scholarly journals Hydroquinone redox mediator enhances the photovoltaic performances of chlorophyll-based bio-inspired solar cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengnan Duan ◽  
Chiasa Uragami ◽  
Kota Horiuchi ◽  
Kazuki Hino ◽  
Xiao-Feng Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractChlorophyll (Chl) derivatives have recently been proposed as photoactive materials in next-generation bio-inspired solar cells, because of their natural abundance, environmental friendliness, excellent photoelectric performance, and biodegradability. However, the intrinsic excitation dynamics of Chl derivatives remain unclear. Here, we show sub-nanosecond pump–probe time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of Chl derivatives both in solution and solid film states. We observe the formation of triplet-excited states of Chl derivatives both in deoxygenated solutions and in film samples by adding all-trans-β-carotene as a triplet scavenger. In addition, radical species of the Chl derivatives in solution were identified by adding hydroquinone as a cation radical scavenger and/or anion radical donor. These radical species (either cations or anions) can become carriers in Chl-derivative-based solar cells. Remarkably, the introduction of hydroquinone to the film samples enhanced the carrier lifetimes and the power conversion efficiency of Chl-based solar cells by 20% (from pristine 1.29% to 1.55%). This enhancement is due to a charge recombination process of Chl-A+/Chl-D–, which is based on the natural Z-scheme process of photosynthesis.

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 709-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jun Jo ◽  
Young Hee Mun ◽  
Jong Su Kim ◽  
Seung Hyun Kim ◽  
Sang-Ju Lee ◽  
...  

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2512
Author(s):  
Daming Zheng ◽  
Changheng Tong ◽  
Tao Zhu ◽  
Yaoguang Rong ◽  
Thierry Pauporté

During the past decade, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has risen rapidly, and it now approaches the record for single crystal silicon solar cells. However, these devices still suffer from a problem of stability. To improve PSC stability, two approaches have been notably developed: the use of additives and/or post-treatments that can strengthen perovskite structures and the use of a nontypical architecture where three mesoporous layers, including a porous carbon backcontact without hole transporting layer, are employed. This paper focuses on 5-ammonium valeric acid iodide (5-AVAI or AVA) as an additive in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI). By combining scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), current–voltage measurements, ideality factor determination, and in-depth electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) investigations on various layers stacks structures, we discriminated the effects of a mesoscopic scaffold and an AVA additive. The AVA additive was found to decrease the bulk defects in perovskite (PVK) and boost the PVK resistance to moisture. The triple mesoporous structure was detrimental for the defects, but it improved the stability against humidity. On standard architecture, the PCE is 16.9% with the AVA additive instead of 18.1% for the control. A high stability of TiO2/ZrO2/carbon/perovskite cells was found due to both AVA and the protection by the all-inorganic scaffold. These cells achieved a PCE of 14.4% in the present work.


Author(s):  
Zhiqin Ying ◽  
Xi Yang ◽  
Jingming Zheng ◽  
Yudong Zhu ◽  
Jingwei Xiu ◽  
...  

A charge-transfer induced BCP:Ag complex is employed as a multifunctional buffer layer for efficient inverted semi-transparent perovskite solar cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Paris ◽  
C. W. Nicholson ◽  
S. Johnston ◽  
Y. Tseng ◽  
M. Rumo ◽  
...  

AbstractInvestigations of magnetically ordered phases on the femtosecond timescale have provided significant insights into the influence of charge and lattice degrees of freedom on the magnetic sub-system. However, short-range magnetic correlations occurring in the absence of long-range order, for example in spin-frustrated systems, are inaccessible to many ultrafast techniques. Here, we show how time-resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (trRIXS) is capable of probing such short-ranged magnetic dynamics in a charge-transfer insulator through the detection of a Zhang–Rice singlet exciton. Utilizing trRIXS measurements at the O K-edge, and in combination with model calculations, we probe the short-range spin correlations in the frustrated spin chain material CuGeO3 following photo-excitation, revealing a strong coupling between the local lattice and spin sub-systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Ravnik ◽  
Michele Diego ◽  
Yaroslav Gerasimenko ◽  
Yevhenii Vaskivskyi ◽  
Igor Vaskivskyi ◽  
...  

AbstractMetastable self-organized electronic states in quantum materials are of fundamental importance, displaying emergent dynamical properties that may be used in new generations of sensors and memory devices. Such states are typically formed through phase transitions under non-equilibrium conditions and the final state is reached through processes that span a large range of timescales. Conventionally, phase diagrams of materials are thought of as static, without temporal evolution. However, many functional properties of materials arise as a result of complex temporal changes in the material occurring on different timescales. Hitherto, such properties were not considered within the context of a temporally-evolving phase diagram, even though, under non-equilibrium conditions, different phases typically evolve on different timescales. Here, by using time-resolved optical techniques and femtosecond-pulse-excited scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we track the evolution of the metastable states in a material that has been of wide recent interest, the quasi-two-dimensional dichalcogenide 1T-TaS2. We map out its temporal phase diagram using the photon density and temperature as control parameters on timescales ranging from 10−12 to 103 s. The introduction of a time-domain axis in the phase diagram enables us to follow the evolution of metastable emergent states created by different phase transition mechanisms on different timescales, thus enabling comparison with theoretical predictions of the phase diagram, and opening the way to understanding of the complex ordering processes in metastable materials.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 6182-6189
Author(s):  
Dariusz M. Niedzwiedzki

Photophysical properties of N719 and Z907, benchmark Ru-dyes used as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells, were studied by static and time-resolved optical spectroscopy at room temperature and 160 K.


Nanophotonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui He ◽  
Tingting Chen ◽  
Zhipeng Xuan ◽  
Tianzhen Guo ◽  
Jincheng Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract Wide-bandgap (wide-E g , ∼1.7 eV or higher) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted extensive attention due to the great potential of fabricating high-performance perovskite-based tandem solar cells via combining with low-bandgap absorbers, which is considered promising to exceed the Shockley–Queisser efficiency limit. However, inverted wide-E g PSCs with a minimized open-circuit voltage (V oc) loss, which are more suitable to prepare all-perovskite tandem devices, are still lacking study. Here, we report a strategy of adding 1,3,5-tris (bromomethyl) benzene (TBB) into wide-E g perovskite absorber to passivate the perovskite film, leading to an enhanced average V oc. Incorporation of TBB prolongs carrier lifetimes in wide-E g perovskite due to reduction of defects in perovskites and makes a better energy level matching between perovskite absorber and electron transport layer. As a result, we achieve the power conversion efficiency of 17.12% for our inverted TBB-doped PSC with an enhanced V oc of 1.19 V, compared with that (16.14%) for the control one (1.14 V).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document