Solar RRL最新文献

Heat-assisted intensive light soaking has been proposed as an effective posttreatment to further enhance the performance of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. In the current study, it is aimed to distinguish the effects of heat and illumination on different (doped and undoped) layers of the SHJ contact stack. It is discovered that both elevated temperature and illumination are necessary to significantly reduce interface recombination when working effectively together. The synergistic effect on passivation displays a thermal activation energy of approximately 0.5 eV. This is likely due to the photogenerated electron/hole pairs in the c–Si wafer, where nearly all of the incident light is absorbed. By distinguishing between the effects of light and heat effects on the conductivity of p- and n-type doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a–Si:H) layers, it is demonstrated that only heat is accountable for the observed rise in conductivity. According to numerical device simulations, the significant contribution to the open-circuit voltage enhancement arises from the reduced density of defect states at the c–Si/intrinsic a–Si:H interface. In addition, the evolution of the fill factor is highly dependent on changes in interface defect density and the band tail state density of p-type a–Si:H.

Antimony chalcogenide solar cells have captured considerable attention in recent years with an efficiency of over 10%, due to their use of Earth-abundant materials and superior physical characteristics. Despite these achievements, significant nonradiative recombination processes within these solar cells present a substantial obstacle to further efficiency improvements. Therefore, this review delves into the primary mechanisms responsible for nonradiative recombination losses in antimony chalcogenide solar cells. Additionally, the latest advancements in addressing these losses are summarized. Finally, potential directions for future research efforts aimed at reducing nonrecombination losses and enhancing the overall performance of these devices are outlined.

Metal halide perovskites offer a promising opportunity for transforming solar energy into chemical energy, thereby addressing pressing environmental challenges. While their excellent optoelectronic properties have been successfully applied in photovoltaics, their potential in photocatalysis remains relatively unexplored. Herein, we report a novel humidity-driven approach for the in situ synthesis of MAPbI₃ nanocrystals (NCs) within a nickel acetate matrix, forming a nanocomposite thin film that enhances the system's stability and enables its use in photochemical reactions. UV-Vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirm the rapid and effective synthesis of NCs within the matrix after 1 min at 80% relative humidity (RH). Optimal photoconversion conditions are attained after 60 min of exposure at 80% RH, due to the increased porosity and nanocrystal size over time as revealed by electron microscopy. The MAPbI₃-Ni(AcO)₂ nanocomposite exhibits superior photocatalytic activity compared to standard polycrystalline MAPbI₃ films for the decomposition of Sudan III under simulated sunlight. Furthermore, the nanocomposite demonstrates good recyclability over multiple cycles. Overall, this work highlights the potential of MHP-based nanocomposites for solar-driven catalytic systems in pollution mitigation.

CsPbIBr₂ has garnered significant interest due to its ideal bandgap and good stability. However, defects formed at the interface between the electron transport layer and the perovskite can lead to increased non-radiative recombination, which negatively impacts both the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells and the long-term stability of the cells. Herein, the TiO₂/perovskite interface is modified by adding sodium silicate to passivate the defects on the interface. The introduction of Na⁺ partially reduces Ti⁴⁺ to Ti³⁺ in TiO₂, thereby passivating trap states caused by oxygen vacancy defects and adjusting the energy level alignment between TiO₂ and the perovskite film, enhancing the carrier transport efficiency. Additionally, SiO₃²⁻ can form SiOPb (and Cs) bonds with the undercoordinated Pb²⁺ and Cs⁺ on the surface of the perovskite layer, effectively passivating surface defects of the perovskite film and thereby improving the efficiency of the devices. Ultimately, the carbon-based all-inorganic CsPbIBr₂ perovskite solar cells treated with Na₂SiO₃ exhibit a significantly improved PCE of 10.85% compared to 8.62% of the control sample and achieve a high open-circuit voltage of 1.31 V. With this modification, the devices also demonstrate reduced hysteresis effects and enhanced stability.

The bottom perovskite with the hole transport layer (HTL) in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) interface has received little attention due to challenges like interlayer dissolution during perovskite deposition. And voids at the perovskite/HTL interface can degrade cell performance. This work introduces a two-dimensional (2D) perovskite layer between the perovskite and poly (N, N′-bis-4-butylphenyl-N, N′-bisphenyl) benzidine (Poly-TPD) HTL using a mixed solution of 4-methylphenethylammonium chloride (4M-PEA-Cl), methylammonium iodide (MA-I), and Poly(9,9-bis(3′-(N,N-dimethyl)-N-ethylammoinium-propyl-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene))dibromide (PFN-Br). The amine functional groups in the organic salts improved HTL wettability, resulting in a void-free interface. 4M-PEA-Cl, with its strong electron-withdrawing benzene ring, outperformed other amine-containing salts in passivating undercoordinated Pb²⁺ ions. Incorporating this hybrid passivation layer in PSCs resulted in a 1.8% absolute increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 19.1% with 1.68 eV perovskite bandgap. Additionally, the passivated PSCs demonstrated enhanced operational stability, retaining 91% of their initial efficiency after 800 hours of continuous 1-sun illumination, compared to 84.7% for the control sample.

Multijunction (MJ) solar cells have demonstrated very high efficiencies (>30%) owing to the effective use of solar energy. Among these, the GaAs//CuInGaSe(CIGSe)-based MJ solar cell is unique owing to its features, such as being lightweight owing to the combination of thin cells and allowing the use of flexible substrates such as thin metal plates and polymer films. Furthermore, low-concentration solar cells offer a practical solution with high efficiency and low cost. Previously, an efficiency of more than 30% was attained for an InGaP/GaAs//CIGSe three-junction solar cell fabricated via mechanical stacking using Pd nanoparticle arrays and a silicone adhesive (modified smart stack). In this study, the potential of GaAs//CIGSe-based MJ solar cells is examined for application under low-concentration sunlight. The fabricated InGaP/Al_0.06Ga_0.94As//CIGSe three-junction solar cell demonstrates a maximum efficiency of 29.73% at 2.8 suns and maintained a high efficiency of ≈30% in the low-concentration region (<10 suns). For the in-vehicle deployment, an efficiency of 30% is sufficient to enable independent travel for 1 day in Japan. These results demonstrate the potential of smart-stack GaAs//CIGSe-based MJ solar cells as next-generation solar cells.

In this study, an innovative approach is developed for fabricating formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI₃) quantum dots (QDs) by substitution of octadecene (ODE). The results showcase the formation of superior-quality FAPbI₃ QD films, boasting enhanced photoluminescence (PL) and transport properties. Specifically, ODE has been replaced with octene (OCE), a shorter linear alpha olefin. Comparisons are drawn between the novel synthesis method and the conventional ODE-based QD films, scrutinizing their optical properties and applicability in QD solar cells. The outcomes highlight distinctions in temperature-dependent PL emission characteristics, revealing an unprecedented absolute PL QY of up to 84%, a notable improvement from the 70% achieved with ODE, along with enhanced transport properties. Furthermore, the performance of both systems in QD solar cells is evaluated for two values of layer thickness, 100 and 200 nm, to investigate the transport properties at the device level. The results exhibit a remarkable improvement from 200% to 150% in average power conversion efficiency (PCE) and consistently higher values for open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density for the OCE-based solar cell compared to an ODE-based counterpart for both thickness values, reaching a striking 6.7% PCE for the best-performing device despite the nonideal conditions.

The advancements in halide perovskite materials, celebrated for their exceptional optoelectronic properties, have not only led to a remarkable increase in the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) but also opened avenues for the development of semitransparent devices. Such devices are ideally suited for integration into building facades and for use in tandem solar cell configurations. However, depositing transparent electrodes (TEs) on top of the charge transport layers in PSC poses significant challenges. Physical vapor deposition (PVD), commonly used in the industry to prepare transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) as TEs, can introduce plasma-induced damage during the process, which decreases the efficiency of the final devices. While incorporating a buffer layer is the typical approach to mitigate plasma damage, it also increases the complexity and costs of solar cell fabrication. This perspective focuses on the developments of buffer-free semitransparent PSCs. It highlights the shift away from the typical approach of incorporating a buffer layer. Through a comprehensive analysis of recent research, this work presents successful cases of direct TCO deposition onto transport layers, evaluates scalability and stability, and concludes with recommendations for optimizing PVD processes in the fabrication of buffer-free PSCs.

Solar Water Evaporation

In article number 2400198, Kamran Akbar, Wenliang Zhu, Elisa Moretti, Alberto Vomiero, and co-workers demonstrate low bandgap hydrophilic transition-metal selenite hydrates (based on Ni and Co) as efficient materials for solar water evaporation. The high absorbance (>96 %) in the solar spectral range and excellent hydrophilicity facilitates water transport and evaporation up to 2.34 kg m⁻² h⁻¹.

In the midterm future, the photovoltaic industry is expected to be dominated by two-terminal (2T) perovskite–silicon (pero–Si) tandem solar cells, which have high energy conversion efficiency and require characterization for large-scale production. Electroluminescence (EL) imaging is one of the most prevalent and nondestructive techniques for defect detection, recognition, and characterization in Si-solar cells in mass production. This work presents an EL setup that enables fast, simultaneous, and separate luminescence capture from the two subcells of pero–Si tandem devices. To demonstrate the setup, several encapsulated 2T pero–Si tandem samples are investigated. First, the effect that resistive coupling between the two subcells has on defect appearance in EL images is recorded. Therefore, EL image under different operational conditions is recorded. A strong dependence of defect signatures on current injection is observed, that is explained partly by resistive coupling but partly as well by injection-dependent changes of the prevalent defects in the cells. An investigation of preconditioning under dark forward operation reveals significant local decrease of EL intensity going along with rapid reversible or irreversible and severe degradation close to the edges of the samples. This degradation takes place under forward bias during a period of ≈1 h.