Hole‐transporting layers (HTLs) are an essential component in inverted, p–i–n perovskite solar cells (PSCs) where they play a decisive role in extraction and transport of holes, surface passivation, ...perovskite crystallization, device stability, and cost. Currently, the exploration of efficient, stable, highly transparent and low‐cost HTLs is of vital importance for propelling p–i–n PSCs toward commercialization. Compared to their inorganic counterparts, organic HTLs offer multiple advantages such as a tunable bandgap and energy level, easy synthesis and purification, solution processability, and overall low cost. Here, recent progress of organic HTLs, including conductive polymers, small molecules, and self‐assembled monolayers, as utilized in inverted PSCs is systematically reviewed and summarized. Their molecular structure, hole‐transport properties, energy levels, and relevant device properties and resulting performances are presented and analyzed. A summary of design principles and a future outlook toward highly efficient organic HTLs in inverted PSCs is proposed. This review aims to inspire further innovative development of novel organic HTLs for more efficient, stable, and scalable inverted PSCs.
Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) attract great attention due to their low‐temperature processing, negligible hysteresis, and superior stability. For these devices, hole‐transport layers play a decisive role in carrier extraction, transport, and perovskite crystallization. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the structural engineering of organic hole‐transport layers utilized in inverted PSCs including conductive polymers, small molecules, and emerging self‐assembled monolayers.
The trap states at grain boundaries (GBs) within polycrystalline perovskite films deteriorate their optoelectronic properties, making GB engineering particularly important for stable high‐performance ...optoelectronic devices. It is demonstrated that trap states within bulk films can be effectively passivated by semiconducting molecules with Lewis acid or base functional groups. The perovskite crystallization kinetics are studied using in situ synchrotron‐based grazing‐incidence X‐ray scattering to explore the film formation mechanism. A model of the passivation mechanism is proposed to understand how the molecules simultaneously passivate the Pb–I antisite defects and vacancies created by under‐coordinated Pb atoms. In addition, it also explains how the energy offset between the semiconducting molecules and the perovskite influences trap states and intergrain carrier transport. The superior optoelectronic properties are attained by optimizing the molecular passivation treatments. These benefits are translated into significant enhancements of the power conversion efficiencies to 19.3%, as well as improved environmental and thermal stability of solar cells. The passivated devices without encapsulation degrade only by ≈13% after 40 d of exposure in 50% relative humidity at room temperature, and only ≈10% after 24 h at 80 °C in controlled environment.
Introducing semiconducting molecules with Lewis acid or base functional groups into a sol–gel MAPbI3 film promotes uniform decoration of grain boundaries within the bulk film. These molecules holistically passivate under‐coordinated Pb2+ vacancies or Pb–I antisite defects, leading to significant enhancements of the power conversion efficiency as well as improved environmental and thermal stability of solar cells.
Hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite based solar cell technology has passed through a phase of unprecedented growth in the efficiency scale from 3.8% to above 25% within a decade. This ...technology has drawn tremendous research interest because of facile solution processability, ease of large scale manufacturing and ultra-low cost production of perovskite based thin film solar cells. It has been observed that performances of perovskite-based solar cells are extremely dependent on the morphology and crystallinity of the perovskite layer. The high-quality perovskite films have made a significant impact on the fabrication of efficient and stable hybrid perovskite solar cells. It has also been observed that device lifetime depends on the perovskite morphology; devices with larger perovskite grains degrade slowly than those of the smaller ones. Various methods of perovskite growth such as sequential deposition, doctor blading, slot die coating and spray coating have been applied to achieve the most appropriate morphology necessary for highly efficient and stable solar cells. This review focuses on the recent progress in morphology optimizations by various processing condition such as annealing condition, additive effects, Lewis acid-base adduct approach, precursor solution aging and post-device ligand treatment emphasizing on grain sizes, film uniformity, defect passivation, ambient compatibility and device efficiency and stability. In this review, we also discussed recently developed bifacial stamping technique and deposition methods for large-area and roll-to-roll fabrication of highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.
Hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite based solar cell technology has passed through a phase of unprecedented growth in the efficiency scale from 3.8% to above 25% within a decade.
Aqueous Zn batteries are emerging as promising energy storage devices. However, severe dendrite growth and side reactions of Zn anodes restrict their further development. Herein, we develop a ...nucleophilic interfacial layer (NIL) on Zn to achieve a highly stable Zn anode for rechargeable Zn batteries. The NIL in a composition of zinc acetate acetamide is homogeneous, compact, and Zn2+-conductive, rendering dendrite-free Zn deposition, which is observed by in situ optical microscopy. Benefiting from the advantages of NIL, the Zn||Zn symmetric cells show a low overpotential of 0.12 V at a high current density of 40 mA/cm2, enhanced Coulombic efficiency up to 99.9%, and extended lifespan over 2600 cycles. The Zn||Ti asymmetric cells exhibit a high areal capacity of 5 mAh/cm2. Moreover, the NIL functionalized Zn anode enables stable cycling of both anode-free Zn||Cl2 cells and zinc-ion capacitors, providing opportunities for the development of high-performance energy storage devices.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) arises from the interplay of multiple factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and viral infections. Cisplatin-based concurrent radiotherapy ...regimens represent the first-line treatment for advanced HNSCC cases. However, cisplatin resistance significantly contributes to poor prognoses in HNSCC patients, making it crucial to unravel the underlying mechanisms to overcome this resistance. The complexity of cisplatin resistance in HNSCC involves cancer stem cells, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, drug efflux, and metabolic reprogramming. Recent advances in nanodrug delivery systems, combined with existing small-molecule inhibitors and innovative genetic technologies, have opened new therapeutic avenues for addressing cisplatin resistance in HNSCC. This review systematically summarizes research progress from the past five years on cisplatin resistance in HNSCC, with a particular focus on the roles of cancer stem cells and autophagy. Additionally, potential future treatment strategies to overcome cisplatin resistance are discussed, including the targeting of cancer stem cells or autophagy through nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Furthermore, the review highlights the prospects and challenges associated with nanodelivery platforms in addressing cisplatin resistance in HNSCC.
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•Cancer stem cells and autophagy in cisplatin resistance of HNSCC.•Autophagy in the maintenance of CSCs.•Targeting cancer stem cells or autophagy through nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems to overcome cisplatin resistance.•Prospects and challenges of nano-delivery platform in cisplatin resistance of HNSCC.
Three sodium polyacrylate copolymers PD0x (Poly acrylic acid-co-sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate or PD01; Poly acrylic acid-co-sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or PD02 and ...Poly methyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid-co-sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or PD03) were synthesized as water-based dispersants for grinding red-brown pigment ZnFe
Cr
O
particles prepared by the solid phase method (S-ZnF). The particle size distribution, viscosity of suspensions, and adsorption capacity of dispersants were explored by laser particle size analysis, viscometer, and thermogravimetry (TG), respectively. The application of 2 wt.% dispersant PD02 in the S-ZnF suspension ground for 90 min can deliver a finer product with the narrower particle size distribution. The added dispersant PD02 in the grinding process of the S-ZnF particles exhibits a suitable viscosity of the suspension and generates more hydrogen bonds on the S-ZnF particle surface. The sulfonic acid groups (SO
) and carboxylic acid groups (-COO
) in the dispersant PD02 can also provide a strong charge density, which is favorable for the dispersion and grinding of the S-ZnF particles in the suspensions. Furthermore, the adsorption behavior of polymeric dispersant PD02 adsorbed on the S-ZnF particles surface was simulated and analyzed by adsorption thermodynamic models and adsorption kinetic models. It is indicated that the adsorption thermodynamic behavior of dispersant PD02 adsorbed on the S-ZnF particles surface follows the Langmuir model, and the adsorption process is endothermic and a random process with increased confusion during the grinding process. In addition, the adsorption kinetics of dispersant PD02 adsorbed on the S-ZnF particles surface are more in line with the pseudo-first-order kinetic models. Therefore, the adsorption process of dispersant PD02 on the S-ZnF particles surface can be considered as a single-surface adsorption process.
Abstract
Metal halide perovskites can be readily synthesized, they exhibit tunable physical properties and excellent performance, and they are heavily studied optoelectronic materials. Compared to ...the typical three-dimensional perovskites, morphological-level one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures enable charge transport and photon propagation with low exciton binding energies and long charge-carrier diffusion lengths, while molecular-level 1D nanostructures exhibit good compositional and structural flexibilities, highly tunable bandgaps, strong quantum confinement effects, and excellent ambient stabilities. The 1D natures of these emerging halide perovskites enhance the performance of optoelectronic devices. Herein, we highlight recent progress realized in the syntheses and characterizations of both morphological- and molecular-level 1D halide perovskites with tunable structures, compositions, and properties, as well as their photovoltaic, light-emission, and photodetection applications. In addition, current challenges, future prospects, and promising research directions are discussed to provide guidance in advancing the field of 1D perovskites.
Submicron-sized quasi-spherical zinc oxide (ZnO) particles were prepared by wet ultrafine grinding in a stirred media mill under various conditions. The effects of parameters (i.e., solution type, ...acid or alkali concentration, solid content and grinding time) on the particle median size (d
), particle size distribution (PSD) and sphericity of ZnO particles was investigated. The results show that submicron-sized quasi-spherical particles (i.e., d
: 370 nm, uniformity coefficient (
) of 2.28 and sphericity of 0.91) can be obtained when the micron-sized ZnO particles are ground for 30 min in a CH
COOH solution at a concentration of 0.010 mol/L with 20 wt.% of solid content. The chemical dissolution of ZnO particles ground in the presence and absence of acetic acid is discussed. It is indicated that chemical dissolution accelerated due to the mechanochemical effects could reduce the particle size, obtain a narrower PSD and enhance the sphericity. In addition, the functions of selection and breakage were used to analyze the grinding mechanism of ZnO particles.
Mixed-dimensional perovskite engineering has been demonstrated as a simple and useful approach to achieving highly efficient and more-durable perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which have attracted ...increasing research interests worldwide. In this work, 1D/3D mixed-dimensional perovskite has been successfully obtained by introducing DMAI via a two-step deposition method. The additive DMA+ can facilitate the crystalline growth and form 1D DMAPbI3 at grain boundaries of 3D perovskite, leading to improved morphology, longer charge carrier lifetime, and remarkably reduced bulk trap density for perovskite films. Meanwhile, the presence of low-dimension perovskite is able to prevent the intrusion of moisture, resulting in enhanced long-term stability. As a result, the PSCs incorporated with 1D DMAPbI3 exhibited a first-class power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.43% and maintained 85% of their initial efficiency after storage under ambient conditions with ~45% RH for 1000 h.
The rapid development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) over the past decade makes it the most promising next generation photovoltaic technology. Splendid progress in efficiency and stability has been ...demonstrated in laboratory level, while endeavours are extremely required to enable successful transfer of the printable PSC technology to industry scale toward commercialization. In this work, recent progresses on upscaling of PSCs are systematically reviewed. Starting with the traditional PSC structure, we have analyzed the specially designed configuration for perovskite solar modules (PSMs). The comprehensive overview and assessment are provided for the technologies engineering in large-scale preparation, including both solution processing and vapor-phase deposition methods. Considering the promoting effect of material engineering to scale up PSMs, the application of additive engineering, solvent engineering and interface engineering on the stability and efficiency of PSMs is systematacially discussed. Moreover, the effect of current packaging technology of PSMs on device lifetime and environmental friendliness is emphasized. At last, we propose the prospects and challenges of PSMs commercialization in the future to meet the requirements for next generation photovoltaic industry.
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