure, morphology, and optoelectronic properties, the study proposes key parameters and threshold values for achieving indoor efficiencies greater than 25%. This research provides useful insights for the development of improved PSCs for indoor applications.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nabarun Saha, Giuseppe Brunetti, Mario N. N. Armenise, Aldo Di Carlo, Caterina Ciminelli
Summary: Perovskite-based solar cells have shown great potential in developing renewable energy sources. Graphene as an electron transport layer can improve charge collection and sustainability of perovskite cells. Numerical investigation suggests that incorporating graphene-TiO2 nano-composite in the electron transport layer can significantly enhance power conversion efficiency, with an optimum graphene concentration of around 1%.
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Anubhab Dey, Nathan Cottam, Oleg Makarovskiy, Wenjing Yan, Vaidotas Miseikis, Camilla Coletti, James Kerfoot, Vladimir Korolkov, Laurence Eaves, Jasper F. Linnartz, Arwin Kool, Steffen Wiedmann, Amalia Patane
Summary: Researchers discovered the quantum Hall effect in graphene encapsulated by the ferroelectric insulator CuInP2S6, which is significant for compact resistance standards that can operate at room temperature.
COMMUNICATIONS PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Marco Simone, Santi Concetto Pavone, Matteo Bruno Lodi, Nicola Curreli, Giacomo Muntoni, Alessandro Fanti, Gino Sorbello, Giuseppe Mazzarella
Summary: This work proposes a dual linearly polarized antenna array for 5G mm-wave band that is compatible with planar printed circuit board technology. The antenna aims to simplify the geometry and address manufacturing issues. Evaluation shows a 7% impedance bandwidth at 27.28 GHz and beam steering capability within ±30% angular width for linear polarizations. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed antenna for 5G mm-wave band applications, where compatibility with planar printed circuit board technology and simplified antenna geometry are crucial design requirements.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Matteo Bruno Lodi, Nicola Curreli, Chiara Dachena, Alessandro Fedeli, Rosa Scapaticci, Andrea Randazzo, Matteo Pastorino, Alessandro Fanti
Summary: Magnetic biomaterials are investigated as theranostic platforms for biomedical applications, particularly for performing local hyperthermia treatment after bone cancer resection. This study explores the feasibility of using a microwave monitoring system to track the treatment process. Numerical simulations show that using magnetic scaffolds for interstitial hyperthermia results in significant variations in the transmission coefficient, which can be correlated with the average tumor temperature.
IEEE JOURNAL OF ELECTROMAGNETICS RF AND MICROWAVES IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aswin Asaithambi, Nastaran Kazemi Tofighi, Michele Ghini, Nicola Curreli, P. James Schuck, Ilka Kriegel
Summary: In recent years, the scientific community has shown interest in the interfacial carrier dynamics of low-dimensional hybrid structures, particularly in terms of charge transfer and energy transfer. The combination of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and nanocrystals (NCs) in these structures offers new technological possibilities for electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as transistors or photodetectors. This review focuses on the energy transfer and charge transfer interaction mechanisms in TMD/NC hybrid systems, highlighting the quantum well nature of these semiconductors and discussing state-of-the-art protocols for their structure formation.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Farshad Jafarzadeh, Luigi Angelo Castriotta, Francesca De Rossi, Jazib Ali, Francesco Di Giacomo, Aldo Di Carlo, Fabio Matteocci, Francesca Brunetti
Summary: This paper introduces sustainable flexible perovskite solar modules (flex-PSMs) where all layers are blade coated in ambient air without toxic solvents. By additive engineering, morphology was improved, voids in the perovskite layer were limited, and efficiency of 14% was achieved. Scalability of the process was demonstrated with the manufacturing of 94 cm(2) modules.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Min Jung Kim, Gabriel Moreira, Nicola Lisi, Namwon Kim, Wooyoung Shim, Gwan-Hyoung Lee, Andrea Capasso
Summary: This study reports a solvent-free transfer technique for monolayer graphene using cyclododecane (CDD) as a supporting coating, which can efficiently transfer graphene to a desired substrate without the need for post-transfer cleaning treatment. This technique paves the way for the widespread adoption of graphene in various applications.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sahar Majidi-Nezhad, Negin Sabahi, Hashem Shahroosvand, Narges Yaghoobi Nia, Aldo Di Carlo
Summary: Researchers have developed a dopant-free hole-transporting material (HTM) for efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The new HTM, based on imidazole phenanthrene derivatives, is cost-effective and exhibits higher power conversion efficiency and light stability compared to benchmark materials. This breakthrough in engineering additive-free PSCs could lead to low-cost and high-stability solar cells.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Giuseppe Ammirati, Daniele Catone, Patrick O'Keeffe, Francesco Toschi, Stefano Turchini, Fabio Matteocci, Jessica Barichello, Aldo Di Carlo, Faustino Martelli
Summary: In this study, radiative recombination from an electron-hole liquid in FAPbBr3 thin films was observed. It was found that additional signals of electron-hole plasma and electron-hole liquid recombination bands emerged as the excitation intensity increased.