(Press-News.org) A huge step forward in the evolution of perovskite solar cells recorded by researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) will have significant implications for renewable energy development.
The CityU innovation paves the way for commercialising perovskite solar cells, bringing us closer to an energy-efficient future powered by sustainable sources.
“The implications of this research are far-reaching, and its potential applications could revolutionise the solar energy industry,” said Professor Zhu Zonglong of the Department of Chemistry at CityU, who collaborated with Professor Li Zhong’an at Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
New approach
Perovskite solar cells are a promising frontier in the solar energy landscape, known for their impressive power conversion efficiency. However, they have one significant drawback: thermal instability, i.e. they don’t tend to perform well when exposed to high temperatures.
The team at CityU has engineered a unique type of self-assembled monolayer, or SAM for short, and anchored it on a nickel oxide surface as a charge extraction layer.
“Our approach has dramatically enhanced the thermal robustness of the cells,” said Professor Zhu, adding that thermal stability is a significant barrier to the commercial deployment of perovskite solar cells.
“By introducing a thermally robust charge extraction layer, our improved cells retain over 90% of their efficiency, boasting an impressive efficiency rate of 25.6%, even after operated under high temperatures, around (65℃) for over 1,000 hours. This is a milestone achievement,” said Professor Zhu.
The journal Science has reported the research as “Stabilized hole-selective layer for high-performance inverted p-i-n perovskite solar cells”.
Raising the heat shield
The motivation for this research was born from a specific challenge in the solar energy sector: the thermal instability of perovskite solar cells.
“Despite their high power conversion efficiency, these solar cells are like a sports car that runs exceptionally well in cool weather but tends to overheat and underperform on a hot day. This was a significant roadblock preventing their widespread use,” said Professor Zhu.
The CityU team has focused on the self-assembled monolayer (SAM), an essential part of these cells, and envisioned it as a heat-sensitive shield that needed reinforcement.
“We discovered that high-temperature exposure can cause the chemical bonds within SAM molecules to fracture, negatively impacting device performance. So our solution was akin to adding a heat-resistant armour – a layer of nickel oxide nanoparticles, topped by a SAM, achieved through an integration of various experimental approaches and theoretical calculations,” Professor Zhu said.
To counteract this issue, the CityU team introduced an innovative solution: anchoring the SAM onto an inherently stable nickel oxide surface, thereby enhancing the SAM's binding energy on the substrate. Also, they synthesised a new SAM molecule of their own, creating an innovative molecule that promotes more efficient charge extraction in perovskite devices.
Better efficiency in higher temperatures
The primary outcome of the research is the potential transformation of the solar energy landscape. By improving the thermal stability of perovskite solar cells through the innovatively designed SAMs, the team has laid the foundation for these cells to perform efficiently even in high-temperature conditions.
“This breakthrough is pivotal as it addresses a major obstacle that previously impeded wider adoption of perovskite solar cells. Our findings could significantly broaden the utilisation of these cells, pushing their application boundaries to environments and climates where high temperatures were a deterrent,” said Professor Zhu.
The importance of these findings cannot be overstated. By bolstering the commercial viability of perovskite solar cells, CityU is not merely introducing a new player in the renewable energy market, it’s setting the stage for a potential game-changer that could play a vital role in the global shift towards sustainable and energy-efficient sources.
“This technology, once fully commercialised, could help decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and contribute substantially to combating the global climate crisis,” he added.
https://www.cityu.edu.hk/research/stories/2023/10/20/pivotal-breakthrough-adapting-perovskite-solar-cells-renewable-energy-city-university-hong-kong-published-science
END
Pivotal breakthrough in adapting perovskite solar cells for renewable energy at City University of Hong Kong; published in Science
2023-10-20
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Who is the ultimate winner of the two strategies to protect cathode for constructing long-cycle performance all-solid-state batteries?
2023-10-20
They published their work on Oct. 18 in Energy Material Advances.
"Constructing a good interface between cathode and electrolyte is crucial for the development of all-solid-state battery," said Chuang Yu, a professor at the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. "Currently, strategies such as coating protect layer on cathode surface and isolating cathode/sulfide electrolyte by halide electrolyte layer are typical solutions to solve the problems at the interface between the cathode and the sulfide electrolytes, but it is not yet clear who is more suitable for sulfide-based all-solid-state ...
A review of energy supply for biomachine hybrid robots
2023-10-20
Bio-machine hybrid robots (BHRs) represent a new generation of micro-aerial vehicles that be controlled by building an interface between biological and artificial systems. In contrast to conventional bionic robots, they are free of complex mechanical structures, and due to the direct adoption of the animal body, they have superior moving characteristics and lower energy demand. Thus, the BHRs can be applied in many important scenarios, such as urban and wilderness rescue operations, environmental monitoring and hazardous area surveys.
To accomplish long mission endurance, the energy supply ...
Johns Hopkins study supports potential for injectable ‘chemical vaccine’ for malaria using atovaquone
2023-10-20
Johns Hopkins researchers looking to develop a long-acting, injectable malaria preventive using atovaquone have shown in a new study that resistance may not be the challenge scientists thought it was, particularly when using atovaquone as a malaria preventive. Malaria parasites in infected patients being treated with atovaquone tend to develop a resistance to the drug. Because of this, atovaquone by itself is not used as a malaria treatment nor has not been seen as a strong candidate for use as a preventive.
The study, led by a team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and the Johns ...
Pupil response may shed light on who responds best to transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression
2023-10-20
New findings from researchers at UCLA Health suggest that measuring changes in how pupils react to light could help predict recovery from depression and personalize transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment of major depressive disorder.
TMS is a safe, non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic fields to stimulate parts of the brain involved in mood regulation. While TMS is proven effective, not all patients respond equally well to the therapy. The ability to predict who will benefit most could allow doctors to better customize ...
Women with a heart healthy diet in midlife are less likely to report cognitive decline later
2023-10-20
Women with diets during middle age designed to lower blood pressure were about 17 percent less likely to report memory loss and other signs of cognitive decline decades later, a new study finds.
Led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the new findings suggest that a mid-life lifestyle modification – adoption of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet – may improve cognitive function later in life for women, who make up more than two-thirds of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent form of dementia.
The findings, published online today in ...
Recognizing excellence in endocrinology, ESE announces the winners of its prestigious Awards for 2024
2023-10-20
The winners of the Society’s prestigious annual Awards for 2024 have all contributed to improving knowledge and expertise in endocrinology and have helped drive innovation and progression across the field.
Each of these deserving winners will be presenting a plenary lecture at ESE’s annual Congress, the European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2024, which will be held in Stockholm, Sweden from 11-14 May 2024.
The 2024 Geoffrey Harris Award is being presented to Jens C. Brüning (Germany). This Award recognises outstanding researchers in the field of neuroendocrinology. Jens Brüning is the Director of the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research ...
Deep dive into the gut unlocks new disease treatments
2023-10-20
The more diverse species in your gut, the better it is for your health. Now an international team led by the Hudson Institute of Medical Research has found a way to determine which species are important and how they interact to create a healthy microbiome.
Understanding these relationships opens the door to a new world of medical opportunities for conditions from Inflammatory Bowel Disease to infections, autoimmune diseases and cancers.
Associate Professor Samuel Forster and his team at Hudson Institute of Medical Research, working with collaborators from the Institute for Systems Biology in ...
Felix Beuschlein announced as winner of 2024 Transatlantic Alliance Award in Endocrinology
2023-10-20
Felix Beuschlein is Professor of Internal Medicine/Endocrinology and Director of the Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition at the University Clinic Zurich in Switzerland. He received his medical degree from School of Medicine at the University of Würzburg and completed his medical training in Freiburg, both in Germany. For postdoctoral studies he joined the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Following a professorship for Endocrine Research at the University of Munich, he was elected for a chair position at the University of Zurich in 2017.
The Transatlantic ...
Partnership looks to the stars to improve cybersecurity
2023-10-20
A new partnership between Edith Cowan University (ECU), observation data company QL Space, and University of South Wales (UK) is looking to the stars, literally, to create more secure and efficient communication.
The collaboration will focus on ‘free space optics’, which uses light all around we can’t see to communicate, by sending data via light particles, or photons.
ECU School of Science Senior Lecturer Dr Shihao Yan said this brought with it many benefits compared to using radio frequencies to send information.
“When ...
Electric hair styling products common cause of burn injuries in children
2023-10-20
AAP media contacts: Lisa Black, 630-626-6084, lblack@aap.org
Tom McPheron, 630-626-6315, tmcpheron@aap.org
...