A record power conversion efficiency of 27.17% was achieved in the photovoltaic cells under a temperature gradient of 10 °C, enabled by synergistic cooperation between photovoltaic and thermoelectric effects.

Gas bubble adhesion, a ubiquitous phenomenon in electrochemical gas-evolving reactions, reduces the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in water electrolysis. Understanding the dynamics of gas bubble detachment and its dependence on force balance is crucial for manipulating bubble departure, but it remains insufficiently investigated. Here, we found that bubble dynamics differ markedly between fluidizable and stationary electrocatalysts, with fluidizable electrocatalysts minimizing bubble adhesion and showing a 37-fold increase in the HER rate constant. This enhancement is attributed to accelerated bubble detachment driven by the fluidization effect of the electrocatalyst particles. Specifically, the transition from stationary to fluidizable electrocatalysts marks a shift from a flat to a particulate model, introducing promoting effects arising from particle movement and spin-induced centrifugal force and bubble collision-triggered coalescence. Consequently, the measured HER activity approaches its intrinsic value. This work highlights fluidization as an effective strategy to eliminate bubble adhesion, thereby exposing nearly all active sites to electrocatalytic reactions.

The impact of the lattice structure on photoelectronic properties of metal halide perovskites (MHP) is widely acknowledged. However, the correlation between crystallography and photogenerated charge carriers remains unclear. Herein, we report on the discrepant ferroelastic response and photoelectronic properties under direct current (DC)-poling or alternating current (AC)-poling in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI(3)) twin-domains. A preferred crystal orientation is established only under DC-poling, which leads to domain boundary evolution and enhanced light scattering. Continuous DC-poling leads to an irreversible lattice expansion of approximately 0.1%, resulting in an elevated light absorption of 10%. Consequently, under DC-poling the short-circuit current density and open-circuit voltage of the solar cell are elevated by 1.34 mA cm(-2) and 135 mV, respectively. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of poling-enhanced solar cells has reached 23.12%, representing one of the highest PCEs of MAPbI(3). This work reveals that microscopic modulation of crystallographic structure profoundly impacts solar cell performance.

The low fraction of non-radiative recombination established the foundation of metal halide perovskite solar cells. However, the origin of low non-radiative recombination in metal halide perovskite materials is still not well-understood. Herein, we find that the non-radiative recombination in twinning-tetragonal phase methylammonium lead halide (MAPbI x Cl 3-x ) is apparently suppressed by applying an electric field, which leads to a remarkable increase of the open-circuit voltage from 1.12 V to 1.26 V. Possible effects of ionic migration and light soaking on the open-circuit voltage enhancement are excluded experimentally by control experiments. Microscopic and macroscopic characterizations reveal an excellent correlation between the ferroelastic lattice deformation and the suppression of non-radiative recombination. The calculation result suggests the existence of lattice polarization in self-stabilizable deformed domain walls, indicating the charge separation that facilitated by lattice polarization is accountable for the suppressed non-radiative recombination. This work provides an understanding of the excellent performance of metal halide perovskite solar cells.

Abstract The sufficient utilization of longer-wavelength infrared light is a long-sought goal for efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) since they convert into heat easily and destroy the device stability. Establishing thermoelectric effect on the same PSCs is supposed to be an efficient way to convert heat into electricity. However, whether thermoelectric effect exists during the photovoltaic process has never been concerned. Herein, we report that the FAP-based PSCs operated under temperature differences (ΔT=15 oC) afford a champion PCE of 25.74%, higher than 22.84% with ΔT=0 oC, along with an improved Voc from 1.17 V to 1.23 V. It’s demonstrated that integrating photoelectric and thermoelectric effects can magnify the solar-to-electricity conversion. The critical factors to success are utilizing adequately photocarrier in parallel with regulating the intrinsic carrier directional transport and facilitating the charge carriers’ collection. The work shed light on the synergistic contribution of photoelectric and thermoelectric effect to efficient PSCs.

A hydroxylated non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) is developed to modify the interface between the perovskite and the electron transport layer in inverted perovskite solar cells (i-PSCs), achieving a record PCE of 22.09% among reported i-PSCs employing NFAs.

In recent years, extensive efforts were made to develop solar rechargeable flow cell (SRFC) for the capture, conversion, storage and distribution of intermittent solar energy. However, the performance of most SRFCs is far from being satisfactory and the working mechanisms are not well understood. In this work, an all-in-one SRFC (ASRFC) with Fe/AQDS redox couples and an amorphous silicon (aSi) based photoanode is designed and constructed. Originating from the fast kinetics of Fe3+/Fe-2} [k(0')=(9.0 +/- 0.1) x 10(-3) cm s(-1)] and AQDS/AQDSH(2) [k(0)'=(1.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(-2) cm s-(1)] together with the efficient light harvesting and charge separation of the aSi, the optimal solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of the Fe/AQDS-based ASRFC reaches 6.5%, indicating 93% of solar energy converted by the aSi-based photoanode can be stored in the redox couples. Moreover, a record photoelectrode utilization efficiency of 70% demonstrates the well-matched energy-level between the aSi-based photoanode and the Fe/AQDS redox couples. And this is a key factor in achieving an overall solar-chemical electricity conversion efficiency of 4.9%, which outperforms previous published SRFCs operating in air atmosphere. These results may light up the path of developing efficient solar rechargeable devices for practical solar energy utilization.

AbstractScalable solar hydrogen production by water splitting using particulate photocatalysts is promising for renewable energy utilization. However, photocatalytic overall water splitting is challenging owing to slow water oxidation kinetics, severe reverse reaction, and H2/O2 gas separation. Herein, mimicking nature photosynthesis, a practically feasible approach named Hydrogen Farm Project (HFP) is presented, which is composed of solar energy capturing and hydrogen production subsystems integrated by a shuttle ion loop, Fe3+/Fe2+. Well‐defined BiVO4 crystals with precisely tuned {110}/{010} facets are ideal photocatalysts to realize the HFP, giving up to 71 % quantum efficiency for photocatalytic water oxidation and full forward reaction with nearly no reverse reaction. An overall solar‐to‐chemical efficiency over 1.9 % and a solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency exceeding 1.8 % could be achieved. Furthermore, a scalable HFP panel for solar energy storage was demonstrated under sunlight outdoors.

Integrating a perovskite solar cell (PSC) with a thermoelectric generator (TEG) into a hybrid system can convert solar energy into electricity by simultaneously utilizing the solar light and the waste heat produced from the PSC. Although such hybrid devices with a small area have been proposed, the fabrication of a large-area perovskite solar module (PSM) containing variable series and parallel connecting modes of subcells for the match with the same-size TEG still remain challenging. This work is to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating a large-area (16 cm2) PSM-TEG device by hybridizing a PSM and a TEG in series. With the combination of series and parallel-connected modes of the PSC subcells, an optimal PSM-TEG device affords a highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.7% with an open-circuit voltage of 6.80 V and a maximum power output of 103 mW under the irradiation of 100 mW/cm2 condition and maintains 85% of its initial PCE after 400 h under continuous illumination.

Flexible solar cells could be applied in fields such as satellites, airships, drones, individual soldier equipment, building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and wearable smart devices, which indicates great prospects. This paper introduces cell structures, fabrication methods and current statuses of four types of flexible solar cells respectively, including the flexible silicon thin film solar cell, the flexible CdTe solar cell, the flexible CIGS solar cell, and the flexible perovskite solar cell. This paper also analyses the key issue of efficiency improvement and the main problems in the industrialization of the flexible solar cells. Ultimately, the paper proposes suggestions from aspects of substrate development, efficiency improvement and industrial fabrication.

The photoanodes with heterojunction behavior could enable the development of solar energy conversion, but their performance largely suffers from the poor charge separation and transport process through the multiple interfacial energy levels involved. The question is how to efficiently manipulate these energy levels. Taking the n-Si Schottky photoanode as a prototype, the undesired donor-like interfacial defects and its adverse effects on charge transfer in n-Si/ITO photoanode are well recognized and diminished through the treatment on electronic energy level. The obtained n-Si/TiOx/ITO Schottky junction exhibits a highly efficient charge transport and a barrier height of 0.95 eV, which is close to the theoretical optimum for n-Si/ITO Schottky contact. Then, the holes extraction can be further facilitated through the variation of surface energy level, with the NiOOH coated ITO layer. This is confirmed by a 115% increase in surface photovoltage of the photoanodes. Eventually, an unprecedentedly low onset potential of 0.9 V (vs RHE) is realized for water oxidation among n-Si photoanodes. For the water oxidation reaction, the n-Si/TiOx/ITO/NiOOH photoanode presents a charge separation efficiency up to 100% and an injection efficiency greater than 90% at a wide voltage range. This work identifies the important role of interfacial energetics played in photoelectrochemical conversion.

Integrating natural and artificial photosynthetic platforms is an important approach to developing solar-driven hybrid systems with exceptional function over the individual components. A natural-artificial photosynthetic hybrid platform is formed by wiring photosystem II (PSII) and a platinum-decorated silicon photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell in a tandem manner based on a photocatalytic-PEC Z-scheme design. Although the individual components cannot achieve overall water splitting, the hybrid platform demonstrated the capability of unassisted solar-driven overall water splitting. Moreover, H2 and O2 evolution can be separated in this system, which is ascribed to the functionality afforded by the unconventional Z-scheme design. Furthermore, the tandem configuration and the spatial separation between PSII and artificial components provide more opportunities to develop efficient natural-artificial hybrid photosynthesis systems.

A simple treatment of the ZnO cathode interlayer with phenols (both on the ZnO surface and in blend) for IPSCs.

Herein, hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) covered with a thin layer of CoOx is applied as photoanode for PEC water splitting. The thin layer of CoOx effectively protects a-Si:H from the corrosive electrolyte and quantitative oxidation of water to oxygen was observed. A high applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 2.34 % was achieved using an intrinsic absorber and an additional p-type layer. This work shows that a-Si:H with a sandwich-like structure, in which each layer has its own functionality, can be applied as an efficient and stable photoanode for PEC water oxidation.

The invention relates to a method for preparing hydrogen through photoanode-photovoltaic battery coupled dual-illumination fully-photic-driven decomposition of water. Efficient decomposition of water is realized under sunlight illumination conditions by using coupling of a photoelectrocatalysis technology with a photovoltaic battery technology, adopting a water oxidation cocatalsyt modified semiconductor material as a photoanode, placing a proton reduction cocatalyst modified Si battery in an electrolyte as a photocathode, directly connecting the positive electrode of the Si battery with the anode through a lead and allowing the surface of the cathode to contact with the electrolyte. The method realizes fully photic driven decomposition of water without applied bias conditions, and the solar energy utilization efficiency STH of the method reaches 2.2% or above.

Organometal trihalide perovskite material is an exciting class of photovoltaic material with good performance and simple fabrication process that can be adopted by low-cost manufacturable technologies. Unfortunately, such technology is haunted by stability issues for long term applications. To address this issue, recent studies generally trade performance for stability by applying a filter to eliminate UV and blue illumination. Herein, we report our success in using a-Si/perovskite architecture, in which the a-Si is not only part of the device, but also an effective UV-blue light filter to keep perovskite from the UV damage. The tandem device maintains higher performance, particularly during the long term tests. Specifically, V-oc of the tandem device achieved a high value of 93% the sum of the component-cells under AM 1.5 illumination. The stability of perovskite solar cells is significantly enhanced comparing with bare perovskite devices. Our results indicate a novel feasible route to elevate the stability of perovskite solar cell without compromising its performance.

In the perovskite/polymer based parallel-like tandem solar cell, the distinctive absorption spectra between the organic–inorganic halide perovskite absorber (CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI)) and poly-(diketopyrrolopyrrole-terthiophene) (PDPP3T) polymer absorber make it possible to investigate the electronic properties of charge carriers generated in either the perovskite or PDPP3T layer separately. The current density–voltage (J–V) curves of the device are measured under the monochromatic LED irradiation at significantly different wavelengths to confirm the charge carrier generated in MAPI offer higher Voc. The voltage biased external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurement is employed to understand the charge transport mechanism in the system. The J–V curves and EQE data confirm that charge carriers generated by the photons absorbed in the perovskite layer or in PDPP3T behave independently. Compared with the bulk heterojunction structure, this parallel-like tandem structure increases Voc while reducing thermalization loss, providing a possibility to break the traditional Shockley–Queisser (S–Q) limit set for single junction devices.

The high efficiency of planar perovskite solar cells by alternating layer-by-layer vacuum deposition of PbCl2 and CH3NH3I precursor layers is up to 16.03%.

Silicon nano-particles (SiNPs) with various sizes can be controllably synthesized by a facile and novel PECVD-IL method.

Organic/amorphous silicon (a-Si) hybrid tandem solar cells have the potential to provide a highly efficient low-cost photovoltaic technology using abundant elements, and the technology is adaptable to large-scale processes. With their high open-circuit voltage (V-oc) and adaptability to a broad solar spectrum, organic/a-Si tandem devices offer significantly improved performance. We have shown that organic/a-Si hybrid tandem solar cells with a complementary organic absorber can exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 7.5%, with a fill factor (FF) of 72.3% and a V-oc almost equivalent to the sum of the sub-cells under standard air mass (AM) 1.5 illumination. The high performance of the device results from the complementary absorption spectra of two sub-cells and well-matched energy levels of the intermediate layer. This study provides an effective design strategy for organic/a-Si hybrid tandem solar cells of improved efficiency.