Synthesis Control of Charge Separation at Anatase TiO2 Thin Films Studied by Transient Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy.

For the efficient photocatalytic oxidation of organic pollutants at surfaces of semiconductors, photogenerated holes shall be separated toward the surface and transferred to reactive surface sites, whereas the transfer of photogenerated electrons toward the surface shall be minimized. In this Research Article, the identification of suitable synthesis control of charge separation combined with an in-depth understanding of charge kinetics and trapping passivation mechanisms at the related surfaces can provide tremendous opportunities for boosting the photocatalytic performance. In this work, a comprehensive transient surface photovoltage spectroscopy study of charge separation at anatase TiO2 thin films, synthesized by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis from titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP)-acetylacetone (AcacH) based precursor is reported. By varying the amount of AcacH in the precursor solution, an experimental approach of synthesis control of the charge transfer toward TiO2 surface is provided for the first time. An increased amount of AcacH in the precursor promotes transition from preferential fast electron to preferential fast hole transfer toward anatase surface, correlating with a strong increase of the photocatalytic decomposition rate of organic pollutants. Suitable mechanisms of AcacH-induced passivation of electron traps at TiO2 surfaces are analyzed, providing a new degree of freedom for tailoring the properties of photocatalytic systems.

Building Blocks of Hybrid Perovskites: A Photoluminescence Study of Lead-Iodide Solution Species.

In this work, we present a detailed investigation of the optical properties of hybrid perovskite building blocks, [PbI2+n ]n- , that form in solutions of CH3 NH3 PbI3 and PbI2 . The absorbance, photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of CH3 NH3 PbI3 and PbI2 solutions were measured in various solvents and a broad concentration range. Both CH3 NH3 PbI3 and PbI2 solutions exhibit absorption features attributed to [PbI3 ]1- and [PbI4 ]2- complexes. Therefore, we propose a new mechanism for the formation of polymeric polyiodide plumbates in solutions of pristine PbI2 . For the first time, we show that the [PbI2+n ]n- species in both solutions of CH3 NH3 PbI3 and PbI2 exhibit a photoluminescence peak at about 760 nm. Our findings prove that the spectroscopic properties of both CH3 NH3 PbI3 and PbI2 solutions are dominated by coordination complexes between Pb2+ and I- . Finally, the impact of these complexes on the properties of solid-state perovskite semiconductors is discussed in terms of defect formation and defect tolerance.

Proton Radiation Hardness of Perovskite Tandem Photovoltaics.

Monolithic [Cs0.05(MA0. 17FA0. 83)0.95]Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (perovskite/CIGS) tandem solar cells promise high performance and can be processed on flexible substrates, enabling cost-efficient and ultra-lightweight space photovoltaics with power-to-weight and power-to-cost ratios surpassing those of state-of-the-art III-V semiconductor-based multijunctions. However, to become a viable space technology, the full tandem stack must withstand the harsh radiation environments in space. Here, we design tailored operando and ex situ measurements to show that perovskite/CIGS cells retain over 85% of their initial efficiency even after 68 MeV proton irradiation at a dose of 2 × 1012 p+/cm2. We use photoluminescence microscopy to show that the local quasi-Fermi-level splitting of the perovskite top cell is unaffected. We identify that the efficiency losses arise primarily from increased recombination in the CIGS bottom cell and the nickel-oxide-based recombination contact. These results are corroborated by measurements of monolithic perovskite/silicon-heterojunction cells, which severely degrade to 1% of their initial efficiency due to radiation-induced recombination centers in silicon.

Fine Art of Thermoelectricity.

A detailed study of hitherto unknown electrical and thermoelectric properties of graphite pencil traces on paper was carried out by measuring the Hall and Seebeck effects. We show that the combination of pencil-drawn graphite and brush-painted poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) films on regular office paper results in extremely simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly thermoelectric power generators with promising output characteristics at low-temperature gradients. The working characteristics can be improved even further by incorporating n-type InSe flakes. The combination of pencil-drawn n-InSe:graphite nanocomposites and brush-painted PEDOT:PSS increases the power output by 1 order of magnitude.

Influence of Radiation on the Properties and the Stability of Hybrid Perovskites.

Organic-inorganic perovskites are well suited for optoelectronic applications. In particular, perovskite single and perovskite tandem solar cells with silicon are close to their market entry. Despite their swift rise in efficiency to more than 21%, solar cell lifetimes are way below the needed 25 years. In fact, comparison of the time when the device performance has degraded to 80% of its initial value (T80 lifetime) of numerous solar cells throughout the literature reveals a strongly reduced stability under illumination. Herein, the various detrimental effects are discussed. Most notably, moisture- and heat-related degradation can be mitigated easily by now. Recently, however, several photoinduced degradation mechanisms have been observed. Under illumination, mixed perovskites tend to phase segregate, while, further, oxygen catalyzes deprotonation of the organic cations. Additionally, during illumination photogenerated charge can be trapped in the NH antibonding orbitals causing dissociation of the organic cation. On the other hand, organic-inorganic perovskites exhibit a high radiation hardness that is superior to crystalline silicon. Here, the proposed degradation mechanisms reported in the literature are thoroughly reviewed and the microscopic mechanisms and their implications for solar cells are discussed.

Influence of the Grain Size on the Properties of CH3NH3PbI3 Thin Films.

Hybrid perovskites have already shown a huge success as an absorber in solar cells, resulting in the skyrocketing rise in the power conversion efficiency to more than η = 22%. Recently, it has been established that the crystal quality is one of the most important parameters to obtain devices with high efficiencies. However, the influence of the crystal quality on the material properties is not fully understood. Here, the influence of the morphology on electronic properties of CH3NH3PbI3 thin films is investigated. Postannealing was used to vary the average grain size continuously from ≈150 to ≈1000 nm. Secondary grain growth is thermally activated with an activation energy of Ea = 0.16 eV. The increase in the grain size leads to an enhancement of the photoluminescence, indicating an improvement in the material quality. According to surface photovoltage measurements, the charge-carrier transport length exhibits a linear increase with increasing grain size. The charge-carrier diffusion length is limited by grain boundaries. Moreover, an improved morphology leads to a drastic increase in power conversion efficiency of the devices.

Functionalization of any substrate using covalently modified large area CVD graphene.

We report a novel route for the functionalization of any substrates, including chemically inert substrates. CVD grown graphene is electrochemically functionalized with p-(N-maleimido)phenyl residues and consecutively transferred to various substrates. The transfer process is shown to be without noticeable loss. The functional layer exhibits a thickness of appx. 4.5 nm.

Radiation Hardness and Self-Healing of Perovskite Solar Cells.

The radiation hardness of CH3 NH3 PbI3 -based solar cells is evaluated from in situ measurements during high-energy proton irradiation. These organic-inorganic perovskites exhibit radiation hardness and withstand proton doses that exceed the damage threshold of crystalline silicon by almost 3 orders of magnitude. Moreover, after termination of the proton irradiation, a self-healing process of the solar cells commences.

Perovskite Solar Cells with Large-Area CVD-Graphene for Tandem Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells with transparent contacts may be used to compensate for thermalization losses of silicon solar cells in tandem devices. This offers a way to outreach stagnating efficiencies. However, perovskite top cells in tandem structures require contact layers with high electrical conductivity and optimal transparency. We address this challenge by implementing large-area graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition as a highly transparent electrode in perovskite solar cells, leading to identical charge collection efficiencies. Electrical performance of solar cells with a graphene-based contact reached those of solar cells with standard gold contacts. The optical transmission by far exceeds that of reference devices and amounts to 64.3% below the perovskite band gap. Finally, we demonstrate a four-terminal tandem device combining a high band gap graphene-contacted perovskite top solar cell (Eg = 1.6 eV) with an amorphous/crystalline silicon bottom solar cell (Eg = 1.12 eV).