Recent advances in metallic glass nanostructures (MGNs) are reported, covering a wide array of synthesis strategies, computational discovery, and design solutions that provide insight into distinct ...electrocatalytic applications. A brief introduction to the development and unique features of MGNs with an overview of top‐down and bottom‐up synthesis strategies is presented. Specifically, the morphology and structural analysis of several examples applying MGNs as electrodes are highlighted. Subsequently, a comprehensive discussion of commonly employed kinetic parameters and their connection with the unique material structures of MGNs on individual electrocatalytic reactions is made, including the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, and alcohol (methanol or ethanol) oxidation reaction. Finally, a summary of the challenges and perspective on the future research and development relevant to MGNs as electrocatalysts is provided.
The most recent advances of metallic glass nanostructures are discussed, including a wide array of synthesis strategies, computational discovery, and design solutions that provide insight into distinct electrocatalytic applications, along with a summary of the challenges and perspectives on the future research and development relevant to electrocatalysis.
Mechanical fragility and insufficient light absorption are two major challenges for thin flexible crystalline Si‐based solar cells. Flexible hybrid single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/Si solar cells ...are demonstrated by applying scalable room‐temperature processes for the fabrication of solar‐cell components (e.g., preparation of SWNT thin films and SWNT/Si p–n junctions). The flexible SWNT/Si solar cells present an intrinsic efficiency ≈7.5% without any additional light‐trapping structures. By using these solar cells as model systems, the charge transport mechanisms at the SWNT/Si interface are investigated using femtosecond transient absorption. Although primary photon absorption occurs in Si, transient absorption measurements show that SWNTs also generate and inject excited charge carriers to Si. Such effects can be tuned by controlling the thickness of the SWNTs. Findings from this study could open a new pathway for designing and improving the efficiency of photocarrier generation and absorption for high‐performance ultrathin hybrid SWNT/Si solar cells.
Flexible and thin single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/Si solar cells are fabricated using scalable and room‐temperature processes. They present a high power conversion efficiency of 7.5% without any light‐trapping structure. Transient absorption spectroscopy shows a significant charge generation and injection of excited charge carriers from SWNTs to Si that can be smoothly tuned by the amount of nanotube films.
In article number 1802120, André D. Taylor and co‐workers review the recent progress and new perspectives in the development of metallic glass nanostructures (MGNs) for electrocatalytic reactions. ...Besides calling upon collaborations between studies on metallic glass and amorphous alloys, insightful synthesis and design strategies for distinct electrocatalytic applications are covered, thus offering optimal guidance to design high‐performance electrocatalysts with MGNs.
Perovskite photovoltaics have been shown to recover, or heal, after radiation damage. Here, we deconvolve the effects of radiation based on different energy loss mechanisms from incident protons ...which induce defects or can promote efficiency recovery. We design a dual dose experiment first exposing devices to low-energy protons efficient in creating atomic displacements. Devices are then irradiated with high-energy protons that interact differently. Correlated with modeling, high-energy protons (with increased ionizing energy loss component) effectively anneal the initial radiation damage, and recover the device efficiency, thus directly detailing the different interactions of irradiation. We relate these differences to the energy loss (ionization or non-ionization) using simulation. Dual dose experiments provide insight into understanding the radiation response of perovskite solar cells and highlight that radiation-matter interactions in soft lattice materials are distinct from conventional semiconductors. These results present electronic ionization as a unique handle to remedying defects and trap states in perovskites.
The successful commercialization of perovskite solar cells (Pvs-SCs) calls for the need to find low-temperature processable interlayers with outstanding charge-transport features. In this work, we ...strategically blend poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOz) with PEDOT:PSS as the modified hole transport layer (HTL) to achieve high-efficiency P–I–N CH3NH3PbI3 Pvs-SCs. The PEOz-PEDOT:PSS HTL exhibits enhanced features over the conventional layer including the following: (1) promoting perovskite with enlarged grain sizes to decrease the perovskite layer’s recombination, (2) increasing the work function of the HTL, and (3) decreasing the noncapacitive current in Pvs-SCs. Remarkably, we demonstrate a 17.39% power conversion efficiency with very low hysteresis and high V oc values of 1.075 V for Pvs-SCs with PEOz-PEDOT:PSS.
We explored the utility of ground-based highly accelerated life testing (HALT) on triple-junction coverglass interconnected cells (CICs) after exposure to Mars dust storm conditions. The CICs ...comprised the triple junction solar cells, a silicone encapsulant bonded to ceria-doped coverglass with an antireflection coating. These CICs were placed in an enclosure and sandblasted with Mars dust simulant to replicate dust impingement. We compared the apparatus properties with measured Martian dust storm parameters from Viking landers. We found that simulated Martian dust storms often result in increased reflectance and decreased absorption at visible wavelengths and subsequent reduced short circuit current (JSC). Reduction in the open circuit voltage (VOC) is observed in select cases, caused by structural damage after CIC fracture. We found that even if there is no observable VOC losses, minority carrier lifetime is reduced. The JSC tends to rebound upon cleaning, suggesting current losses are reversible and unrelated to permanent damage such as cell cracking and subsequent isolation of regions of the cell due to broken busbars. This observation indicates a quantifiable difference between recoverable and non-recoverable power loss, suggesting a permanent degradation could be determined. We compared experimental data to mined field data from the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity and extracted a degradation rate. We found exceptional agreement between the irreversible degradation in our laboratory experiments and 4.9 Martian years of mined field data, 9.7% and 9.4% respectively, demonstrating that the laboratory method well represents the physical reality of solar cells’ exposure to the Martian environment.
•Cell degradation in simulated Martian environment shows exceptional agreement to field data.•Minority carrier lifetime is impacted by solar cell exposure to Mars dust conditions.•Short circuit current typically rebounds after solar cell is cleaned of Mars dust.•Controlled sandblasting with dust simulant is an effective method to replicate cell degradation.•Solar arrays at 45–60⁰ angle are most dust resilient.
Imagine, astronauts land on the moon. They verify their arrival with mission control, and perform system checks and validations. After the dust settles, they open the airlock of the landing vehicle ...and venture outside. A side hatch opens, and a flexible substrate slowly unfurls on a boom. A series of printer heads raster, hovering over the substrate and sequentially vapor-depositing the constituent layers of a perovskite solar module (Figure 1). In time, a 1-megawatt array has been manufactured on the moon and can now be connected to supply power to the Artemis Base Camp. This ambitious vision could someday become a reality. On August 29, 2021, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a commercial resupply payload from Kennedy Space Center en route to the International Space Station (ISS). On board were perovskite solar cells that will fly for 6 months outside the ISS in low earth orbit (LEO) on the 15th Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-15). This will be the first long duration flight of perovskite solar cell devices in LEO and a major step toward realizing the in-space operation and, potentially, manufacture of perovskite solar cells.
Perovskite PV Design for Stable Space Operation VanSant, Kaitlyn T.; Kirmani, Ahmad R.; Patel, Jay B. ...
2022 IEEE 49th Photovoltaics Specialists Conference (PVSC),
2022-June-5
Conference Proceeding
Metal halide perovskites are an emerging technology area for photovoltaic (PV) space applications. The goal of our research is to design a perovskite solar cell (PSC) that can exhibit stable ...performance, when exposed to space-relevant stress conditions. This presentation will focus on the down-selection of both the contact layers and the encapsulation scheme for potentially space-compatible PSCs.
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