Dual Passivation technique yields perovskite solar cells with 20.14% efficiency

Researchers from the Shaanxi Normal University in China have designed a perovskite solar cell based on methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) through a dual passivation technique that simultaneously passivates trap defects in both the perovskite and electron transport layer (ETL) films.

'So far, most techniques for modifying perovskite solar cells focus on either the perovskite or electron transport layer,' the research group reported, noting that the ETL must have decent optical transmittance and high electron mobility to extract photo'induced carriers and contribute to the solar cell efficiency.

Read the full story Posted: Feb 01,2021

Metallic line defects in perovskites could open the door to next-gen smart windows and displays

A research team, led by University of Minnesota Professor K. Andre Mkhoyan, has made a discovery that blends the best of two sought-after qualities for touchscreens and smart windows'transparency and conductivity.

Metallic line defect in wide-bandgap transparent perovskite BaSnO3 imageThe atomic arrangement of both the BaSnO3 crystal and the metallic line defect. Image credit UMN

The researchers have observed metallic lines in a perovskite crystal. Perovskites are abundant in the Earth's center, and barium stannate (BaSnO3) is one such crystal. However, it has not been studied extensively for metallic properties because of the prevalence of more conductive materials like metals or semiconductors. The finding was made using advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a technique that can form images with magnifications of up to 10 million.

Read the full story Posted: Jan 18,2021

Energy Materials Corporation achieves high-speed, roll-to-roll printing of conductors on flexible glass for perovskite solar panels

Energy Materials Corporation (EMC), developer of high-speed roll-to-roll manufacturing of solar energy panels, recently announced that it has developed an enabling process to print transparent conductors as part of the scale-up of its inline manufacturing process.

Roll-to-roll printing of metal conductors on Corning Willow Glass (flexible glass) at 60 meters per minute reportedly sets a world speed record for printing flexible electronics on glass. The process surpasses the company's goal of achieving less than 5% loss in the transmission of light though the conductive layer.

Read the full story Posted: Jan 17,2021

Special water-splitting layer may help control moisture in perovskite solar cells

An international group of researchers, led by the University of Padova in Italy, has designed a hole extraction layer with water-splitting additives to reduce the impact of moisture in perovskite solar devices. They reported that the method ensured a power conversion efficiency of more than 9% in perovskite cells stored for a month in a water-saturated atmosphere.

There is an ongoing search for moisture stability in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as protecting the perovskite layer from moisture is key to preventing excess water from forming on the layer itself and affecting overall performance. The new proposed solution to this issue integrates water-splitting (WS) hydrophobic layers to the perovskite absorber of a standard perovskite cell. The ancillary layers can purportedly convert incoming water into oxygen and hydrogen.

Read the full story Posted: Jan 12,2021

New database established to accelerate innovation in emerging photovoltaics

The Emerging PV Reports Initiative (EPVRI) is a new academic international framework for collecting, presenting and analyzing data about the best achievements in the research of emerging photovoltaic materials, e.g., organic, perovskite and dye sensitized solar cells, among others. The new database for collecting, displaying, and analyzing the performance of emerging photovoltaic technologies was spearheaded by researchers in a worldwide international consortium: the Emerging PV Reports initiative.

In order to provide an up-to-date and easy-to-access platform with a global scope, the Emerging PV initiative was established by a consortium of experienced academic researchers from more than 15 countries, all of whom are experts in new and emerging photovoltaic research directions.

Read the full story Posted: Dec 11,2020

EMC discloses plans for roll-to-roll printing of perovskite PV on glass

Energy Materials Corporation (EMC) has stated its plans for roll-to-roll printing of perovskite PV on glass.

The plan is backed by two partnerships, one with the Eastman Kodak Company for roll-to-roll printing and another with glass and ceramics company Corning, for flexible glass. EMC's funding includes a $4 million research grant from the Solar Energy Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read the full story Posted: Nov 20,2020

NREL team develops a new wide-bandgap perovskite recombination layer called Apex Flex

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a new wide-bandgap perovskite layer – called Apex Flex – which they claim is able to withstand heat, light, and operational tests, and at the same time provide a reliable and high voltage.

With this material, they have built tandem solar cells with 23.1% power conversion efficiency on a rigid substrate, and 21.3% on flexible plastic. The new Apex Flex wide-bandgap perovskite recombination layer is grown with atomic layer deposition (ALD). The new material is described as a “nucleation layer consisting of an ultra-thin polymer with nucleophilic hydroxyl and amine functional groups for nucleating a conformal, low-conductivity aluminum zinc oxide layer.”

Read the full story Posted: Oct 06,2020

UNT researcher awarded $474,000 grant from Navy to develop flexible, printed perovskite solar cells

University of North Texas professor Anupama Kaul has received a $474,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research under the Department of Defense to develop new perovskite-based solar cell technology.

Kaul, who directs the Nanoscale Materials and Devices Lab and the PACCAR Technology Institute, intends to utilize perovskite materials that are extremely efficient at absorbing incoming light. Many perovskites used in solar cell research are made with solutions, and yet, remarkably, the solution processed materials are still highly absorbing to incoming light. The main advantage of solution processing is that it greatly reduces manufacturing costs of solar cells compared to the sophisticated and expensive infrastructure needed to make them with crystalline materials.

Read the full story Posted: Sep 06,2020

NUS team demonstrates transparent near-infrared perovskite light-emitting diodes

NUS researchers have developed transparent, near-infrared perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that could be integrated into the displays of smart watches, smart phones and augmented or virtual reality devices.

A transparent PeLED overlaid across a smart-watch display imagea A transparent PeLED overlaid across a smart-watch display to show high optical transparency and neutral color. b Near-infrared photo showing bright NIR electroluminescence from the transparent PeLED above the smart-watch display. Image from article

These transparent devices are constructed with an ITO/AZO/PEIE/FAPbI3/poly-TPD/MoO3/Al/ITO/Ag/ITO architecture, and offer a high average transmittance of more than 55% across the visible spectral region.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 28,2020

Rooftop solar window based on semi-transparent perovskite solar cells

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have demonstrated a prototype solar-powered rooftop smart window based on an optimization algorithm capable of balancing a building's temperature demands and lighting needs.

Maximizing Solar Energy Utilization through Multicriteria Pareto Optimization of Energy Harvesting and Regulating Smart Windows image

The device is described as an energy-harvesting smart window built with semi-transparent lead-halide perovskite solar cells and multi-layer photonic structures and assembled with layer-by-layer spin coating. 'The lead-halide perovskite was chosen because of its capability of using a wide spectrum of sunlight and its simplicity in maintaining visible light transparency,' the team wrote.

Read the full story Posted: Jul 15,2020