Pub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113530
Yu Chen , Zhenhua Gu , Xun Ma , Jing Chen , Liangnuo Yang , Ruizi A , Ming Li
Developing heat storage materials capable of operating above 600 °C is a significant challenge in solar thermal power systems. In this study, a low-temperature ultrasonic-magnetic activation approach was employed to fabricate a phase change material for high-temperature thermal energy storage with an Al@Al2O3 core-shell structure, utilizing the unique cavitation effect of ultrasonic waves. The specific surface area and pore volume of samples prepared via ultrasound-assisted hydrothermal synthesis increased by approximately 87.67 % and 91.3 %, respectively. In addition, the prepared Al@Al2O3 microcapsules exhibited a melting point of approximately 662 °C and a latent heat of phase transition of 269.13 J/g. After 100 melting-freezing cycles, the microcapsules demonstrated good thermal cycling stability, with a retained latent heat of 237.11 J/g. These findings suggest that the newly developed Al@Al2O3 microcapsules can be utilized for high-temperature heat storage due to their stable performance and ease of fabrication.
{"title":"Facile synthesis of Al@Al2O3 core-shell microcapsule by ultrasonic for high-temperature thermal energy storage","authors":"Yu Chen , Zhenhua Gu , Xun Ma , Jing Chen , Liangnuo Yang , Ruizi A , Ming Li","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing heat storage materials capable of operating above 600 °C is a significant challenge in solar thermal power systems. In this study, a low-temperature ultrasonic-magnetic activation approach was employed to fabricate a phase change material for high-temperature thermal energy storage with an Al@Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> core-shell structure, utilizing the unique cavitation effect of ultrasonic waves. The specific surface area and pore volume of samples prepared via ultrasound-assisted hydrothermal synthesis increased by approximately 87.67 % and 91.3 %, respectively. In addition, the prepared Al@Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> microcapsules exhibited a melting point of approximately 662 °C and a latent heat of phase transition of 269.13 J/g. After 100 melting-freezing cycles, the microcapsules demonstrated good thermal cycling stability, with a retained latent heat of 237.11 J/g. These findings suggest that the newly developed Al@Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> microcapsules can be utilized for high-temperature heat storage due to their stable performance and ease of fabrication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113530"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113507
Yingzheng Yuan , Xi Man , Hao Lu , Ziye Ling
Sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) is a promising phase change material for thermal energy storage, but its application is limited by its phase change temperature, subcooling, phase separation, and leakage. In this study, we successfully addressed these challenges by forming a binary eutectic with tetraethylammonium chloride (TEAC) and incorporating additives and a support material. The addition of 15 wt% TEAC reduced the phase change temperature to 49.2 °C while maintaining a high latent heat of 184.9 J/g. Further improvements were achieved by adding 1 wt% sodium tetraborate decahydrate (STD) as a nucleating agent to reduce subcooling and 1 wt% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a thickener to prevent phase separation. The issue of leakage was resolved by adsorbing the eutectic salt onto silicon dioxide (SiO2), resulting in a shape-stable composite with minimal leakage. The optimized SAT-TEAC/SiO2 composite phase change material demonstrated excellent thermal stability and retained its phase change properties even after 1000 thermal cycles. This new composite material shows great promise for thermal energy storage and solar heat pump systems due to its enhanced performance and stability.
{"title":"Tetraethylammonium chloride as a novel eutectic partner for sodium acetate trihydrate-tailored phase change materials for efficient solar heat pump systems","authors":"Yingzheng Yuan , Xi Man , Hao Lu , Ziye Ling","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) is a promising phase change material for thermal energy storage, but its application is limited by its phase change temperature, subcooling, phase separation, and leakage. In this study, we successfully addressed these challenges by forming a binary eutectic with tetraethylammonium chloride (TEAC) and incorporating additives and a support material. The addition of 15 wt% TEAC reduced the phase change temperature to 49.2 °C while maintaining a high latent heat of 184.9 J/g. Further improvements were achieved by adding 1 wt% sodium tetraborate decahydrate (STD) as a nucleating agent to reduce subcooling and 1 wt% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a thickener to prevent phase separation. The issue of leakage was resolved by adsorbing the eutectic salt onto silicon dioxide (SiO<sub>2</sub>), resulting in a shape-stable composite with minimal leakage. The optimized SAT-TEAC/SiO<sub>2</sub> composite phase change material demonstrated excellent thermal stability and retained its phase change properties even after 1000 thermal cycles. This new composite material shows great promise for thermal energy storage and solar heat pump systems due to its enhanced performance and stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113507"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143444960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In response to the growing need for advanced thermal management in electronics, energy storage devices, and wearable technology, there has been substantial focus on developing multifunctional phase change materials (PCMs) with capabilities for heat storage, shape stability, and photothermal conversion. However, the rigidity and susceptibility to leakage of PCMs present considerable obstacles to their practical applications. To address these issues, a novel and flexible MXene@PVP/PEG phase change composite membrane (FPCM) are successfully fabricated, which exhibits advanced solar thermal conversion and energy storage capabilities. The FPCM was fabricated through a straightforward mixing process, followed by a vacuum-assisted hydrogen bonding self-assembly method (VASA). The two-dimensional photothermal conversion material MXene, integrated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) through abundant hydrogen bonds, assembles to form a highly oriented specific interlayer framework. This structure effectively addresses the leakage issue that arises during the phase transition of polyethylene glycol (PEG), which serves as a heat storage medium, while ensuring that its thermal conductivity and photothermal conversion efficiency remain optimal. The optimized FPCMs, comprising 16 wt% MXene and 4 wt% PVP, demonstrated remarkable flexibility, retaining their structural integrity after 100 bending cycles. Moreover, the MXene@PVP/PEG exhibited remarkable thermal reliability, retaining over 98 % of their enthalpy after 100 heating-cooling cycles, with a melting enthalpy of 131.6 J/g. These flexible FPCMs, which combine high latent thermal energy storage and temperature regulation properties, show considerable promise for energy storage and thermal management in electronic devices.
{"title":"Flexible MXene@PVP/PEG phase change composite with hydrogen bond assembly for advanced energy storage and thermal management","authors":"Qiuling Chen, Xiaonan Huang, Yuanzhou Chen, Xiang Chen, Zhifeng Hao, Jiajun Liang, Jian Yu, Guizhen Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In response to the growing need for advanced thermal management in electronics, energy storage devices, and wearable technology, there has been substantial focus on developing multifunctional phase change materials (PCMs) with capabilities for heat storage, shape stability, and photothermal conversion. However, the rigidity and susceptibility to leakage of PCMs present considerable obstacles to their practical applications. To address these issues, a novel and flexible MXene@PVP/PEG phase change composite membrane (FPCM) are successfully fabricated, which exhibits advanced solar thermal conversion and energy storage capabilities. The FPCM was fabricated through a straightforward mixing process, followed by a vacuum-assisted hydrogen bonding self-assembly method (VASA). The two-dimensional photothermal conversion material MXene, integrated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) through abundant hydrogen bonds, assembles to form a highly oriented specific interlayer framework. This structure effectively addresses the leakage issue that arises during the phase transition of polyethylene glycol (PEG), which serves as a heat storage medium, while ensuring that its thermal conductivity and photothermal conversion efficiency remain optimal. The optimized FPCMs, comprising 16 wt% MXene and 4 wt% PVP, demonstrated remarkable flexibility, retaining their structural integrity after 100 bending cycles. Moreover, the MXene@PVP/PEG exhibited remarkable thermal reliability, retaining over 98 % of their enthalpy after 100 heating-cooling cycles, with a melting enthalpy of 131.6 J/g. These flexible FPCMs, which combine high latent thermal energy storage and temperature regulation properties, show considerable promise for energy storage and thermal management in electronic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113509"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143444961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113505
Xianqing Liu , Fochao Huang , Fei Liang , Wenshuo Liang , Shule Liu , Gechuanqi Pan , Jing Ding , Jianfeng Lu
The physical and transport properties of molten salts are critical for optimizing and ensuring the sustained efficient operation of large-scale molten salt energy storage systems. This study presents a deep potential (DP) model based on density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the thermophysical properties and microstructural evolution of Na2SO4-MgSO4 eutectic molten salts. The DP function has been further optimized through supplementary training with DP-GEN on complex microstructures, enabling it to capture the microstructural features with the accuracy of DFT. The findings indicate that the sulfate ion microstructure remains stable and unaffected by temperature, consistently retaining a tetrahedral configuration across the examined temperature range. Analysis of microstructural evolution reveals that increasing temperatures induce greater disorder within the Na2SO4-MgSO4 system, resulting in a more loosely packed microstructure and a reduction in coordination number. Furthermore, Mg ions encounter higher energy barriers compared to Na ions, which leads to more restricted mobility within the system, as evidenced by the significantly lower self-diffusion coefficient of Mg ions in contrast to that of Na ions. The thermophysical properties of the Na2SO4-MgSO4 eutectic molten salt exhibit a characteristic negative temperature dependence, with calculated density and specific heat demonstrating deviations from experimental data of 1.7 % and 3.2 %, respectively. This research aims to provide theoretical insights that will facilitate advancements in the application of sulfate molten salts for large-scale energy storage systems.
{"title":"Thermal properties and structural evolution of Na2SO4-MgSO4 eutectic molten salts for large-scale energy storage: Unveiling mechanisms through deep potential molecular dynamics","authors":"Xianqing Liu , Fochao Huang , Fei Liang , Wenshuo Liang , Shule Liu , Gechuanqi Pan , Jing Ding , Jianfeng Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physical and transport properties of molten salts are critical for optimizing and ensuring the sustained efficient operation of large-scale molten salt energy storage systems. This study presents a deep potential (DP) model based on density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the thermophysical properties and microstructural evolution of Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-MgSO<sub>4</sub> eutectic molten salts. The DP function has been further optimized through supplementary training with DP-GEN on complex microstructures, enabling it to capture the microstructural features with the accuracy of DFT. The findings indicate that the sulfate ion microstructure remains stable and unaffected by temperature, consistently retaining a tetrahedral configuration across the examined temperature range. Analysis of microstructural evolution reveals that increasing temperatures induce greater disorder within the Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-MgSO<sub>4</sub> system, resulting in a more loosely packed microstructure and a reduction in coordination number. Furthermore, Mg ions encounter higher energy barriers compared to Na ions, which leads to more restricted mobility within the system, as evidenced by the significantly lower self-diffusion coefficient of Mg ions in contrast to that of Na ions. The thermophysical properties of the Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-MgSO<sub>4</sub> eutectic molten salt exhibit a characteristic negative temperature dependence, with calculated density and specific heat demonstrating deviations from experimental data of 1.7 % and 3.2 %, respectively. This research aims to provide theoretical insights that will facilitate advancements in the application of sulfate molten salts for large-scale energy storage systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113505"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-18DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113504
Paul Procel-Moya, Yifeng Zhao, Olindo Isabella
Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells are rapidly establishing new efficiency frontiers, with front/back-contacted (FBC) designs now exceeding 26.8 % power conversion efficiency (PCE) and interdigitated back-contacted (IBC) cells surger limitepassing 27 %. This progress is driving a shift from traditional FBC PERC architectures to high-performance TOPCon, SHJ, and IBC configurations, with carrier-selective contacts (CSCs) at the core of these breakthroughs. In this work, we identify three critical factors underpinning CSC effectiveness: the work function of contact layers, energy barriers at heterointerfaces, and energy alignment across the stack of layers forming the CSC. By using advanced numerical simulations, we establish a framework for evaluating and optimizing CSC designs, including state-of-the-art poly-Si, SHJ, and dopant-free structures. We also introduce novel architectures based on TCO materials with potentially simpler manufacturing processes. Our simulations reveal that advanced FBC structures, can reach PCEs up to 28 % deploying localized CSCs architecture. In optimized IBC configurations, efficiencies as high as 28.64 % are achievable. For both, FBC and IBC configurations patterning limitations remain a barrier to theoretical efficiency peaks. Future advances in precision patterning could further close this gap, pushing c-Si solar cells closer to their intrinsic limits. This study provides a roadmap for high-efficiency CSC integration in next-generation c-Si solar cells, establishing pathways to achieve performance over 28 % and accelerating the evolution of photovoltaic technology.
{"title":"Unlocking the potential of carrier-selective contacts: Key insights for designing c-Si solar cells with efficiency beyond 28 %","authors":"Paul Procel-Moya, Yifeng Zhao, Olindo Isabella","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113504","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113504","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells are rapidly establishing new efficiency frontiers, with front/back-contacted (FBC) designs now exceeding 26.8 % power conversion efficiency (PCE) and interdigitated back-contacted (IBC) cells surger limitepassing 27 %. This progress is driving a shift from traditional FBC PERC architectures to high-performance TOPCon, SHJ, and IBC configurations, with carrier-selective contacts (CSCs) at the core of these breakthroughs. In this work, we identify three critical factors underpinning CSC effectiveness: the work function of contact layers, energy barriers at heterointerfaces, and energy alignment across the stack of layers forming the CSC. By using advanced numerical simulations, we establish a framework for evaluating and optimizing CSC designs, including state-of-the-art poly-Si, SHJ, and dopant-free structures. We also introduce novel architectures based on TCO materials with potentially simpler manufacturing processes. Our simulations reveal that advanced FBC structures, can reach PCEs up to 28 % deploying localized CSCs architecture. In optimized IBC configurations, efficiencies as high as 28.64 % are achievable. For both, FBC and IBC configurations patterning limitations remain a barrier to theoretical efficiency peaks. Future advances in precision patterning could further close this gap, pushing c-Si solar cells closer to their intrinsic limits. This study provides a roadmap for high-efficiency CSC integration in next-generation c-Si solar cells, establishing pathways to achieve performance over 28 % and accelerating the evolution of photovoltaic technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113504"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143427831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-18DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113510
Salar Moeini , Mina Noori , Amin Abbasiyan
High power conversion efficiency in 4-terminal perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells depends on minimizing optical losses and enhancing charge extraction in both sub-cells. Here, partially passivated nanorods with hexagonal and honeycomb lattice patterns are employed, for the first time as an electron-transporting layer in the top cell. This leads to compensation of the resistive losses and improves the charge extraction process which results in the enhancement of the fill factor while preserving Voc. Also, interdigitated back contact has been implemented in the bottom cell to eliminate the shadowing effect and reduce the parasitic absorption. Additionally, the Si3N4 anti-reflection coating decreases optical losses in the bottom cell. The optimal structural specifications for rods at the top cell with a hexagonal pattern are r = 75 nm and a = 750 nm for the rod's radii and lattice constant, respectively in a 600 nm perovskite layer. Also, the interdigitated back contact bottom cell with the Si layer thickness of 290 μm was optimized for Wn/Wp = 0.2 and Gap = 5 μm. Cascading the proposed optimal sub-cells in a 4-terminal configuration led to the highest power conversion efficiency of 30.73 % ever reported, with the top and bottom cells contributing 23.34 % and 7.39 % to the overall efficiency, respectively to the best of the author's knowledge.
{"title":"Efficiency enhancement in 4T perovskite/Si tandem solar cell by charge extraction management","authors":"Salar Moeini , Mina Noori , Amin Abbasiyan","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High power conversion efficiency in 4-terminal perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells depends on minimizing optical losses and enhancing charge extraction in both sub-cells. Here, partially passivated nanorods with hexagonal and honeycomb lattice patterns are employed, for the first time as an electron-transporting layer in the top cell. This leads to compensation of the resistive losses and improves the charge extraction process which results in the enhancement of the fill factor while preserving V<sub>oc</sub>. Also, interdigitated back contact has been implemented in the bottom cell to eliminate the shadowing effect and reduce the parasitic absorption. Additionally, the Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> anti-reflection coating decreases optical losses in the bottom cell. The optimal structural specifications for rods at the top cell with a hexagonal pattern are r = 75 nm and a = 750 nm for the rod's radii and lattice constant, respectively in a 600 nm perovskite layer. Also, the interdigitated back contact bottom cell with the Si layer thickness of 290 μm was optimized for W<sub>n</sub>/W<sub>p</sub> = 0.2 and Gap = 5 μm. Cascading the proposed optimal sub-cells in a 4-terminal configuration led to the highest power conversion efficiency of 30.73 % ever reported, with the top and bottom cells contributing 23.34 % and 7.39 % to the overall efficiency, respectively to the best of the author's knowledge.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113510"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Enhancing the conversion efficiency of silicon heterojunction solar cells by the spectral conversion of long persistent SrAl2O4:(Eu2+, Dy3+) (SAO) phosphors is presented. The phosphors can not only convert short-wavelength photons to long-wavelength photons, but also convert long-wavelength photons to short-wavelength photons. This makes them able to improve simultaneously the utilization of ultraviolet light and infrared light. The averaged conversion efficiency of the solar cells increases 0.313 % after packaging with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) containing 3 % concentration of the phosphors. Compared with the solar cells packaged without the phosphors, the conversion efficiency increases 0.19 %, 0.255 % and 0.085 % in three wavelength bands 200–500 nm, 500–1220 nm and 1220–1800 nm, respectively.
{"title":"Enhancing crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells by long persistent SrAl2O4:(Eu2+, Dy3+) phosphors","authors":"Ruiqi Zhu, Chaogang Lou, Han Diao, Guoxiang Song, Shaoqiang Huang, Yunzhen Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing the conversion efficiency of silicon heterojunction solar cells by the spectral conversion of long persistent SrAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>:(Eu<sup>2+</sup>, Dy<sup>3+</sup>) (SAO) phosphors is presented. The phosphors can not only convert short-wavelength photons to long-wavelength photons, but also convert long-wavelength photons to short-wavelength photons. This makes them able to improve simultaneously the utilization of ultraviolet light and infrared light. The averaged conversion efficiency of the solar cells increases 0.313 % after packaging with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) containing 3 % concentration of the phosphors. Compared with the solar cells packaged without the phosphors, the conversion efficiency increases 0.19 %, 0.255 % and 0.085 % in three wavelength bands 200–500 nm, 500–1220 nm and 1220–1800 nm, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113521"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143427832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113506
J. Ramon Castro , Carolina Santini , Gabriel Zsembinszki , Saranprabhu Mani Kala , Franklin R. Martinez , Sara Risco , Claudia Fabiani , Anna Laura Pisello , Luisa F. Cabeza
Thermal energy storage (TES) systems play an important role in the management of thermal energy and associated consumption. Furthermore, using TES, combustion of fossil fuels and their associated environmental impacts are avoided. In particular, demand for high temperature energy storage is increasing and research focuses on the development of suitable materials for these applications. A limited number of studies focus on the use of sensible heat storage systems that exploit concrete as a TES under high temperature conditions for concentrating solar power (CSP) plant systems. The main drawback to overcome in concrete TES is the degradation of the concrete after charging and discharging thermal cycles. This study aims to develop a novel concrete formulation designed for high-temperature applications and capable of withstanding thermal cycling. To achieve this, a refractory concrete was conceptualized using calcium aluminate cement (CAC) and refractory aggregates, specifically basalt and chamotte. The formulation also incorporates a heat treatment applied after the cu[[ring period to enhance its performance under extreme thermal conditions. This heat treatment is what allows to transform a CAC concrete, that unites the dispersed material through hydraulic nodes, into a refractory concrete, that unites the dispersed material through its ceramisation. The new concrete formulation was analysed to evaluate its performance before and after 25 thermal cycles. Results show that thermal conductivity and compressive strength after ceramisation have values around 1.7 W/m·K and 52 MPa, respectively. It was also observed that the initial thermal treatment was not necessary, because the ceramisation of the concrete can also be achieved during the thermal cycling process if the correct heating and cooling rates are used. The developed new concrete formulation containing refractory aggregates demonstrated excellent thermo-physical and mechanical properties that make it suitable for high-temperature TES applications (temperatures up to 700 °C).
{"title":"Innovative refractory concrete for high temperature thermal energy storage","authors":"J. Ramon Castro , Carolina Santini , Gabriel Zsembinszki , Saranprabhu Mani Kala , Franklin R. Martinez , Sara Risco , Claudia Fabiani , Anna Laura Pisello , Luisa F. Cabeza","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermal energy storage (TES) systems play an important role in the management of thermal energy and associated consumption. Furthermore, using TES, combustion of fossil fuels and their associated environmental impacts are avoided. In particular, demand for high temperature energy storage is increasing and research focuses on the development of suitable materials for these applications. A limited number of studies focus on the use of sensible heat storage systems that exploit concrete as a TES under high temperature conditions for concentrating solar power (CSP) plant systems. The main drawback to overcome in concrete TES is the degradation of the concrete after charging and discharging thermal cycles. This study aims to develop a novel concrete formulation designed for high-temperature applications and capable of withstanding thermal cycling. To achieve this, a refractory concrete was conceptualized using calcium aluminate cement (CAC) and refractory aggregates, specifically basalt and chamotte. The formulation also incorporates a heat treatment applied after the cu[[ring period to enhance its performance under extreme thermal conditions. This heat treatment is what allows to transform a CAC concrete, that unites the dispersed material through hydraulic nodes, into a refractory concrete, that unites the dispersed material through its ceramisation. The new concrete formulation was analysed to evaluate its performance before and after 25 thermal cycles. Results show that thermal conductivity and compressive strength after ceramisation have values around 1.7 W/m·K and 52 MPa, respectively. It was also observed that the initial thermal treatment was not necessary, because the ceramisation of the concrete can also be achieved during the thermal cycling process if the correct heating and cooling rates are used. The developed new concrete formulation containing refractory aggregates demonstrated excellent thermo-physical and mechanical properties that make it suitable for high-temperature TES applications (temperatures up to 700 °C).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113506"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113511
Ching-Chuan Cheng, Yi-Cheng Lin
NiOₓ thin films show promise in Sb₂Se₃ thin film solar cells, though the optimal oxygen stoichiometry (x) remains undetermined. While most solar cells use single-sided illumination. This study demonstrates a high-performance bifacial Sb₂Se₃ solar cell with a superstrate configuration (FTO/NiOₓ/Sb₂Se₃/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO/Al), utilizing NiOₓ hole transport layer (HTL) deposited via reactive sputtering. The device's performance under single and bifacial illumination conditions was systematically investigated, along with oxygen/argon flow ratio (OAFR) optimization. At OAFR = 10 %, NiOₓ exhibited optimal stoichiometry (x = 1.04), complete columnar crystallization, and balanced Ni³⁺/Ni2⁺ ratio, resulting in high visible transmittance (81 %) and a bandgap of 3.78 eV. Under FTO-side single illumination, the device achieved an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.36 V, short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 23.16 mA/cm2, fill factor (FF) of 54.46 %, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.86 %. The bifacial configuration demonstrated enhanced performance primarily through additional light harvesting from both front and rear illumination. The optimized NiOₓ HTL further supported this enhancement through efficient hole extraction and reduced interface recombination. These synergistic effects improved device performance with Jsc increasing to 29.93 mA/cm2, Voc reaching 0.414 V, and achieving a PCE of 6.72 %. The device achieves a bifaciality factor of 0.90, showing balanced performance. With an albedo factor of 0.2, the bifacial efficiency gain reaches 18 %.
{"title":"Optimization of NiOₓ thin film properties and its impact on the performance of bifacial Sb₂Se₃ solar cells","authors":"Ching-Chuan Cheng, Yi-Cheng Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>NiOₓ thin films show promise in Sb₂Se₃ thin film solar cells, though the optimal oxygen stoichiometry (x) remains undetermined. While most solar cells use single-sided illumination. This study demonstrates a high-performance bifacial Sb₂Se₃ solar cell with a superstrate configuration (FTO/NiOₓ/Sb₂Se₃/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO/Al), utilizing NiOₓ hole transport layer (HTL) deposited via reactive sputtering. The device's performance under single and bifacial illumination conditions was systematically investigated, along with oxygen/argon flow ratio (OAFR) optimization. At OAFR = 10 %, NiOₓ exhibited optimal stoichiometry (x = 1.04), complete columnar crystallization, and balanced Ni³⁺/Ni<sup>2</sup>⁺ ratio, resulting in high visible transmittance (81 %) and a bandgap of 3.78 eV. Under FTO-side single illumination, the device achieved an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.36 V, short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 23.16 mA/cm<sup>2</sup>, fill factor (FF) of 54.46 %, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.86 %. The bifacial configuration demonstrated enhanced performance primarily through additional light harvesting from both front and rear illumination. The optimized NiOₓ HTL further supported this enhancement through efficient hole extraction and reduced interface recombination. These synergistic effects improved device performance with Jsc increasing to 29.93 mA/cm<sup>2</sup>, Voc reaching 0.414 V, and achieving a PCE of 6.72 %. The device achieves a bifaciality factor of 0.90, showing balanced performance. With an albedo factor of 0.2, the bifacial efficiency gain reaches 18 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113511"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The redox process at the electrolyte/counter electrode (CE) interface is a crucial step in achieving efficient charge flow cycles in DSSCs. The work focuses on enhancing the charge kinetics between the electrolyte, and MoO3 CE using MoS2-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites. Different weight percentages of rGO (5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 15 wt%) are composited with MoS2. The MoO3 surface is modified by screen-printing MoS2, and MoS2-rGO on it. The dense network of MoS2, and rGO at the optimized concentration furnishes Pt-like electrocatalytic activity to MoO3. The 10 wt% of rGO in MoS2 (M/MSG10) imparts favourable properties to MoO3 CE by lowering the charge transfer resistance by 2.6-fold and enhancing the electrocatalytic performance. The limiting, and exchange current densities increase by 2.2, and 2.9 times, respectively, compared to MoO3. M/MSG10 CE exhibits a maximum power conversion efficiency of 5.0 %, which is 2.9 times higher than MoO3. This champion device outperforms the conventional Pt CE by recording an efficiency 1.1-fold higher. This study identifies Pt-free CE, specifically MoO3/MoS2-rGO, as a potential candidate to reduce the cost of DSSCs, and promote commercialization.
{"title":"Enhanced catalytic performance of MoO3/MoS2-rGO counter electrode towards a Pt-free dye sensitized solar cell","authors":"Vibavakumar Sivakumar , Nisha Dharmajan , Archana Jayaram , Navaneethan Mani , Harish Santhana Krishnan","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113496","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113496","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The redox process at the electrolyte/counter electrode (CE) interface is a crucial step in achieving efficient charge flow cycles in DSSCs. The work focuses on enhancing the charge kinetics between the electrolyte, and MoO<sub>3</sub> CE using MoS<sub>2</sub>-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites. Different weight percentages of rGO (5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 15 wt%) are composited with MoS<sub>2</sub>. The MoO<sub>3</sub> surface is modified by screen-printing MoS<sub>2</sub>, and MoS<sub>2</sub>-rGO on it. The dense network of MoS<sub>2</sub>, and rGO at the optimized concentration furnishes Pt-like electrocatalytic activity to MoO<sub>3</sub>. The 10 wt% of rGO in MoS<sub>2</sub> (M/MSG10) imparts favourable properties to MoO<sub>3</sub> CE by lowering the charge transfer resistance by 2.6-fold and enhancing the electrocatalytic performance. The limiting, and exchange current densities increase by 2.2, and 2.9 times, respectively, compared to MoO<sub>3</sub>. M/MSG10 CE exhibits a maximum power conversion efficiency of 5.0 %, which is 2.9 times higher than MoO<sub>3</sub>. This champion device outperforms the conventional Pt CE by recording an efficiency 1.1-fold higher. This study identifies Pt-free CE, specifically MoO<sub>3</sub>/MoS<sub>2</sub>-rGO, as a potential candidate to reduce the cost of DSSCs, and promote commercialization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 113496"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号