1
|
Uceta H, Cabrera-Espinoza A, Barrejón M, Sánchez JG, Gutierrez-Fernandez E, Kosta I, Martín J, Collavini S, Martínez-Ferrero E, Langa F, Delgado JL. p-Type Functionalized Carbon Nanohorns and Nanotubes in Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:45212-45228. [PMID: 37672775 PMCID: PMC10540139 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c07476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The incorporation of p-type functionalized carbon nanohorns (CNHs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and their comparison with p-type functionalized single- and double-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs and DWCNTs) are reported in this study for the first time. These p-type functionalized carbon nanomaterial (CNM) derivatives were successfully synthesized by [2 + 1] cycloaddition reaction with nitrenes formed from triphenylamine (TPA) and 9-phenyl carbazole (Cz)-based azides, yielding CNHs-TPA, CNHs-Cz, SWCNTs-Cz, SWCNTs-TPA, DWCNTs-TPA, and DWCNTs-Cz. These six novel CNMs were incorporated into the spiro-OMeTAD-based hole transport layer (HTL) to evaluate their impact on regular mesoporous PSCs. The photovoltaic results indicate that all p-type functionalized CNMs significantly improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE), mainly by enhancing the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and fill factor (FF). TPA-functionalized derivatives increased the PCE by 12-17% compared to the control device without CNMs, while Cz-functionalized derivatives resulted in a PCE increase of 4-8%. Devices prepared with p-type functionalized CNHs exhibited a slightly better PCE compared with those based on SWCNTs and DWCNTs derivatives. The increase in hole mobility of spiro-OMeTAD, additional p-type doping, better energy alignment with the perovskite layer, and enhanced morphology and contact interface play important roles in enhancing the performance of the device. Furthermore, the incorporation of p-type functionalized CNMs into the spiro-OMeTAD layer increased device stability by improving the hydrophobicity of the layer and enhancing the hole transport across the MAPI/spiro-OMeTAD interface. After 28 days under ambient conditions and darkness, TPA-functionalized CNMs maintained the performance of the device by over 90%, while Cz-functionalized CNMs preserved it between 75 and 85%.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Uceta
- Instituto
de Nanociencia, Nanotecnología y Materiales Moleculares (INAMOL), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III S/N, Toledo 45071, Spain
| | - Andrea Cabrera-Espinoza
- POLYMAT, University
of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 72, Donostia/San
Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Myriam Barrejón
- Instituto
de Nanociencia, Nanotecnología y Materiales Moleculares (INAMOL), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III S/N, Toledo 45071, Spain
| | - José G. Sánchez
- Institute
of Chemical Research of Catalonia-The Barcelona Institute of Science
and Technology (ICIQ-BIST), Avinguda Països Catalans 16, Tarragona 43007, Spain
| | - Edgar Gutierrez-Fernandez
- POLYMAT, University
of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 72, Donostia/San
Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Ivet Kosta
- CIDETEC,
Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo Miramón 196, Donostia/San Sebastián 20014, Spain
| | - Jaime Martín
- POLYMAT, University
of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 72, Donostia/San
Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Silvia Collavini
- POLYMAT, University
of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 72, Donostia/San
Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Eugenia Martínez-Ferrero
- Institute
of Chemical Research of Catalonia-The Barcelona Institute of Science
and Technology (ICIQ-BIST), Avinguda Països Catalans 16, Tarragona 43007, Spain
| | - Fernando Langa
- Instituto
de Nanociencia, Nanotecnología y Materiales Moleculares (INAMOL), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III S/N, Toledo 45071, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Delgado
- POLYMAT, University
of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 72, Donostia/San
Sebastián 20018, Spain
- Ikerbasque,
Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48013, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kirui JK, Olaleru SA, Jhamba L, Wamwangi D, Roro K, Shnier A, Erasmus R, Mwakikunga B. Elucidating the Trajectory of the Charge Transfer Mechanism and Recombination Process of Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:2698. [PMID: 34063740 PMCID: PMC8196613 DOI: 10.3390/ma14112698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs) have attracted attraction in the photovoltaic community since their inception in 2009. To optimize the performance of hybrid perovskite cells, a primary and crucial strategy is to unravel the dominant charge transport mechanisms and interfacial properties of the contact materials. This study focused on the charge transfer process and interfacial recombination within the n-i-p architecture of solar cell devices. The motivation for this paper was to investigate the impacts of recombination mechanisms that exist within the interface in order to quantify their effects on the cell performance and stability. To achieve our objectives, we firstly provided a rationale for the photoluminescence and UV-Vis measurements on perovskite thin film to allow for disentangling of different recombination pathways. Secondly, we used the ideality factor and impedance spectroscopy measurements to investigate the recombination mechanisms in the device. Our findings suggest that charge loss in PSCs is dependent mainly on the configuration of the cells and layer morphology, and hardly on the material preparation of the perovskite itself. This was deduced from individual analyses of the perovskite film and device, which suggest that major recombination most likely occur at the interface.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph K. Kirui
- Physics Department, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa; (J.K.K.); (L.J.)
| | - Solomon Akin Olaleru
- Physics Department, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa; (J.K.K.); (L.J.)
- CSIR-Energy Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- DST/CSIR—National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- Physics Department, Yaba College of Technology, P.M.B 2011, Lagos 100001, Nigeria
| | - Lordwell Jhamba
- Physics Department, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa; (J.K.K.); (L.J.)
| | - Daniel Wamwangi
- School of Chemistry and DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials (CoE-SM), University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; (D.W.); (A.S.); (R.E.)
| | - Kittessa Roro
- CSIR-Energy Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
| | - Adam Shnier
- School of Chemistry and DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials (CoE-SM), University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; (D.W.); (A.S.); (R.E.)
| | - Rudolph Erasmus
- School of Chemistry and DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials (CoE-SM), University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; (D.W.); (A.S.); (R.E.)
| | - Bonex Mwakikunga
- DST/CSIR—National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- Physics Department, Arcadia Campus, Tshwane University of Technology, P.O. Box 680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kesavan AV, Lee BR, Son KR, Khot AC, Dongale TD, Murugadoss V, Ramamurthy PC, Kim TG. Work Function-Tunable Amorphous Carbon-Silver Nanocomposite Hybrid Electrode for Optoelectronic Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:4284-4293. [PMID: 33433998 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c13937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Parameters such as electrode work function (WF), optical reflectance, electrode morphology, and interface roughness play a crucial role in optoelectronic device design; therefore, fine-tuning these parameters is essential for efficient end-user applications. In this study, amorphous carbon-silver (C-Ag) nanocomposite hybrid electrodes are proposed and fully characterized for solar photovoltaic applications. Basically, the WF, sheet resistance, and optical reflectance of the C-Ag nanocomposite electrode are fine-tuned by varying the composition in a wide range. Experimental results suggest that irrespective of the variation in the graphite-silver composition, smaller and consistent grain size distributions offer uniform WF across the electrode surface. In addition, the strong C-Ag interaction in the nanocomposite enhances the nanomechanical properties of the hybrid electrode, such as hardness, reduced modulus, and elastic recovery parameters. Furthermore, the C-Ag nanocomposite hybrid electrode exhibits relatively lower surface roughness than the commercially available carbon paste electrode. These results suggest that the C-Ag nanocomposite electrode can be used for highly efficient photovoltaics in place of the conventional carbon-based electrodes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arul Varman Kesavan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong Ryong Lee
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Rock Son
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Atul C Khot
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Tukaram D Dongale
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- School of Nanoscience and Biotechnology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004, India
| | - Vignesh Murugadoss
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Praveen C Ramamurthy
- Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Tae Geun Kim
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Taukeer Khan M, Almohammedi A, Kazim S, Ahmad S. Electrical Methods to Elucidate Charge Transport in Hybrid Perovskites Thin Films and Devices. CHEM REC 2019; 20:452-465. [PMID: 31833647 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.201900055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The panchromatic light absorption and excellent charge carrier transport properties in organo lead halide perovskites allowed to achieve an unprecedented power conversion efficiency in excess of 25 % for thin film photovoltaics fabrication. To understand the underlying phenomena, various comprehensive set of optical and electrical techniques have been employed to investigate the charge carrier dynamics in such devices. In this perspective, we aim to summarize the electrical transport properties of perovskite thin films by using (i) impedance spectroscopy (IS), (ii) space charge limited current (SCLC), (iii) field-effect transistors (FETs) and (iv) time-of-flight (TOF) methods. We have deliberated various equivalent circuit used to model the perovskite solar cells by means of IS. The SCLC technique provide vital electrical parameters such as mobility, activation energy, traps density and distribution, carrier concentration, density of states, etc. The TOF technique measures mobility as a primary parameter while the FETs configuration provide a valuable insight into the in-plane charge transport in perovskites thin films. We believe that these notable understanding will provide insights into charge carrier dynamics in perovskite materials and devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Taukeer Khan
- BCMaterials-Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, Martina Casiano, UPV/EHU Science Park, Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, 48940, Spain.,Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Al Jamiah, Madinah, 42351, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Almohammedi
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Al Jamiah, Madinah, 42351, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Samrana Kazim
- BCMaterials-Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, Martina Casiano, UPV/EHU Science Park, Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, 48940, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48013, Spain
| | - Shahzada Ahmad
- BCMaterials-Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, Martina Casiano, UPV/EHU Science Park, Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, 48940, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48013, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Diamanti MV. Special Issue: Novel Photoactive Materials. MATERIALS 2018; 11:ma11122553. [PMID: 30558270 PMCID: PMC6315784 DOI: 10.3390/ma11122553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Photoactivity represents the ability of a material to activate when interacting with light. It can be declined in many ways, and several functionalities arising from this behavior of materials can be exploited, all leading to positive repercussions on our environment. There are several classes of effects of photoactivity, all of which have been deeply investigated in the last few decades, allowing researchers to develop more and more efficient materials and devices. The special issue “Novel Photoactive Materials” has been proposed as a means to present recent developments in the field; for this reason the articles included touch different aspects of photoactivity, from photocatalysis to photovoltaics to light emitting materials, as highlighted in this editorial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Diamanti
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|