1
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Mazzolini E, Pacalaj RA, Fu Y, Patil BR, Patidar R, Lu X, Watson TM, Durrant JR, Li Z, Gasparini N. Pathways to Upscaling Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells Using Green Solvents: A Study on Device Photophysics in the Transition from Lab-to-Fab. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2402637. [PMID: 38881529 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
As the rise of nonfullerene acceptors (NFA) has allowed lab-scale organic solar cells (OSC) to reach 20% efficiency, translating these devices into roll-to-roll compatible fabrication still poses many challenges for researchers. Among these are the use of green solvent solubility for large-scale manufacture, roll-to-roll compatible fabrication, and, not least, information on charge carrier dynamics in each upscaling step, to further understand the gap in performance. In this work, the reproducibility of champion devices using slot-die coating with 14% power conversion efficiency (PCE) is demonstrated, under the condition that the optimal thickness is maintained. It is further shown that for the donor:acceptor (D:A) blend PM6:Y12, the processing solvent has a more significant impact on charge carrier dynamics compared to the deposition technique. It is found that the devices processed with o-xylene feature a 40% decrease in the bimolecular recombination coefficient compared to those processed with CB, as well as a 70% increase in effective mobility. Finally, it is highlighted that blade-coating yields devices with similar carrier dynamics to slot-die coating, making it the optimal choice for lab-scale optimization with no significant loss in translation toward up-scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Mazzolini
- School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS), Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Richard A Pacalaj
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Yuang Fu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR 999077, China
| | - Bhushan R Patil
- SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN, UK
| | - Rahul Patidar
- SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN, UK
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR 999077, China
| | - Trystan M Watson
- SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN, UK
| | - James R Durrant
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN, UK
| | - Zhe Li
- School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS), Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Nicola Gasparini
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
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2
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Salem MS, Okil M, Shaker A, Abouelatta M, Aledaily AN, Al-Dhlan KA, Alshammari MT, Salah MM, El Sabbagh M. Optimizing Transport Carrier Free All-Polymer Solar Cells for Indoor Applications: TCAD Simulation under White LED Illumination. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1412. [PMID: 38794605 PMCID: PMC11124903 DOI: 10.3390/polym16101412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This work inspects the utilization of all-polymer solar cells (APSCs) in indoor applications under LED illumination, with a focus on boosting efficiency through simulation-based design. The study employs a SCAPS TCAD device simulator to investigate the performance of APSCs under white LED illumination at 1000 lux, with a power density of 0.305 mW/cm2. Initially, the simulator is validated against experimental results obtained from a fabricated cell utilizing CD1:PBN-21 as an absorber blend and PEDOT:PSS as a hole transportation layer (HTL), where the initial measured efficiency is 16.75%. The simulation study includes an examination of both inverted and conventional cell structures. In the conventional structure, where no electron transportation layer (ETL) is present, various materials are evaluated for their suitability as the HTL. NiO emerges as the most promising HTL material, demonstrating the potential to achieve an efficiency exceeding 27%. Conversely, in the inverted configuration without an HTL, the study explores different ETL materials to engineer the band alignment at the interface. Among the materials investigated, ZnS emerges as the optimal choice, recording an efficiency of approximately 33%. In order to reveal the efficiency limitations of these devices, the interface and bulk defects are concurrently investigated. The findings of this study underscore the significance of careful material selection and structural design in optimizing the performance of APSCs for indoor applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa S. Salem
- Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 55211, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Mohamed Okil
- Department of Basic Engineering Sciences, Benha Faculty of Engineering, Benha University, Benha 13512, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed Shaker
- Department of Engineering Physics and Mathematics, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt; (A.S.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Mohamed Abouelatta
- Electronics and Electrical Communication Department, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt;
| | - Arwa N. Aledaily
- Department of Information and Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 55211, Saudi Arabia; (A.N.A.); (K.A.A.-D.); (M.T.A.)
| | - Kawther A. Al-Dhlan
- Department of Information and Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 55211, Saudi Arabia; (A.N.A.); (K.A.A.-D.); (M.T.A.)
| | - Mohammad T. Alshammari
- Department of Information and Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 55211, Saudi Arabia; (A.N.A.); (K.A.A.-D.); (M.T.A.)
| | - Mostafa M. Salah
- Electrical Engineering Department, Future University in Egypt, Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Mona El Sabbagh
- Department of Engineering Physics and Mathematics, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt; (A.S.); (M.E.S.)
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3
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Sandhu S, Rahman MM, Yadagiri B, Kaliamurthy AK, Mensah AE, Lima FJ, Ahmed S, Park J, Kumar M, Lee JJ. Surface Reconstruction with Aprotic Trimethylsulfonium Iodide for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:4169-4180. [PMID: 38193456 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Organic ammonium salts are widely used for surface passivation to enhance the photovoltaic (PV) performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the protic nature of ammonium units results in the quick degradation of perovskites due to the hydrogen bonding interaction with water molecules. Recently, organo-sulfur compounds have attracted growing interest as passivation layers on three-dimensional perovskites due to their moisture-resistive behavior. Herein, trimethylsulfonium iodide (TMSI), an aprotic S-based organic compound, is employed for surface modification of methylammonium lead iodide-based PSCs to impede moisture penetration, improve charge transfer, and passivate surface defects. The TMSI effectively passivates uncoordinated Pb through Pb···S interactions, and the optimized PSC exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.03% with an open-circuit voltage of ca. 1.13 V under one-sun illumination, while it reached up to 37.58 and 37.69% under low-intensity indoor illuminations, 1000 and 2000 lx with LED 5000 K, respectively. TMSI-treated cells display enhanced device stability by retaining 92.7% of their initial PCE after 50 days of storage in ambient conditions. This study provides a novel and effective surface reconstruction strategy with aprotic materials to improve PV performance and device stability in PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Sandhu
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Md Mahbubur Rahman
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju 27478, Republic of Korea
| | - Bommaramoni Yadagiri
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Ashok Kumar Kaliamurthy
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Appiagyei Ewusi Mensah
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Farihatun Jannat Lima
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Saif Ahmed
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongdeok Park
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Manish Kumar
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Joon Lee
- Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct), Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
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4
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Kim TH, Yu BS, Ko HW, Park NW, Saeed MA, Ahn J, Jo S, Kim DY, Yoon SK, Lee KH, Jeong SY, Woo HY, Kim HJ, Kim TG, Park J, Park MC, Hwang DK, Shim JW. Self-Powering Sensory Device with Multi-Spectrum Image Realization for Smart Indoor Environments. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307523. [PMID: 37972308 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The development of organic-based optoelectronic technologies for the indoor Internet of Things market, which relies on ambient energy sources, has increased, with organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and photodetectors (OPDs) considered promising candidates for sustainable indoor electronic devices. However, the manufacturing processes of standalone OPVs and OPDs can be complex and costly, resulting in high production costs and limited scalability, thus limiting their use in a wide range of indoor applications. This study uses a multi-component photoactive structure to develop a self-powering dual-functional sensory device with effective energy harvesting and sensing capabilities. The optimized device demonstrates improved free-charge generation yield by quantifying charge carrier dynamics, with a high output power density of over 81 and 76 µW cm-2 for rigid and flexible OPVs under indoor conditions (LED 1000 lx (5200 K)). Furthermore, a single-pixel image sensor is demonstrated as a feasible prototype for practical indoor operating in commercial settings by leveraging the excellent OPD performance with a linear dynamic range of over 130 dB in photovoltaic mode (no external bias). This apparatus with high-performance OPV-OPD characteristics provides a roadmap for further exploration of the potential, which can lead to synergistic effects for practical multifunctional applications in the real world by their mutual relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Hyuk Kim
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung-Soo Yu
- Center for Opto-Electronic Materials and Devices, Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- Division of Nanoscience and Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Woo Ko
- Center for Opto-Electronic Materials and Devices, Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Na Won Park
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Muhammad Ahsan Saeed
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongtae Ahn
- Center for Opto-Electronic Materials and Devices, Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Suyeon Jo
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Center for Opto-Electronic Materials and Devices, Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Yeon Kim
- Department of Art and Technology, Seokyeong University, Seoul, 02713, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon Kyu Yoon
- Spatial Optical Information Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), Gwangju, 61007, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Hoon Lee
- Spatial Optical Information Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), Gwangju, 61007, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Young Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunwoo J Kim
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Geun Kim
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - JaeHong Park
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Chul Park
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Center for Opto-Electronic Materials and Devices, Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Do Kyung Hwang
- Center for Opto-Electronic Materials and Devices, Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- Division of Nanoscience and Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Won Shim
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
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5
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Soultati A, Verouti M, Polydorou E, Armadorou KK, Georgiopoulou Z, Palilis LC, Karatasios I, Kilikoglou V, Chroneos A, Coutsolelos AG, Argitis P, Vasilopoulou M. Efficient and Stable Air-Processed Ternary Organic Solar Cells Incorporating Gallium-Porphyrin as an Electron Cascade Material. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:2800. [PMID: 37887950 PMCID: PMC10609146 DOI: 10.3390/nano13202800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Two gallium porphyrins, a tetraphenyl GaCl porphyrin, termed as (TPP)GaCl, and an octaethylporphyrin GaCl porphyrin, termed as (OEP)GaCl, were synthesized to use as an electron cascade in ternary organic bulk heterojunction films. A perfect matching of both gallium porphyrins' energy levels with that of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) or poly[N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) polymer donor and the 6,6-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) fullerene acceptor, forming an efficient cascade system that could facilitate electron transfer between donor and acceptor, was demonstrated. Therefore, ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) using the two porphyrins in various concentrations were fabricated where a performance enhancement was obtained. In particular, (TPP)GaCl-based ternary OSCs of low concentration (1:0.05 vv%) exhibited a ~17% increase in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared with the binary device due to improved exciton dissociation, electron transport and reduced recombination. On the other hand, ternary OSCs with a high concentration of (TPP)GaCl (1:0.1 vv%) and (OEP)GaCl (1:0.05 and 1:0.1 vv%) showed the poorest efficiencies due to very rough nanomorphology and suppressed crystallinity of ternary films when the GaCl porphyrin was introduced to the blend, as revealed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The best performing devices also exhibited improved photostability when exposed to sunlight illumination for a period of 8 h than the binary OSCs, attributed to the suppressed photodegradation of the ternary (TPP)GaCl 1:0.05-based photoactive film.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Soultati
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Verouti
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
- Department of Physics, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patra, Greece
| | - Ermioni Polydorou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina-Kalliopi Armadorou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Zoi Georgiopoulou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
- Solid State Physics Section, Physics Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Ioannis Karatasios
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis Kilikoglou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Alexander Chroneos
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
- Department of Materials, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Athanassios G Coutsolelos
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Voutes Campus, P.O. Box 2208, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Argitis
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Vasilopoulou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
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6
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Balasubramanian S, León-Luna MÁ, Romero B, Madsen M, Turkovic V. Vitamin C for Photo-Stable Non-fullerene-acceptor-Based Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:39647-39656. [PMID: 37552771 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
The recent advent of the new class of organic molecules, the so-called non-fullerene acceptors, has resulted in skyrocketing power conversion efficiencies of organic solar cells. However, rapid degradation occurs under illumination, particularly when photocatalytic metal oxide electron transport layers are used in these devices. We introduced vitamin C (ascorbic acid) into the organic solar cells as a photostabilizer and systematically studied its photostabilizing effect on inverted PBDB-T:IT-4F devices. The presence of vitamin C as an antioxidant layer between the ZnO electron transport layer and the photoactive layer strongly suppressed the photocatalytic effect of ZnO that induces NFA photodegradation. Upon 96 h of exposure to AM 1.5G 1 Sun irradiation, the reference devices lost 64% of their initial efficiency, while those containing vitamin C lost only 38%. The UV-visible absorption, impedance spectroscopy, and light-dependent voltage and current measurements reveal that vitamin C reduces the photobleaching of NFA molecules and suppresses the charge recombination. This simple approach using a low-cost, naturally occurring antioxidant, provides an efficient strategy for improving photostability of organic semiconductor-based devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sambathkumar Balasubramanian
- SDU Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics and Thin-film Energy Devices─CAPE, Mads Clausen Institute (MCI), Alsion 2, Sønderborg 6400, Denmark
- SDU Climate Cluster, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5230, Denmark
| | - Miguel Ángel León-Luna
- SDU Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics and Thin-film Energy Devices─CAPE, Mads Clausen Institute (MCI), Alsion 2, Sønderborg 6400, Denmark
- SDU Climate Cluster, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5230, Denmark
| | - Beatriz Romero
- Electronic Technology Area, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Mostoles 28933, Spain
| | - Morten Madsen
- SDU Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics and Thin-film Energy Devices─CAPE, Mads Clausen Institute (MCI), Alsion 2, Sønderborg 6400, Denmark
- SDU Climate Cluster, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5230, Denmark
| | - Vida Turkovic
- SDU Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics and Thin-film Energy Devices─CAPE, Mads Clausen Institute (MCI), Alsion 2, Sønderborg 6400, Denmark
- SDU Climate Cluster, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5230, Denmark
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7
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Gattu Subramanyam P, Krishnaswamy N, Guha K, Iannacci J, Ude EN, Muniswamy V. Enhanced Optical Management in Organic Solar Cells by Virtue of Square-Lattice Triple Core-Shell Nanostructures. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1574. [PMID: 37630110 PMCID: PMC10456542 DOI: 10.3390/mi14081574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
This research focuses on enhancing the optical efficacy of organic photovoltaic cells, specifically their optical absorbance and electrical parameters. The absorbance of photons in organic solar cells (OSCs) was studied by incorporating an optical space layer and triple core-shell square-lattice nanostructures. For better chemical and thermal stability, a dielectric-metal-dielectric nanoparticle can be replaced for embedded metallic nanoparticles in the absorption layer. The 3D (finite-difference time-domain) FDTD method was used to analyze the absorption and field distribution in OSCs using 3D model morphology. Firstly, an optimization of thickness of the optical spacer layer was analyzed and secondly, the impact of adding triple core-shell nanostructures at different levels of an OSC were studied. The photovoltaic properties such as short circuit current density, power conversion efficiency, fill factor, Voc were investigated. The proposed design has demonstrated an improvement of up to 80% in the absorption of light radiation in the photoactive region (donor or acceptor) of OSCs in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 900 nm when compared with that of nanostructures proposed at various layers of OSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavithra Gattu Subramanyam
- Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Sai Vidya Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560064, Karnataka, India; (P.G.S.); (V.M.)
- Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering Sciences, Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi 590018, Karnataka, India
| | - Narayan Krishnaswamy
- Department of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560064, Karnataka, India;
| | - Koushik Guha
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Silchar 788118, Assam, India;
| | - Jacopo Iannacci
- Center for Sensors and Devices (SD), Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Eze Nicholas Ude
- Computer and Robotics Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410105, Nigeria;
| | - Venkatesha Muniswamy
- Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Sai Vidya Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560064, Karnataka, India; (P.G.S.); (V.M.)
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8
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Flores-Diaz N, De Rossi F, Das A, Deepa M, Brunetti F, Freitag M. Progress of Photocapacitors. Chem Rev 2023; 123:9327-9355. [PMID: 37294781 PMCID: PMC10416220 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In response to the current trend of miniaturization of electronic devices and sensors, the complementary coupling of high-efficiency energy conversion and low-loss energy storage technologies has given rise to the development of photocapacitors (PCs), which combine energy conversion and storage in a single device. Photovoltaic systems integrated with supercapacitors offer unique light conversion and storage capabilities, resulting in improved overall efficiency over the past decade. Consequently, researchers have explored a wide range of device combinations, materials, and characterization techniques. This review provides a comprehensive overview of photocapacitors, including their configurations, operating mechanisms, manufacturing techniques, and materials, with a focus on emerging applications in small wireless devices, Internet of Things (IoT), and Internet of Everything (IoE). Furthermore, we highlight the importance of cutting-edge materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and organic materials for supercapacitors, as well as novel materials in photovoltaics, in advancing PCs for a carbon-free, sustainable society. We also evaluate the potential development, prospects, and application scenarios of this emerging area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Flores-Diaz
- School
of Natural and Environmental Science, Bedson Building, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca De Rossi
- CHOSE
(Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy), Department of Electronic
Engineering, University of Rome “Tor
Vergata”, via
del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Aparajita Das
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Hyderabad, Kandi, 502285 Sangareddy, Telangana, India
| | - Melepurath Deepa
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Hyderabad, Kandi, 502285 Sangareddy, Telangana, India
| | - Francesca Brunetti
- CHOSE
(Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy), Department of Electronic
Engineering, University of Rome “Tor
Vergata”, via
del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marina Freitag
- School
of Natural and Environmental Science, Bedson Building, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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9
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Castillo C, Aracena A, Ballesteros L, Neculqueo G, Gence L, Quero F. New Benzotrithiophene-Based Molecules as Organic P-Type Semiconductor for Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:ma16103759. [PMID: 37241386 DOI: 10.3390/ma16103759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A new benzotrithiophene-based small molecule, namely 2,5,8-Tris[5-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)-2-thienyl]-benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b':6,5-b″]-trithiophene (DCVT-BTT), was successfully synthesized and subsequently characterized. This compound was found to present an intense absorption band at a wavelength position of ∼544 nm and displayed potentially relevant optoelectronic properties for photovoltaic devices. Theoretical studies demonstrated an interesting behavior of charge transport as electron donor (hole-transporting) active material for heterojunction cells. A preliminary study of small-molecule organic solar cells based on DCVT-BTT (as the P-type organic semiconductor) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (as the N-type organic semiconductor) exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 2.04% at a donor: acceptor weight ratio of 1:1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Castillo
- Laboratorio de Nanocelulosa y Biomateriales, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Biotecnología y Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Avenida Beauchef 851, Santiago 8370456, Chile
| | - Andrés Aracena
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Sede Santiago, Campus La Florida, Avenida Walker Martínez 1360, La Florida, Santiago 8240000, Chile
| | - Luis Ballesteros
- Instituto de Ciencias Químicas Aplicadas, Grupo de Investigación en Energía y Procesos Sustentables, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Av. El Llano Subercaseaux 2801, San Miguel, Santiago 8910060, Chile
| | - Gloria Neculqueo
- Centro de Materiales para la Transición y Sostenibilidad Energética, Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear, Santiago 7600713, Chile
| | - Loik Gence
- Functional Materials & Devices Lab, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8940000, Chile
- Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 8940000, Chile
| | - Franck Quero
- Laboratorio de Nanocelulosa y Biomateriales, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Biotecnología y Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Avenida Beauchef 851, Santiago 8370456, Chile
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Camaioni N, Carbonera C, Ciammaruchi L, Corso G, Mwaura J, Po R, Tinti F. Polymer Solar Cells with Active Layer Thickness Compatible with Scalable Fabrication Processes: A Meta-Analysis. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2210146. [PMID: 36609981 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202210146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Organic photovoltaics (OPV) has been considered for a long time a promising emerging solar technology. Currently, however, market shares of OPV are practically non-existent. A detailed meta-analysis of the literature published until mid-2021 is presented, focusing on one of the remaining issues that need to be addressed to translate the recent remarkable progress, obtained in devices' performance at lab-scale level, into the requirements able to boost the manufacturing-scale production. Namely, the active layer's thickness is referred to, which, together with device efficiency and stability, represents one of the biggest challenges of this technological research field. Papers describing solar cells containing non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) binary and ternary blends, as well as NFA plus fullerene acceptor (FA) ternary blends are reviewed. The common ground of all analyzed devices is their high-thickness active layers, compatible with large-area deposition techniques. By defining a new figure of merit to discuss the OPV thickness (thickness tolerance, TT), it is found that this parameter is not affected by the chemical family's nature of the active blend components. On the other hand, the analysis suggests that there are promising strategies to improve the TT, which are discussed in the conclusion section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Camaioni
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna, 40129, Italy
| | - Chiara Carbonera
- New Energies, Renewable Energies and Material Science Research Center, Eni S.p.A., Via G. Fauser 4, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Laura Ciammaruchi
- New Energies, Renewable Energies and Material Science Research Center, Eni S.p.A., Via G. Fauser 4, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Gianni Corso
- New Energies, Renewable Energies and Material Science Research Center, Eni S.p.A., Via G. Fauser 4, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Jeremiah Mwaura
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Riccardo Po
- New Energies, Renewable Energies and Material Science Research Center, Eni S.p.A., Via G. Fauser 4, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Francesca Tinti
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna, 40129, Italy
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11
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Hwang S, Yasuda T. Indoor photovoltaic energy harvesting based on semiconducting π-conjugated polymers and oligomeric materials toward future IoT applications. Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s41428-022-00727-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWith the advancement of artificial intelligence computing systems that can collect, analyze, and utilize metadata from our activities and surrounding environments, establishing self-powered electronic systems/networks supported by energy harvesters is strongly desired. With the lowering of power consumption in contemporary IoT electronics such as wireless sensors, indoor organic photovoltaic devices (iOPVs), which can be driven under ambient indoor light, have recently attracted significant interest as self-sustainable eco-friendly power sources. iOPVs based on organic semiconductors have unique advantages, such as light weight, flexibility, solution processability, and feasibility of low-temperature mass production. Additionally, the spectral tunability and high optical absorptivity of organic semiconductors make iOPVs more effective as energy harvesters in indoor lighting environments. With recent intensive research effort, iOPVs have realized the delivery of high power conversion efficiencies exceeding 25% with output power densities of several tens to a hundred μW cm−2, which are sufficient to drive various low-power electronics compatible with the IoT. This review article focuses on recent progress in iOPVs based on π-conjugated polymers and oligomeric materials and outlines their fundamental principles and characterization techniques.
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Opoku H, Hyeon Lee J, Won Shim J, Woong Jo J. Perovskite Photovoltaics for Artificial Light Harvesting. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202200266. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.202200266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Henry Opoku
- Department of Energy and Materials Engineering and Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct) Dongguk University 30 Pildong-ro, 1-gil, Jung-gu Seoul 04620 Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hyeon Lee
- Department of Energy and Materials Engineering and Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct) Dongguk University 30 Pildong-ro, 1-gil, Jung-gu Seoul 04620 Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Won Shim
- Department of Electrical Engineering Korea University Seoul 02481 Republic of Korea
| | - Jea Woong Jo
- Department of Energy and Materials Engineering and Research Center for Photoenergy Harvesting & Conversion Technology (phct) Dongguk University 30 Pildong-ro, 1-gil, Jung-gu Seoul 04620 Republic of Korea
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Green JD, Fuemmeler EG, Hele TJH. Inverse molecular design from first principles: tailoring organic chromophore spectra for optoelectronic applications. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:180901. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0082311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of molecules with tailored optoelectronic properties such as specific frequency and intensity of absorption or emission is a major challenge in creating next-generation organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and photovoltaics. This raises the question: how can we predict a potential chemical structure from these properties? Approaches that attempt to tackle this inverse design problem include virtual screening, active machine learning and genetic algorithms. However, these approaches rely on a molecular database or many electronic structure calculations, and significant computational savings could be achieved if there was prior knowledge of (i) whether the optoelectronic properties of a parent molecule could easily be improved and (ii) what morphing operations on a parent molecule could improve these properties. In this perspective we address both of these challenges from first principles. We firstly adapt the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule to organic chromophores and show how this indicates how easily the absorption and emission of a molecule can be improved. We then show how by combining electronic structure theory and intensity borrowing perturbation theory we can predict whether or not the proposed morphing operations will achieve the desired spectral alteration, and thereby derive widely-applicable design rules. We go on to provide proof-of-concept illustrations of this approach to optimizing the visible absorption of acenes and the emission of radical OLEDs. We believe this approach can be integrated into genetic algorithms by biasing morphing operations in favour of those which are likely to be successful, leading to faster molecular discovery and greener chemistry.
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Cui M, Lv A, Ma Z. Optimizing the Photovoltaic Performance of Organic Solar Cells for Indoor Light Harvesting. Chemphyschem 2022; 23:e202200091. [PMID: 35312206 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202200091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) harvesting indoor light are highly promising for emerging technologies, such as Internet of Things. Here, the photovoltaic performance of the PTB7-Th:PC 71 BM solar cells, constructed using "optimized" and "non-optimized" processing conditions, are compared for indoor and outdoor applications. We find that compared to the "optimized" solar cell, the "non-optimized" solar cell is less efficient under simulated solar light illumination (100 mW cm -2 , spectral range 350-1100 nm), due to the significant bimolecular charge carrier recombination losses. However, under simulated indoor illumination (3.28 mW cm -2 , spectral range 400-700 nm), bimolecular recombination is effective suppressed, thus the power conversion efficiency of the "non-optimized" solar cell was increased to 14.7%, higher than that of the "optimized" solar cell (14.2%). These results suggest that the "common" strategy used to optimize the OSCs could be undesired for indoor OSCs. Then, we demonstrate that the difficulty in realizing the desired "morphology" of the active layer for the outdoor OSCs, could be eased for the indoor OSCs, allowing us to realize high-efficiency indoor OSCs using a non-halogenated solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Cui
- Shanghai University of Engineering Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Aifeng Lv
- Shanghai University of Engineering Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Zaifei Ma
- Donghua University, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, North Renming Road. 2999, 201620, Shanghai, CHINA
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