ABSTRACT
Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their high-power conversion efficiency, simple fabrication, and low material cost. However, due to their high sensitivity to moisture and oxygen, high efficiency PSCs are mainly constructed in an inert environment. This has led to significant concerns associated with the long-term stability and manufacturing costs, which are some of the major limitations for the commercialization of this cutting-edge technology. Over the past few years, excellent progress in fabricating PSCs in ambient conditions has been made. These advancements have drawn considerable research interest in the photovoltaic community and shown great promise for the successful commercialization of efficient and stable PSCs. In this review, after providing an overview to the influence of an ambient fabrication environment on perovskite films, recent advances in fabricating efficient and stable PSCs in ambient conditions are discussed. Along with discussing the underlying challenges and limitations, the most appropriate strategies to fabricate efficient PSCs under ambient conditions are summarized along with multiple roadmaps to assist in the future development of this technology.
ABSTRACT
Dual-modality imaging employing complementary modalities, such as all-optical ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging, is emerging as a well-suited technique for guiding minimally invasive surgical procedures. Quantum dots are a promising material for use in these dual-modality imaging devices as they can provide wavelength-selective optical absorption. The first quantum dot nanocomposite engineered for co-registered laser-generated ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging is presented. The nanocomposites developed, comprising CuInS2 quantum dots and medical-grade polydimethylsiloxane (CIS-PDMS), are applied onto the distal ends of miniature optical fibers. The films exhibit wavelength-selective optical properties, with high optical absorption (> 90%) at 532 nm for ultrasound generation, and low optical absorption (< 5%) at near-infrared wavelengths greater than 700 nm. Under pulsed laser irradiation, the CIS-PDMS films generate ultrasound with pressures exceeding 3.5 MPa, with a corresponding bandwidth of 18 MHz. An ultrasound transducer is fabricated by pairing the coated optical fiber with a Fabry-Pérot (FP) fiber optic sensor. The wavelength-selective nature of the film is exploited to enable co-registered all-optical ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging of an ink-filled tube phantom. This work demonstrates the potential for quantum dots as wavelength-selective absorbers for all-optical ultrasound generation.
ABSTRACT
Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have recently emerged as a promising receiver technology in free-space optical communications due to their inherent ability to collect light from a wide field-of-view and concentrate it into small areas, thus leading to high optical gains. Several high-speed communication systems integrating LSCs in their detector blocks have already been demonstrated, with the majority of efforts so far being devoted to maximising the received optical power and the system's field-of-view. However, LSCs may pose a severe bottleneck on the bandwidth of such communication channels due to the comparably slow timescale of the fluorescence events involved, a situation further aggravated by the inherent reabsorption in these systems, and yet, an in-depth study into such dynamic effects remains absent in the field. To fill this gap, we have developed a comprehensive analytical solution that delineates the fundamental bandwidth limits of LSCs as optical detectors in arbitrary free-space optical links, and establishes their equivalence with simple RC low-pass electrical circuits. Furthermore, we demonstrate a time-domain Monte Carlo simulation platform, an indispensable tool in the multiparameter optimisation of LSC-based receiver systems. Our work offers vital insight into LSC system dynamic behaviour and paves the way to evaluate the technology for a wide range of applications, including visible light communications, high-speed video recording, and real-time biological imaging, to name a few.
ABSTRACT
Two bodipy dyes with different carboxylic acids on the meso-position of the bodipy core were prepared and used to sensitize TiO2 photoelectrodes. On the basis of spectroscopic characterization, the photoelectrodes were used to fabricate photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) for solar light harvesting. Photovoltaic measurements showed that both bodipy dyes successfully sensitized PECs with short-circuit current densities (JSC) two-fold higher compared to the control. The increase in generated current was attributed to the gain in spectral absorbance due to the presence of bodipy. Finally, the influence of co-sensitization of bodipy and N719 dye was also investigated and photovoltaic device performance discussed.
ABSTRACT
Active chlorine is the most powerful microbicidal reagent in swimming pools, potable water, hospitals, and medical surgeries. Its production mainly relies on reactive inorganic intermediates and electrochemical methods that involve undesired waste products and high energy as well as material costs. In this study, we fabricated a low-cost chip based on sputter-coated thin films of silver (Ag) that acted as recyclable and effective photoelectrode for the photocatalytic production of active chlorine (HOCl) from aqueous media and artificial sunlight. The photoelectrode was electrochemically activated to AgCl at low overpotentials between 0.2 and 0.4 V vs Ag|AgCl (3 M KCl) and photocatalytically reduced to Ag(0) for 15 consecutive cycles, showing the electrode still being active. However, because of poor adhesion properties on the selected substrates, degradation effects were observed over time. Furthermore, the Ag@AgCl photoelectrode was integrated into a microfluidic chip, and we showed for the first time a light-driven microfluidic chip generating a constant stream of active chlorine.
