PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientists propose perovskite films homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency

Scientists propose perovskite films homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency
2023-11-01
(Press-News.org)

In a study published in Nature, researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a new and promising method of fabricating homogenized perovskite films for solar cells. The process involves inhibiting phase segregation caused by internal cation inhomogeneity to increase conversion efficiency to 26.1%, thus tying the existing record.

Their work was also featured as a Nature Editor’s Pick.

For solar cells, an important alternative energy source, the pursuit of higher conversion efficiency and the attempt to keep the cells table as long as possible are core issues that scientists and engineers all over the world are trying to address.

Lead-halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been extensively studied due to their high efficiency, but a dramatic slowdown in the conversion efficiency growth rate of these cells can be seen. Notably, most previous studies of these cells have been limited to the surface, dopant, and component levels.  

In contrast, PAN Xu, a solar cell scientist at HFIPS, and his team decided to look deeper—to the phase level.

Based on years of work in the field, the scientists realized that phase segregation inevitably takes place inside perovskite films, thus affecting or, more precisely, harming both the conversion efficiency and stability of the cells.

“We all know from previous work that cations in different groups are distributed inhomogeneously,” said PAN. “But how exactly these cations are distributed and the reasons behind it and how it affects efficiency remain unclear.”

To understand how cations behave in perovskite films, the researchers used experimental approaches to quantify how the cations FA+ and Cs+ were distributed vertically.

“Cs+ likes to aggregate at the bottom of the film, while a large amount of FA+ gathered at the upper interface of the film,” said PAN.

To verify this, they carried out further work by studying distribution in the crystalline phase. These experiments all agreed well with each other. The team was thus the first to clearly observe out-of-plane inhomogeneous distribution in a laboratory experiment.

Nevertheless, the researchers also wanted to know the reason for this distribution pattern and what to do about it. So they conducted an in-situ test to determine the exact mechanism behind this inhomogeneity.

“Then we found that cations in different groups crystallize and transform at very different rates,” said PAN, who believed this was the reason for the inhomogeneity. Once the researchers identified the key problem, they proposed a strategy of using 1-(Phenylsulfonyl)pyrrole (PSP) as an additive to make up for the difference in crystallization and phases transition rates in order to produce homogeneous films.

The researchers were pleased to see a significant increase in conversion efficiency to 25.8% under third-party certification. What’s better, the cells showed long-term, good stability, with conversion efficiency remaining as high as 92% of the original value even after 2,500 hours of maximum power point tracking.

According to public reports, this ties the record in conversion efficiency. All in all, PAN and his team’s work on phase optimization for solar cells suggests a promising technological path for improving solar cell conversion efficiency and stability.

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Scientists propose perovskite films homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency Scientists propose perovskite films homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency 2 Scientists propose perovskite films homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Scientists propose perovskite film homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency

Scientists propose perovskite film homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency
2023-11-01
In a study published in Nature, researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a new and promising method of fabricating homogenized perovskite films for solar cells. The process involves inhibiting phase segregation caused by internal cation inhomogeneity to increase conversion efficiency to 26.1%, thus tying the existing record. Their work was also featured as a Nature Editor's Pick. For solar cells, an important alternative energy source, the pursuit of higher conversion efficiency and the attempt to keep the cells table as long as possible are core issues that scientists and engineers all over the world are ...

How the fish got its shoulder

How the fish got its shoulder
2023-11-01
A new analysis of the bones and muscles in ancient fish gives new clues about how the shoulder evolved in animals – including us. The shoulder girdle – the configuration of bones and muscles that in humans support the movement of the arms – is a classic example of an evolutionary ‘novelty’. This is where a new anatomical feature appears without any obvious precursors; where there is no smoking gun of which feature clearly led to another. The new research, which draws together a range of evolutionary investigation techniques including fossils, ...

New “injectable tissue prosthesis coupled with closed-loop bioelectronic system” to aid in damaged muscle/nerve regeneration and robot-assisted rehabilitation

New “injectable tissue prosthesis coupled with closed-loop bioelectronic system” to aid in damaged muscle/nerve regeneration and robot-assisted rehabilitation
2023-11-01
In a recent publication in the journal Nature, researchers from the Institute of Basic Science (IBS) in South Korea have made significant strides in biomaterial technology and rehabilitation medicine. They've developed a novel approach to healing muscle injury by employing “injectable tissue prosthesis” in the form of conductive hydrogels and combining it with a robot-assisted rehabilitation system. Let’s imagine you are swimming in the ocean. A giant shark approaches and bites a huge ...

Breakthrough discovery sheds light on heart and muscle health

Breakthrough discovery sheds light on heart and muscle health
2023-11-01
Atrial fibrillation, heart failure and stroke – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can lead to many serious health conditions and is a major cause of sudden cardiac death in people younger than 35. „The heart muscle is a central engine of the human body. Of course, it is easier to fix a broken engine, if you know how it is built and how it functions”, says Stefan Raunser. “At the beginning of our muscle research we have successfully visualized the structure of the essential muscle building blocks and how they interact using electron cryo-microscopy. However, these were static images of proteins taken out of the living cell. They only tell us little ...

Chemical process makes peptide acquire structure similar to amyloid plaques found in neurodegenerative diseases

2023-11-01
Peptides are biomolecules formed when two or more amino acids that perform key functions in the human organism, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, painkillers and antibiotics, bind together. For this reason, they are much studied and used by the pharmaceutical industry, for example. A study conducted by scientists in the Department of Biophysics at the Federal University of São Paulo's Medical School (EPM-UNIFESP) in Brazil identified significant changes in the physicochemical properties of peptides during a spontaneous process of chemical change called pyroglutamination.  Pyroglutamination is a modification resulting from spontaneous conversion ...

Elsevier partners with the Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology to publish Molecules and Cells

Elsevier partners with the Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology to publish Molecules and Cells
2023-11-01
Amsterdam, November 1, 2023 – The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (KSMCB), one of the largest and most prominent academic societies in the field of life sciences in Korea, and Elsevier, a leader in information and analytics for customers across the global research and health ecosystems, are pleased to announce a new partnership to publish Molecules and Cells, the flagship journal of KSMCB. This English-language publication will be hosted on Elsevier’s industry-leading online platform of peer-reviewed literature, ScienceDirect, beginning January 1, 2024. Continuing ...

Do physical connections improve the control and performance of robot swarms?

Do physical connections improve the control and performance of robot swarms?
2023-11-01
In nature, swarms can accomplish amazing things. Schools of fish can more efficiently find food and migrate. Flocks of birds can confuse predators. Bees, ants, and termites can work together to feed, defend and build their colonies.  Robotics researchers have long been trying to harness this ability to explore environments, capture objects and build structures using robot swarms. “But the problem of how do we efficiently control all those robots is still unsolved,” says David Saldaña, an assistant professor ...

Dr. Jennifer Lotz appointed Space Telescope Science Institute Director

Dr. Jennifer Lotz appointed Space Telescope Science Institute Director
2023-11-01
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Lotz as the Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Dr. Lotz will begin her five-year appointment as STScI Director starting February 12, 2024. Previously, Dr. Lotz was the Director of the International Gemini Observatory which is operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, and managed by AURA. “Dr. Lotz is a science driven, accomplished leader,” said Dr. Matt Mountain, President of AURA, which manages STScI on behalf of NASA. “Jen’s passion for the Institute’s mission, to enable the ...

Sperm adjust their swimming style to adapt to fluctuating fluid conditions

Sperm adjust their swimming style to adapt to fluctuating fluid conditions
2023-11-01
Sperm can modulate their energetics by regulating their flagellar waveform—how the sperm oscillate their tails—in order to adapt to varying fluid environments, potentially optimizing their motility and navigation within the reproductive tract. This research is reported in a study publishing November 1 in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. “Our approach allowed us to investigate how variations in viscosity and shear rates affect sperm behavior at the single-cell level, which was not possible using traditional methods,” says senior study author Reza Nosrati of Monash University. Biochemical and biophysical cues within the reproductive ...

Women with atrial fibrillation significantly benefit from pulsed field ablation procedures

Women with atrial fibrillation significantly benefit from pulsed field ablation procedures
2023-11-01
Women with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing a procedure called pulsed field ablation (PFA) have just as good outcomes as men with AF undergoing the same procedure, according to a large-scale international study led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This study is the first to compare sex outcomes for AF patients undergoing PFA, which is a new technology and the latest ablation modality that can be used to restore a regular heartbeat. The results also show PFA is safe and just as effective for men as for women. Findings were published October 5 in JAMA Cardiology. “These results are important, as ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study tracks chromium chemistry in irradiated molten salts

Scientists: the beautiful game is a silver bullet for global health

Being physically active, even just a couple of days a week, may be key to better health

High-fat diet promote breast cancer metastasis in animal models

A router for photons

Nurses and AI collaborate to save lives, reduce hospital stays

Multi-resistance in bacteria predicted by AI model

Tinker Tots: A citizen science project to explore ethical dilemmas in embryo selection

Sensing sickness

Cost to build multifamily housing in California more than twice as high as in Texas

Program takes aim at drinking, unsafe sex, and sexual assault on college campuses

Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.

Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

[Press-News.org] Scientists propose perovskite films homogenizing strategy to increase conversion efficiency