Solar RRL最新文献

Concentrated solar power (CWP) technology has matured sufficiently for large-scale implementation. In a typical plant, the solar energy is captured by mirrors and directed onto heat-transfer fluid (HTF), typically a molten salt that is further conveyed to the thermal energy-storage system before being channeled to power turbines, generating electricity. A major concern about this technology is the need to reduce the levelized cost of electricity, necessitating heightened efficiency to enhance cost competitiveness and foster greater market penetration. One approach to achieve this involves replacing the current nitrate-based molten salt mixture with nanofluids. They combine nitrate-based molten salt and small amounts of nanomaterials of different dimensionality. These promising HTFs present a superior performance concerning their physical, thermal, and chemical properties. However, there is a lack of studies related to understanding the effects of nanomaterials and the underlying enhancement theories. Therefore, in this article, a detailed revision of the state of the art in experimental and theoretical studies of nanomaterials in a binary commercial nitrate-based molten salt (solar salt) as HTF for CWP plants is presented, highlighting the challenges related to their application and future research directions.

High-power optical transmission (HPOT) technology has emerged as a promising alternative among far-field wireless power transmission approaches, enabling the transfer of kilowatts of power over kilometer-scale distances. Its exceptional adaptability allows operation in challenging scenarios where traditional electrical wiring is impractical or unfeasible, thereby opening up a vast array of potential applications previously considered utopian. An important pending assignment in enhancing the performance of laser-based HPOT systems is achieving efficient photovoltaic conversion of high power densities (≥10 W cm⁻²). In this sense, there is a pressing need for the advancement of optical photovoltaic converters (OPCs) capable of enduring intense monochromatic irradiances. This work presents the design optimization, manufacturing, and characterization processes of a gallium indium phosphide (GaInP)-based OPC under varying 637 nm laser power at room temperature. In addition, methods to evaluate the impact of temperature on performance are provided. The findings reveal a maximum efficiency of 53.5% at 10 W cm⁻², surpassing literature results for GaInP converters by over 9%_abs at those light intensities. Remarkably, this device withstands unmatched irradiances within GaInP OPCs up to 60 W cm⁻², maintaining 42.3% efficiency. This study aims to push forward the development of wide-bandgap power converters with recordbreaking efficiencies paving the way for new applications.

Polarons, which arise from the intricate interplay between excess electrons and/or holes and lattice vibrations (phonons), represent quasiparticles pivotal to the electronic behavior of materials. This review reaffirms the established classification of small and large polarons, emphasizing its relevance in the context of recent advances in understanding lead halide perovskites' behavior. The distinct characteristics of large and small polarons stem from the electron–phonon interaction range, which exerts a profound influence on materials’ characteristics and functionalities. Concurrently, lead halides have emerged with exceptional opto-electronic properties, featuring prolonged carrier lifetimes, low recombination rates, high defect tolerance, and moderate charge carrier mobilities; these characteristics make them a compelling contender for integration of optoelectronic devices. In this review, the formation of both small and large polarons within the lattice of lead halide perovskites, elucidating their role in protecting photogenerated charge carriers from recombination processes, is discussed. As optoelectronic devices continue to advance, this review underscores the importance of unraveling polaron dynamics to pave the way for innovative strategies for enhancing the performance of next-generation photovoltaic technologies. Future research should explore novel polaronic effects using advanced computational and experimental techniques, enhancing our understanding and unlocking new applications in materials science and device engineering.

The efficient functioning of perovskite solar cells largely depends on the interaction between perovskite halide materials and the hole-transport layer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). However, a high rate of nonradiative recombination often hampers this interaction, leading to poor performance of the solar cells. We have developed a technique to modify the interface using a long-chain alkyl halide molecule called n-hexyl trimethylammonium bromide to address this issue. This modification technique significantly improves hole extraction, leading to an impressive open-circuit voltage of 1.14 V and a power conversion efficiency of 15.8% for inorganic perovskite CsPbI₃ with P3HT as a dopant-free hole-transport layer. This breakthrough can pave the way for developing more efficient and sustainable solar cells.

Artificial Leaves

In this conceptual review on advanced device structures for artificial leaves, the authors delve into the details of suitable semiconductor tandem configurations. They explore key challenges in water splitting, promising designs, and innovative research areas such as advanced preparation, characterization, and theoretical modeling of multi-photoabsorbers, electrocatalysts, and dynamics of interfacial reactions. Additionally, case studies of several promising material compositions are presented. More in article number 2301047, Thomas Hannappel, Roel van de Krol, and co-workers.

CO₂ Conversion

In article number 2400022, Dowon Bae, Su-Il In, and co-workers reviewed the photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO₂ conversion into solar fuels such as CO, COOH, CH₃OH, etc. using elemental doping to photoelectrode materials. The introduction of impurities into electrode materials induces defect states, facilitating band gap tuning, broadening light absorption spectra, enhancing charge separation efficiency, and improving CO₂ adsorption capabilities. Hence, elemental doped photoelectrodes collectively contribute to the enhancement of optoelectronic properties and lead to improved catalytic activity of CO₂ reduction in a PEC cell.

Laser-assisted current injection treatment, also known as laser-enhanced contact optimization (LECO), has great potential to reduce front contact resistance and metal-induced recombination of n-type tunnel oxide-passivated contact (n-TOPCon) solar cells, thereby improving the cell efficiency. Herein, the interfacial Ag–Si contact characteristics on boron-doped p⁺ emitters and the electrical properties of industrial n-TOPCon solar cells that feature a LECO treatment and a specific Ag paste are investigated and compared with those of n-TOPCon solar cells with a standard Ag/Al paste process. LECO causes some current-fired contacts that, when removed by sequential selective etching, leave bowl-shaped imprints on the emitter, indicating that isotropic alloying behavior occurs between Ag and Si at these local positions during LECO. Unlike the standard Ag/Al metallization process, the LECO process does not significantly damage the passivation layer or emitter. More interestingly, the n-TOPCon solar cells prepared with the specific Ag paste do not initially form an effective metal–semiconductor contact, with an average efficiency of only 0.14%, which increases to 25.65% after LECO treatment, even 0.2%_abs higher than that of the reference counterparts with standard Ag/Al electrodes. Ultimately, a physical model of LECO-induced Ag–Si contact formation on boron emitters is proposed.

The interfacial layers of organic optoelectronic devices generally suffer from the problems of difficulty in regulating the work function (WF) and low mobility, which are prone to mismatch of interfacial energy levels and loss of carrier transport energy. Herein, O-terminated and NH₂-terminated Ti₃C₂T_x MXenes quantum dots (MQDs) are synthesized to develop efficient O-MQD hole transfer layer (HTL) and E-MQD electron transfer layer (ETL) for organic optoelectronic devices of organic solar cells (OSCs) and organic photodetectors (OPDs). It is found that the strong electronic coupling interaction between the surface terminations and matrices enables O-MQD and E-MQD with tunable WF and satisfactory conductivity. Consequently, in a binary D18:L8-BO system, the power conversion efficiencies of the OSC device based on O-MQD HTL and E-MQD ETL are 18.62% and 18.15%, respectively. Moreover, the OPDs with O-MQD HTL and E-MQD ETL exhibit higher shot-noise-limited detectivity (D_shot*) of 1.24 × 10¹³ and 1.10 × 10¹³ Jones, respectively, compared to the devices using classic interlayers. These findings provide some insights into the design of advanced dual-function interlayers for organic optoelectronic devices.

Organometal halide perovskite photovoltaic (PV) cells have achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) comparable to the leading crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV technology. However, despite their exceptional performance, these perovskite solar cells (PSCs) face technological challenges such as large-area fabrication complexities and outdoor stability concerns. These challenges need to be addressed to pave the way for the commercialization of PSCs. The key to commercializing PSCs lies in developing stable, large-area solar modules that offer both high efficiency and reliability. Overcoming the hurdles of large-area module design and fabrication is a crucial step, and researchers are exploring innovative solutions to tackle these challenges. This review article primarily focuses on the development of large-area PSCs, recent advancements in this field, and the obstacles related to scaling up this technology. It delves into the techniques used to fabricate perovskite films, with a special emphasis on large-area and large-scale PSC manufacturing methods. Moreover, the review highlights stability concerns that perovskite solar modules (PSMs) face and reports on recent progress in addressing these issues. The article concludes by summarizing potential future research directions aimed at realizing the full commercial potential of this innovative and promising solar cell technology.

Low-bandgap nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) offer a unique potential for photovoltaic (PV) applications, such as transparent PV and agrivoltaics. Evaluating each new PV system to achieve the optimum thickness, microstructure, and device performance is, however, a complex multiparametric challenge with large time and resource requirements. Herein, the PV potential of low-bandgap donor and NFA materials by combining high-throughput screening and statistical methods is evaluated. The use of thickness gradients (20–600 nm) facilitates the fabrication of more than 2000 doctor-bladed devices from 24 different low-bandgap blend combinations. The corresponding power conversion efficiencies varies significantly, from 0.06% to 10.45% across materials and thicknesses. The self-consistency of the large dataset allows to perform a parameter sensitivity study as well as parameter correlation analysis. These reveal that the choice of materials and energy alignment-related features (i.e., electron affinity offset, ionization energy offset, bandgap, and energy loss) has the largest influence on final device performance, while processing conditions appear less important for the final efficiencies. Our study demonstrates that high-throughput experimentation is a perfect match for correlation analyses in order to gain a statistically meaningful understanding of these systems, potentially accelerating the discovery of new materials.