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Gaggio B, Jan A, Muller M, Salonikidou B, Bakhit B, Hellenbrand M, Di Martino G, Yildiz B, MacManus-Driscoll JL. Sodium-Controlled Interfacial Resistive Switching in Thin Film Niobium Oxide for Neuromorphic Applications. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2024; 36:5764-5774. [PMID: 38883429 PMCID: PMC11170940 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
A double layer 2-terminal device is employed to show Na-controlled interfacial resistive switching and neuromorphic behavior. The bilayer is based on interfacing biocompatible NaNbO3 and Nb2O5, which allows the reversible uptake of Na+ in the Nb2O5 layer. We demonstrate voltage-controlled interfacial barrier tuning via Na+ transfer, enabling conductivity modulation and spike-amplitude- and spike-timing-dependent plasticity. The neuromorphic behavior controlled by Na+ ion dynamics in biocompatible materials shows potential for future low-power sensing electronics and smart wearables with local processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Gaggio
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
| | - Atif Jan
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
| | - Moritz Muller
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
| | - Barbara Salonikidou
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
| | - Babak Bakhit
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
- Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, U.K
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping SE-581 83, Sweden
| | - Markus Hellenbrand
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
| | - Giuliana Di Martino
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
| | - Bilge Yildiz
- Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Judith L MacManus-Driscoll
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
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Yang Z, Huang T, Li M, Wang X, Zhou X, Yang S, Gao Q, Cai X, Liu Y, Fang Y, Wang Y, Zhang S, Zhang S. Unveiling the Synergistic Role of Frustrated Lewis Pairs in Carbon-Encapsulated Ni/NiO x Photothermal Cocatalyst for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2313513. [PMID: 38461147 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
The development of high-density and closely spaced frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) is crucial for enhancing catalyst activity and accelerating reaction rates. However, constructing efficient FLPs by breaking classical Lewis bonds poses a significant challenge. Here, this work has made a pivotal discovery regarding the Jahn-Teller effect during the formation of grain boundaries in carbon-encapsulated Ni/NiOx (Ni/NiOx@C). This effect facilitates the formation of high-density O (VO) and Ni (VNi) vacancy sites with different charge polarities, specifically FLP-VO-C basic sites and FLP-VNi-C acidic sites. The synergistic interaction between FLP-VO-C and FLP-VNi-C sites not only reduces energy barriers for water adsorption and splitting, but also induces a strong photothermal effect. This mutually reinforcing effect contributes to the exceptional performance of Ni/NiOx@C as a cocatalyst in photothermal-assisted photocatalytic hydrogen production. Notably, the Ni/NiOx@C/g-C3N4 (NOCC) composite photocatalyst exhibits remarkable hydrogen production activity with a rate of 10.7 mmol g-1 h-1, surpassing that of the Pt cocatalyst by 1.76 times. Moreover, the NOCC achieves an impressive apparent quantum yield of 40.78% at a wavelength of 380 nm. This work paves the way for designing novel defect-state multiphase cocatalysts with high-density and adjacent FLP sites, which hold promise for enhancing various catalytic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Yang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
| | - Taiyu Huang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
| | - Meng Li
- Institute for Sustainable Transformation, School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Laboratory of Chemistry and Fine Chemical Industry Jieyang Center, Jieyang, Guangdong, 515200, China
| | - Xudong Wang
- SMOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, Lehn Institute of Functional Materials, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China
| | - Xiaosong Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Materials Chemistry of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Lingnan Normal University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524048, P. R. China
| | - Siyuan Yang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
| | - Qiongzhi Gao
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
| | - Xin Cai
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
| | - Yingju Liu
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
| | - Yueping Fang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
| | - Yu Wang
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201204, China
| | - Shanqing Zhang
- Institute for Sustainable Transformation, School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, P. R. China
- Centre for Clean Environment and Energy and School of Environment and Science, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Queensland, 4222, Australia
| | - Shengsen Zhang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510643, P. R. China
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Yeom KM, Cho C, Jung EH, Kim G, Moon CS, Park SY, Kim SH, Woo MY, Khayyat MNT, Lee W, Jeon NJ, Anaya M, Stranks SD, Friend RH, Greenham NC, Noh JH. Quantum barriers engineering toward radiative and stable perovskite photovoltaic devices. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4547. [PMID: 38806514 PMCID: PMC11133308 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48887-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficient photovoltaic devices must be efficient light emitters to reach the thermodynamic efficiency limit. Here, we present a promising prospect of perovskite photovoltaics as bright emitters by harnessing the significant benefits of photon recycling, which can be practically achieved by suppressing interfacial quenching. We have achieved radiative and stable perovskite photovoltaic devices by the design of a multiple quantum well structure with long (∼3 nm) organic spacers with oleylammonium molecules at perovskite top interfaces. Our L-site exchange process (L: barrier molecule cation) enables the formation of stable interfacial structures with moderate conductivity despite the thick barriers. Compared to popular short (∼1 nm) Ls, our approach results in enhanced radiation efficiency through the recursive process of photon recycling. This leads to the realization of radiative perovskite photovoltaics with both high photovoltaic efficiency (in-lab 26.0%, certified to 25.2%) and electroluminescence quantum efficiency (19.7 % at peak, 17.8% at 1-sun equivalent condition). Furthermore, the stable crystallinity of oleylammonium-based quantum wells enables our devices to maintain high efficiencies for over 1000 h of operation and >2 years of storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Mun Yeom
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Changsoon Cho
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eui Hyuk Jung
- Department of Energy Engineering, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), 21 KENTECH-gil, Naju, Republic of Korea
| | - Geunjin Kim
- Division of Advanced Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Su Moon
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Advanced Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - So Yeon Park
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Chemistry and Nanoscience Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Su Hyun Kim
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mun Young Woo
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Wanhee Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam Joong Jeon
- Division of Advanced Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Miguel Anaya
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samuel D Stranks
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard H Friend
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Neil C Greenham
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Jun Hong Noh
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Integrative Energy Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Graduate School of Energy and Environment (KU-KIST Green School), Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Mistry K, Nguyen VH, Arabi M, Ibrahim KH, Asgarimoghaddam H, Yavuz M, Muñoz-Rojas D, Abdel-Rahman E, Musselman KP. Highly Sensitive Self-Actuated Zinc Oxide Resonant Microcantilever Humidity Sensor. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:3196-3203. [PMID: 35404606 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A resonant microcantilever sensor is fabricated from a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film, which serves as both the structural and sensing layers. An open-air spatial atomic layer deposition technique is used to deposit the ZnO layer to achieve a ∼200 nm thickness, an order of magnitude lower than the thicknesses of conventional microcantilever sensors. The reduction in the number of layers, in the cantilever dimensions, and its overall lower mass lead to an ultrahigh sensitivity, demonstrated by detection of low humidity levels. A maximum sensitivity of 23649 ppm/% RH at 5.8% RH is observed, which is several orders of magnitude larger than those reported for other resonant humidity sensors. Furthermore, the ZnO cantilever sensor is self-actuated in air, an advantageous detection mode that enables simpler and lower-power-consumption sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kissan Mistry
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Viet Huong Nguyen
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Phenikaa University, Hanoi, 12116, Vietnam
| | - Mohamed Arabi
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Khaled H Ibrahim
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Hatameh Asgarimoghaddam
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Mustafa Yavuz
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - David Muñoz-Rojas
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Eihab Abdel-Rahman
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Kevin P Musselman
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
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Roles of Interfacial Modifiers in Inorganic Titania/Organic Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Heterojunction Hybrid Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12050820. [PMID: 35269308 PMCID: PMC8912453 DOI: 10.3390/nano12050820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Hybrid Titanium dioxide/Poly(3-hexylthiophene) heterojunction solar cells have gained research interest as they have the potential to become cost-effective solar technology in the future. Limited power conversion efficiencies of about 5-6% have been reported so far, and an enhancement in efficiency was achieved through the engineering of the interface between Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Evolution of this solar cell technology is relatively slow-moving due to the complex features of the metal oxide-polymer system and the limited understanding of the technology. In this review, we focus on recent developments in interface modified hybrid Titanium dioxide/Poly(3-hexylthiophene) solar cells, provide a short discussion on the working principle, device structure with interface modifiers, and summarize various types of interface modifiers studied to enhance the photovoltaic performance of hybrid TiO2/P3HT heterojunction solar cells. Further, we discuss the key factors influencing the power conversion efficiency and the role of a variety of interface modifiers in this regard. Finally, the challenges and perspectives related to hybrid TiO2/P3HT heterojunction solar cells are also explored.
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6
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Armstrong C, Delumeau LV, Muñoz-Rojas D, Kursumovic A, MacManus-Driscoll J, Musselman KP. Tuning the band gap and carrier concentration of titania films grown by spatial atomic layer deposition: a precursor comparison. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2021; 3:5908-5918. [PMID: 34746646 PMCID: PMC8507900 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00563d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Spatial atomic layer deposition retains the advantages of conventional atomic layer deposition: conformal, pinhole-free films and excellent control over thickness. Additionally, it allows higher deposition rates and is well-adapted to depositing metal oxide nanofilms for photovoltaic cells and other devices. This study compares the morphological, electrical and optical properties of titania thin films deposited by spatial atomic layer deposition from titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) over the temperature range 100-300 °C, using the oxidant H2O. Amorphous films were deposited at temperatures as low as 100 °C from both precursors: the approach is suitable for applying films to temperature-sensitive devices. An amorphous-to-crystalline transition temperature was observed for both precursors resulting in surface roughening, and agglomerates for TiCl4. Both precursors formed conformal anatase films at 300 °C, with growth rates of 0.233 and 0.153 nm s-1 for TiCl4 and TTIP. A drawback of TiCl4 use is the HCl by-product, which was blamed for agglomeration in the films. Cl contamination was the likely cause of band gap narrowing and higher defect densities compared to TTIP-grown films. The carrier concentration of the nanofilms was found to increase with deposition temperature. The films were tested in hybrid bilayer solar cells to demonstrate their appropriateness for photovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Armstrong
- Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS UK
| | - Louis-Vincent Delumeau
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo 200 University Ave. West Waterloo Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology 200 University Ave. West Waterloo Canada
| | - David Muñoz-Rojas
- Laboratoire des Materiaux et du Genie Physique, CNRS, MINATEC 3 Parvis Louis Neel Grenoble 38016 France
| | - Ahmed Kursumovic
- Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS UK
| | - Judith MacManus-Driscoll
- Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS UK
| | - Kevin P Musselman
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo 200 University Ave. West Waterloo Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology 200 University Ave. West Waterloo Canada
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Pirashanthan A, Velauthapillai D, Robertson N, Ravirajan P. Lithium doped poly(3-hexylthiophene) for efficient hole transporter and sensitizer in metal free quaterthiophene dye treated hybrid solar cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20157. [PMID: 34635778 PMCID: PMC8505494 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99762-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This work focuses on the role of Lithium doped Poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) in metal-free quaterthiophene (4T) dye treated Titanium dioxide (TiO2) based hybrid solar cells. The dye treated hybrid solar cells with Lithium doped P3HT showed efficiencies (3.95%) of nearly a factor of four times higher than the pristine P3HT based control TiO2/4T/P3HT devices (1.04%). The enhancement of the efficiency is mainly due to highly efficient charge collection attributed to enhanced charge transport and light harvesting properties of Lithium doped P3HT polymer. The optimized solar cells with Lithium doped P3HT showed a high short circuit current density over 13 mA/cm2, under simulated irradiation of intensity 100 mW/cm2 with AM 1.5 filter. This significant increase in current density in TiO2/4T/doped P3HT solar cell is also confirmed by both the broadened External Quantum Efficiency spectrum and significant photoluminescence quenching upon replacement of pristine P3HT with doped P3HT on 4T dye treated TiO2 electrode. With Lithium doped Spiro-OMeTAD instead of Lithium doped P3HT, similar devices showed efficiencies over 3.30% under simulated irradiation of 100 mW/cm2 with AM 1.5 filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arumugam Pirashanthan
- grid.412985.30000 0001 0156 4834Clean Energy Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, 40000 Sri Lanka ,grid.477239.cFaculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Dhayalan Velauthapillai
- grid.477239.cFaculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Neil Robertson
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ UK
| | - Punniamoorthy Ravirajan
- grid.412985.30000 0001 0156 4834Clean Energy Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, 40000 Sri Lanka
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Pokrajac L, Nazar L, Chen Z, Mitra S. The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology: Societal Impact and a Sustainable Future. ACS NANO 2019; 13:12247-12253. [PMID: 31770861 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b08356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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9
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A Quarterthiophene-Based Dye as an Efficient Interface Modifier for Hybrid Titanium Dioxide/Poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) Solar Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:polym11111752. [PMID: 31731443 PMCID: PMC6918415 DOI: 10.3390/polym11111752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This work focused on studying the influence of dyes, including a thiophene derivative dye with a cyanoacrylic acid group ((E)-2-cyano-3-(3′,3′′,3′′′-trihexyl-[2,2′:5′,2′′:5′′,2′′′- quaterthiophene]-5-yl) acrylicacid)(4T), on the photovoltaic performance of titanium dioxide (TiO2)/poly(3-hexyl thiophene)(P3HT) solar cells. The insertion of dye at the interface improved the efficiency regardless of the dye used. However, 4T dye significantly improved the efficiency by a factor of three when compared to the corresponding control. This improvement is mainly due to an increase in short circuit current density (JSC), which is consistent with higher hole-mobility reported in TiO2/P3HT nanocomposite with 4T dye. Optical absorption data further revealed that 4T extended the spectral response of the TiO2/P3HT nanocomposite, which could also enhance the JSC. The reduced dark current upon dye insertion ensured the carrier recombination was controlled at the interface. This, in turn, increased the open circuit voltage. An optimized hybrid TiO2/P3HT device with 4T dye as an interface modifier showed an average efficiency of over 2% under-simulated irradiation of 100 mWcm−2 (1 sun) with an Air Mass 1.5 filter.
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Chen W, Lin Z, Zhang Y, George TF, Li S. Breaking of lattice potential well-induced confinement of carriers in conjugated polymers. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:23476-23485. [PMID: 31510624 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.023476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent experimental research has reported that a surface electric field on the polymer solar cell can restrain the recombination of the resultant charged carriers [23]. Based on this, this article reveals an underlying mechanism: If a surface electric field below 4.5 × 104 V/cm is applied to the polymer layer, the electric field drives the charged polaron to transport. Once the polaron approaches and collides with the exciton, it is easily trapped by the potential well produced by the exciton and then forms a charged exciton. The decay of the resultant charged exciton rapidly reduces the number of excitons. However, once the external field surpasses the threshold value of 4.5 × 104 V/cm, the charged polaron absorbs momentum from the external electric field and shakes off the trapping of the exciton. It finally steps out of the original lattice potential well, where the appropriate electric field magnitude ranges from 5.5 × 104 V/cm to 8 × 105 V/cm. After a collision of 300 fs, apart from a phase shift, the exciton still exists. Then, the originally carriers is dissociated when the electric field reaches 0.8 MV/cm. The applied surface field is able to effectively keep the excitons from fusion with the transporting charged polarons, which provides a valid and easily manufactured approach to yield higher efficiency of polymer solar cells.
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Abdi-Jalebi M, Ibrahim Dar M, Senanayak SP, Sadhanala A, Andaji-Garmaroudi Z, Pazos-Outón LM, Richter JM, Pearson AJ, Sirringhaus H, Grätzel M, Friend RH. Charge extraction via graded doping of hole transport layers gives highly luminescent and stable metal halide perovskite devices. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaav2012. [PMID: 30793032 PMCID: PMC6377269 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
One source of instability in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is interfacial defects, particularly those that exist between the perovskite and the hole transport layer (HTL). We demonstrate that thermally evaporated dopant-free tetracene (120 nm) on top of the perovskite layer, capped with a lithium-doped Spiro-OMeTAD layer (200 nm) and top gold electrode, offers an excellent hole-extracting stack with minimal interfacial defect levels. For a perovskite layer interfaced between these graded HTLs and a mesoporous TiO2 electron-extracting layer, its photoluminescence yield reaches 15% compared to 5% for the perovskite layer interfaced between TiO2 and Spiro-OMeTAD alone. For PSCs with graded HTL structure, we demonstrate efficiency of up to 21.6% and an extended power output of over 550 hours of continuous illumination at AM1.5G, retaining more than 90% of the initial performance and thus validating our approach. Our findings represent a breakthrough in the construction of stable PSCs with minimized nonradiative losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
- Corresponding author. (M.A.-J.); (R.H.F.)
| | - M. Ibrahim Dar
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Satyaprasad P. Senanayak
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Aditya Sadhanala
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Zahra Andaji-Garmaroudi
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Luis M. Pazos-Outón
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Johannes M. Richter
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Andrew J. Pearson
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Henning Sirringhaus
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Michael Grätzel
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Richard H. Friend
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
- Corresponding author. (M.A.-J.); (R.H.F.)
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Wu F, Zhu Y, Ye X, Li X, Tong Y, Xu J. Balanced Dipole Effects on Interfacial Engineering for Polymer/TiO 2 Array Hybrid Solar Cells. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2017; 12:85. [PMID: 28160184 PMCID: PMC5291770 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-017-1867-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The polymer/TiO2 array heterojunction interfacial characteristics can be tailored by balanced dipole effects through integration of TiO2-quantum dots (QDs) and N719 at heterojunction interface, resulting in the tunable photovoltaic performance. The changes of V oc with interfacial engineering originate from the shift of the conduction band (E c) edge in the TiO2 nanorod by the interfacial dipole with different directions (directed away or toward the TiO2 nanorod). The J sc improvement originates from the enhanced charge separation efficiency with an improved electronic coupling property and better charge transfer property. The balanced dipole effects caused by TiO2-QDs and N719 modification on the device V oc are confirmed by the changed built-in voltage V bi and reverse saturation current density J s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Wu
- School of Science and Key Lab of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yanyan Zhu
- School of Science and Key Lab of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xunheng Ye
- School of Science and Key Lab of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyi Li
- School of Science and Key Lab of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Tong
- Department of Material Chemistry, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaxing Xu
- School of Science and Key Lab of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, People's Republic of China
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Enhanced Performance of Nanoporous Titanium Dioxide Solar Cells Using Cadmium Sulfide and Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Co-Sensitizers. Polymers (Basel) 2017; 9:polym9100467. [PMID: 30965770 PMCID: PMC6418532 DOI: 10.3390/polym9100467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This work reports the effect of co-sensitization of nanoporous titanium dioxide using Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) on the performance of hybrid solar cells. CdS nanolayer with different thicknesses was grown on Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles by chemical bath deposition technique with varying deposition times. Both atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy measurements of TiO2 electrode sensitized with and without CdS layer confirm that the existence of CdS layer on TiO2 nanoparticles. AFM images of CdS-coated TiO2 nanoparticles show that the surface roughness of the TiO2 nanoparticle samples decreases with increasing CdS deposition times. Current density–voltage and external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements were carried out for corresponding solar cells. Both short circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor were optimized at the CdS deposition time of 12 min. On the other hand, a steady and continuous increment in the open circuit voltage (VOC) was observed with increasing CdS deposition time and increased up to 0.81 V when the deposition time was 24 min. This may be attributed to the increased gradual separation of P3HT and TiO2 phases and their isolation at the interfaces. The higher VOC of 0.81 V was due to the higher built-in voltage at the CdS–P3HT interface when compared to that at the TiO2–P3HT interface. Optimized nanoporous TiO2 solar cells with CdS and P3HT co-sensitizers showed external quantum efficiency (EQE) of over 40% and 80% at the wavelengths corresponding to strong absorption of the polymer and CdS, respectively. The cells showed an overall average efficiency of over 2.4% under the illumination of 70 mW/cm2 at AM 1.5 condition.
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Musselman KP, Muñoz-Rojas D, Hoye RLZ, Sun H, Sahonta SL, Croft E, Böhm ML, Ducati C, MacManus-Driscoll JL. Rapid open-air deposition of uniform, nanoscale, functional coatings on nanorod arrays. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2017; 2:110-117. [PMID: 32260672 DOI: 10.1039/c6nh00197a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Coating of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures has previously been achieved using batch processes poorly suited for high-throughput manufacturing. It is demonstrated that uniform, nanoscale coatings can be rapidly deposited on zinc oxide nanorod arrays in open-air using an atmospheric pressure spatial deposition system. The morphology of the metal oxide coatings is examined and good electrical contact with the underlying nanorods is observed. The functionality of the coatings is demonstrated in colloidal quantum dot and hybrid solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- K P Musselman
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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