Article
Energy & Fuels
Kyeong Su Kim, Woosung Lee, Jae Woong Jung
Summary: This study aims to optimize the interfaces in Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite (RPP) solar cells by incorporating fullerene derivative or non-fullerene organic semiconductor with tin(IV) oxide (SnO2). The organic semiconductors smooth out the bumpy surface of SnO2, preventing unintended electron-hole recombination. The development of the organic-inorganic bilayered interfaces also improves the electronic structure of SnO2, providing favorable optoelectronic properties. In addition, the hydrophobic organic semiconductor enhances the stability of the perovskite absorber layer. The optimized bilayer interfaces significantly enhance the power conversion efficiency of RPP-based photovoltaic devices.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Dandan Qu, Tonghui Guo, Jing Zhang, Zhiqiang Deng, Zequn Zhang, Rui Zhao, Xiaohui Liu, Ziyang Hu, Like Huang, Yuejin Zhu
Summary: This study successfully improved the charge transport efficiency and device stability of inverted perovskite solar cells by applying bi-functional dipole layers at the PCBM/Ag back interface, promoting electron transport and reducing recombination, while also enhancing the durability of the device.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Su Ryong Ha, Saemon Yoon, Sangwon Eom, Woo Hyeon Jeong, Jeseob Woo, Jonghee Yang, Daekyung Sung, Jae Taek Oh, Hong In Jeong, Won Il Choi, Youngjong Kang, Bo Ram Lee, Dong-Won Kang, Hyosung Choi
Summary: This study successfully controlled the grain sizes of MAPbI(3) perovskite films by inducing solubility-dependent aggregation of phenyl-C-60-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) molecules in the solution, leading to improved performance and stability of PeSCs. By modulating the solubility of PCBM in solution, the grain size can be tuned to enhance the power conversion efficiency and current density of the solar cells.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hyun-Jung Lee, Seok-In Na
Summary: This study comprehensively investigates and compares the performance of PCBM/ZnO and C-60/BCP as electron transport layer materials in high-performance perovskite solar cells. The results show that PCBM/ZnO has higher energy conversion efficiency, while C-60/BCP exhibits better stability.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xuewen Sun, Meng Li, Qinyuan Qiu, Jian Song, Lei Zhu, Yinghuai Qiang
Summary: This study presents a simple and effective interface engineering method for enhancing the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. By introducing a PCBM layer on TiO2 ETL, defects on the TiO2 surface are passivated, electron extraction is promoted, and the quality of the perovskite film is improved, resulting in significantly higher device efficiency.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Vinayak Vitthal Satale, Neetesh Kumar, Hock Beng Lee, Manoj Mayaji Ovhal, Sagnik Chowdhury, Barkha Tyagi, Asmaa Mohamed, Jae-Wook Kang
Summary: Developing an efficient electron transport layer (ETL) with low defects, high optical transparency, and charge selectivity is crucial for high-performance perovskite solar cell (PSC) devices. In this study, a low-temperature fabrication method for tin oxide (SnO2) ETLs with a bilayer structure and inkjet-printing of triple-cation perovskite films were demonstrated. The optimized SnO2-bilayer ETL exhibited a nano-granule-textured surface, fewer defects, and a cascade conduction band position with the inkjet-printed perovskite film. The champion PSC device based on the SnO2-bilayer ETL and inkjet-printed perovskite film achieved a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of approximately 16.9%, significantly higher than the device using conventional SnO2 ETL (PCE approximately 14.8%). The improved photovoltaic performance of the SnO2-bilayer-based device can be attributed to enhanced charge transport and reduced recombination at the ETL/perovskite interface. The presented SnO2-bilayer ETL and inkjet-printed perovskite films have great potential for large-scale manufacturing of photovoltaic modules.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Maomao Zhang, Qiuxia Lu, Xiaojing Liu, Kun Gao, Zhong An
Summary: This study investigates the effect of an infrared push pulse on the relaxed exciton in conjugated polymers and demonstrates the favorable delocalization effect of hot exciton for charge generation. The results suggest that the driving field required for the dissociation of hot exciton is significantly reduced compared to relaxed exciton. The influence of photoexcitation conditions on charge generation is discussed.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Caixuan Wang, Xiaoming Ma, Yi-fan Shen, Dan Deng, Hao Zhang, Tong Wang, Jianqi Zhang, Jing Li, Rui Wang, Lili Zhang, Qian Cheng, Ziqi Zhang, Huiqiong Zhou, Chenyang Tian, Zhixiang Wei
Summary: In this study, a star-shaped giant trimer (G-Trimer) is reported for the fabrication of organic solar cells with high efficiency, long-term stability, and scalability using o-xylene. It shows great potential as a commercial photovoltaic material compared to linear-shaped dimers and polymers. The unique star-shaped architecture and high molecular weight of G-Trimer result in a temperature-dependent aggregation property and the relaxation of disordered entanglements, leading to a low energetic disorder fibrous morphology in the active layer. This enables long charge lifetime and efficient dual hole-transfer channels under low driving force, resulting in record efficiencies. The device also exhibits a small kinetically trapped morphology with high Tg, giving it a T90 of longer than 4,500 h after continuous heating at 80 degrees C without further decay. These findings provide important guidance for the development of high-performance photovoltaic materials for commercialization.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kui Jiang, Jie Zhang, Zhengxing Peng, Francis Lin, Shengfan Wu, Zhen Li, Yuzhong Chen, He Yan, Harald Ade, Zonglong Zhu, Alex K. -Y. Jen
Summary: High-efficiency OSCs with a pseudo-bilayer architecture and optimized ternary system exhibit longer exciton diffusion length and higher power conversion efficiency. The pseudo-bilayer architecture shows excellent potential for future OSC applications.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jianping Zhou, Yikun Hua, Biyu Long, Sumei Huang, Xiaohong Chen
Summary: Using interface modification is an effective method to improve the crystallinity and stability of perovskite solar cells. P-type poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) inserted at the interface of perovskite and electron transport layer (ETL) can enhance the crystallinity and stability of the cells. However, pure PVK modification is sensitive to thickness and UV exposure, resulting in limited improvement compared to reference cells.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaolin Sun, Lu Li, Shanshan Shen, Fang Wang
Summary: We demonstrated a bilayer electron transport layer (ETL) architecture for high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs), with a chemical-bath-deposition-based titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin layer and a spin-coating-based tin oxide (SnO2) thin layer. The bilayer ETL not only produces larger grain size of PSCs, but also provides higher current density and reduced hysteresis. Compared to mono-ETL PCSs with an efficiency of 16.16%, the bilayer ETL device features a higher efficiency of 17.64%.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Junyi Feng, Guanzhao Wen, Rong Hu, Jun Peng, Hong Lu, Ningjiu Zhao, Xianshao Zou, Wei Zhang
Summary: Recent research has shown that low-energy offset polymer solar cells (PSCs) can achieve a power conversion efficiency of over 19%. The study investigates the correlation between energy offsets and the charge photogeneration process in Y-series molecule-based PSCs. The findings reveal the importance of energy offsets for efficient charge photogeneration and recombination in ultrafast timescales for high-performance PSCs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zongheng Sun, Ming Liu, Yurong Zhou, Qi Wang, Ying Yang, Yuqin Zhou, Fengzhen Liu
Summary: The study investigated hybrid solar cells with PCBM layer inserted between metal electrode and textured p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si(p)) substrate, achieving a high open-circuit voltage of 706mV and an efficiency of 20.0% after improving the quality of the PCBM/c-Si(p) contact by forming a SiOx thin layer. Analysis showed that the junction current in the hybrid device is dominated by the minority carrier diffusion current.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qian Li, Rui Wang, Chunfeng Zhang
Summary: Recently, the improvement in the performance of organic solar cells has been achieved by using nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) with acceptor-donor-acceptor structures. The intermolecular electronic interactions and delocalized excitations contribute significantly to the photocurrent generation. In this Perspective, recent studies on the excited-state dynamics and the role of delocalized excitations in charge generation and recombination processes in NFA-based organic solar cells are discussed. The intramoiety delocalized excitations in NFAs enable efficient photocharge generation in planar heterojunctions with reduced interfacial energy loss. Suggestions for further optimization of NFA-based devices are also provided.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qian Li, Rui Wang, Chunfeng Zhang
Summary: Recently, the development of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) with acceptor-donor-acceptor structures has greatly improved the performance of organic solar cells. The intermolecular electronic interactions between the donating and accepting units lead to intramoiety and interfacial delocalized excitations, which significantly contribute to photocurrent generation. This Perspective discusses the excited-state dynamics responsible for the working mechanism in NFA-based organic solar cells, emphasizing the role of delocalized excitations in charge generation and recombination processes. The intramoiety delocalized excitations in NFAs enable efficient charge separation without the formation of interfacial charge-transfer excitons, reducing interfacial energy loss in planar heterojunctions. Several research directions are suggested to further optimize NFA-based devices by elucidating the performance-limited processes.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiale Feng, Lupeng Yang, Alexander S. Romanov, Jirawit Ratanapreechachai, Antti-Pekka M. Reponen, Saul T. E. Jones, Mikko Linnolahti, Timothy J. H. Hele, Anna Koehler, Heinz Baessler, Manfred Bochmann, Dan Credgington
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Subeesh Madayanad Suresh, Eimantas Duda, David Hall, Zhen Yao, Sergey Bagnich, Alexandra M. Z. Slawin, Heinz Baessler, David Beljonne, Manfred Buck, Yoann Olivier, Anna Koehler, Eli Zysman-Colman
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
David Hall, Subeesh Madayanad Suresh, Paloma L. dos Santos, Eimantas Duda, Sergey Bagnich, Anton Pershin, Pachaiyappan Rajamalli, David B. Cordes, Alexandra M. Z. Slawin, David Beljonne, Anna Koehler, Ifor D. W. Samuel, Yoann Olivier, Eli Zysman-Colman
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Polymer Science
Philip Schmode, Konstantin Schoetz, Oleksandr Dolynchuk, Fabian Panzer, Anna Koehler, Thomas Thurn-Albrecht, Mukundan Thelakkat
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Heinz Baessler, Daniel Kroh, Franz Schauer, Vojtech Nadazdy, Anna Koehler
Summary: The study employs ER-EIS technique to investigate the DOS distributions of HOMO and LUMO states in organic semiconductors, revealing Gaussian-shaped cores with low energy tails in neat and blended films. Comparison between ER-EIS and PE/IPE spectra of P3HT suggests an overestimation of distribution width by a factor of 2-3 in the latter. Additionally, DOS width is found to increase in blends of MeLPPP and SF-PDI2 or PC(61)BM compared to neat films.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Electrochemistry
Suman Rathod, Nandini Jaiswal, M. K. Ravikumar, Satish Patil, Ashok Shukla
Summary: The addition of NaF additive in SLRFB enhances the kinetics of redox couples and results in faster electrode kinetics. However, binary additive leads to a decrease in peak current, but improves the uniformity of electrodeposits, thus enhancing the cycle-life of SLRFB.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Steponas Raisys, Ona Adomeniene, Povilas Adomenas, Alexander Rudnick, Anna Koehler, Karolis Kazlauskas
Summary: In this study, the diffusion and quenching of triplet excitons in solid state upconversion films based on two different BFA emitters and PtOEP sensitizer were investigated. It was found that the BFA-Ph film exhibited faster triplet exciton quenching rate, leading to optimal UC performance at lower temperatures than the BFA-Me film.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hannah Kurz, Konstantin Schoetz, Ilias Papadopoulos, Frank W. Heinemann, Harald Maid, Dirk M. Guldi, Anna Koehler, Gerald Hoerner, Birgit Weber
Summary: The study presents a family of planar nickel(II) complexes with sensitive CISSS tracked by fluorescence detection. These complexes fluoresce in noncoordinating solvents but are fluorescence-silent in the presence of axial ligands. FD-CISSS shows higher sensitivity compared to absorption-based CISSS.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tobias Meier, Heinz Baessler, Anna Koehler
Summary: The authors utilized kinetic Monte Carlo studies to investigate the impact of grain boundaries on the performance of OFET, finding that parameters controlling the position of the Fermi level affect charge transport. Guidelines for optimizing film morphology for different transport modes were derived from the research.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
R. Saxena, V. R. Nikitenko, I. I. Fishchuk, Ya Burdakov, Yu Metel, J. Genoe, H. Baessler, A. Koehler, A. Kadashchuk
Summary: The study found that the C factor for Marcus polaron hopping depends on the degree of carrier localization, whether quasi-equilibrium has been reached, and the sigma/E-a ratio. This implies that there is no universal scaling with respect to the relative contribution of polaron and disorder effect.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaojian Liao, Frank-Julian Kahle, Bin Liu, Heinz Baessler, Xinghong Zhang, Anna Koehler, Andreas Greiner
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2020)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Stefan Wedler, Axel Bourdick, Stavros Athanasopoulos, Stephan Gekle, Fabian Panzer, Caitlin McDowell, Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, Guillermo C. Bazan, Anna Koehler
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2020)
Article
Electrochemistry
Ankit Kumar, Debanjan Das, Debasish Sarkar, Satish Patil, Ashok Shukla
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mihirsinh Chauhan, Yu Zhong, Konstantin Schoetz, Brijesh Tripathi, Anna Koehler, Sven Huettner, Fabian Panzer
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2020)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Konstantin Schoetz, Abdelrahman M. Askar, Wei Peng, Dominik Seeberger, Tanaji P. Gujar, Mukundan Thelakkat, Anna Koehler, Sven Huettner, Osman M. Bakr, Karthik Shankar, Fabian Panzer
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2020)