Joule最新文献

This work discusses the need to enhance charge carrier collection to minimize halide segregation in wide band-gap (WBG) perovskites. Here, we systematically elucidate the impact of valence band maximum (VBM) offsets and energetic barriers formed at the hole transport layer (HTL)/perovskite interface on charge accumulation, its influence on halide segregation, and ultimately on perovskite solar cell (PSC) long-term photostability. To this end, we precisely tune the VBM-HTL energetic levels by employing blends of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs; MeO-2PACz and Br-2PACz) to fabricate customized HTLs for PSCs with three different WBG perovskite photoabsorbers (1.69, 1.81, and 2.00 eV), commonly used in various tandem configurations. We find that optimized energetic alignment at the SAM HTL/perovskite interface significantly enhances the long-term photostability of the WBG PSCs. Our results show that photostability of devices can be predicted when comparing HTL/perovskite interfaces using photoluminescence’s evolution and transient surface photovoltage spectroscopies of half-stacks (glass/metal oxide/HTL/perovskite) in correlation with halide segregation.

Advancing battery technologies requires precise predictions of thermochemical reactions among multiple components to efficiently exploit the stored energy and conduct thermal management. Recently, machine learning (ML) promised to address this complex thermochemical prediction task; however, it failed due to the huge gap between high problem complexity and extremely limited experimental data available for model training. Here, we innovate and validate the temperature excavation (TE) method that interprets the kinetic preferences of thermochemical reactions within minimal experiments into millions of training data. With the help of the TE method, we build the first universally applicable battery thermal runaway model, which achieves high prediction accuracy across a 500°C range on 15 distinct commercial and advanced chemistries with different battery formats and covers all normal working conditions. The TE method also demonstrates broad adaptability and training stability on various ML algorithms, opening new interdisciplinary opportunities for ML in thermochemistry and all thermal-related studies.

Smart windows using thermochromic materials provide an excellent thermal management system over broad temperature ranges, leading to significant energy savings. Existing thermochromic materials face challenges, including difficulty in application, degradation during use, and limited durability. Here, we report a simple salted polymer blend system, consisting of poly(dimethylsiloxane), poly(ethylene oxide), and lithium perchlorate, that shows excellent thermochromic properties across an accessible temperature window and remarkable durability. The reversible temperature dependence of optical transmittance of the films arises due to the miscibility of the constituent polymers at room temperature, leading to high transparency, and the gradual phase separation and opaqueness with temperature rise. The easy-to-fabricate, stable polymer system can be a viable and cost-effective alternative to inorganic thermochromic materials such as vanadium dioxide for many applications.

Agrivoltaic systems offer a solution to the debate over using agricultural land for food production or energy conversion. Conventional silicon solar panels often shade plants excessively, impacting growth. Wavelength-selective photovoltaic (WSPV) technologies address this by allowing the transmission of beneficial wavelengths for photosynthesis while converting less useful ones into electricity. Wavelength selectivity can be achieved through various methods, such as by tuning photoactive layers, applying colored semi-transparent layers, utilizing mirrors and lenses, or designing spectrally selective luminophores. While evidence suggests that these technologies effectively share sunlight, many of them are yet to be fully implemented and evaluated. This review covers current WSPV technologies, discussing their classification, status, and future prospects. It also provides appropriate PV performance metrics for WSPV technologies in agricultural applications and advocates for standardized reporting practices in crop experiments conducted under WSPV systems, accompanied by practical suggestions. Solar cell efficiency limits under spectral sharing for crop production and the optimal band gap under varying levels of photosynthetically active radiation for crop growth are further examined as guidance for future development.

All-solution-processed organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells allow cost- and energy-effective fabrication methods for large-area devices. Despite significant progress on laboratory-scale devices, there is still a lack of interface materials that can be solution processed on top of the active layer, are compatible with novel non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs), and also provide sufficient long-term stability. We developed a novel interface layer concept, where alcohol-based organic polymer nanoparticles can be processed on top of a polymer-NFA active layer and doped to achieve a quasi-Ohmic hole contact. Moreover, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is processed as a second layer, forming a bilayer solution-processed hole transporting layer (HTL), providing an industrially relevant inverted architecture with a protective PEDOT:PSS layer on top. Most importantly, exceptional stability is observed. PM6:Y6 devices with the bilayer HTL are demonstrated to maintain 93% of their initial efficiency for 1,800 h under continuous solar cell operation at 60°C.

Cu₂Se is a promising p-type thermoelectric material for energy harvesting due to its intrinsically low thermal conductivity arising from the liquid-like Cu ions, leaving very limited room for regulation of phonon propagation. Herein, the thermal conductivity of superionic Cu₂Se is efficiently mediated by titanium oxide nanoclusters, leading to an exceptionally high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) at high temperatures. By controlling the oxygen deficiency, the sophisticated TiO_2−n architectures can be constructed with optimized phase composition and electrical properties. The presence of p-n junctions helps to reduce carrier concentration without degrading mobility, and the complex heterogeneous interfaces generated by TiO_2−n nanoclusters give rise to huge interfacial thermal resistance. Benefiting from the suppressed electrical transport and enhanced phonon scattering, the total thermal conductivity shows a reduction of at least 36%, contributing to a high ZT value of 2.8 at 973 K. This work demonstrates a paradigm of modulating thermal transport through the self-assembly design.

Hermetically sealed titanium (Ti) packaging provides protection for implantable medical devices, but it hinders reliable wireless power transfer to these devices. We present a miniaturized device that utilizes ultrasound-induced vibrations in Ti, mediated by liquid space, for efficient triboelectric energy harvesting. Unlike the conventional ultrasound-driven triboelectric nanogenerator, which induces contact electrification through multiple modes, the Ti-packaged device generates vibrations of the triboelectric membrane in a single mode, facilitating effective energy transfer. The incorporation of the Ti packaging leads to a significant increase in power density, up to 310% compared with the absence of it when measured under a tissue-mimicking material, and it enables long-term stability and Bluetooth communication in vivo. These findings represent the first technology that enhances power transmission characteristics through a Ti layer. We believe that this technology will accelerate the development of smaller, multifunctional, and long-lasting implantable medical devices.

The vast majority of research on organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has focused on improving device efficiency and stability and reducing material costs. However, if one could refurbish OPVs, their stability might not be so demanding, and the reuse of valuable OPV components can reduce the price per watt of solar modules. Herein, we present a dismantling procedure for reusing the active-layer materials without causing performance losses and for recovering the silver electrode and indium tin oxide (ITO)-electrode substrate via chemical and physical processes. Combined with the developed physical mixing methodology, the OPVs fabricated from recycled components also show comparable performance to that of fresh devices. The potential economic analysis points out that this recycling protocol can save 14.24 $ m⁻² in industrial scenarios, strongly demonstrating the possibility of recycling OPVs. This work represents a significant step toward cost-effective, high-yield recycling of waste OPVs while also demonstrating the prospects of no material supply constraints for OPV manufacturing shortly.

Meniscus coating technique is extensively employed for fabricating large-area perovskite films. Based on this technique, there are still challenges of formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI₃) nucleation and crystallization in the film-forming process, which significantly hinders the device performance of perovskite solar cell (PSC) modules. Here, we developed a kind of meniscus-modulated blade coating method combined with solvent engineering to realize scalable, high-quality α-phase FAPbI₃ films with larger grain sizes, preferred crystal orientation, excellent uniformity, and controllable thickness. On this basis, a notable 25.31% power conversion efficiency (PCE) for small-area cells (0.09 cm²) and 23.34% PCE for minimodules (aperture area: 12.4 cm²) with a certified PCE of 23.09% have been achieved. Besides, this minimodule exhibited exceptional device stabilities by remaining above 93% of the initial value after 2,000 h outdoor aging testing. This work provides a very promising meniscus coating fabrication method to realize high-performance FAPbI₃ perovskite solar cells and photovoltaic modules.

The performance of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells can be adversely affected by the heat generated from solar irradiation. To address this issue, a hybrid device featuring a solar energy storage and cooling layer integrated with a silicon-based PV cell has been developed. This layer employs a molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage system to convert and store high-energy photons—typically underutilized by solar cells due to thermalization losses—into chemical energy. Simultaneously, it effectively cools the PV cell through both optical effects and thermal conductivity. Herein, it was demonstrated that up to 2.3% of solar energy could be stored as chemical energy. Additionally, the integration of the MOST system with the PV cell resulted in a notable decrease in the cell’s surface temperature by approximately 8°C under standard solar irradiation conditions. The hybrid system demonstrated a solar utilization efficiency of 14.9%, underscoring its potential to achieve even greater efficiencies in forthcoming advanced hybrid PV solar energy systems.