Energy recycling under ambient illumination for internet-of-things using metal/oxide/metal-based colorful organic photovoltaics.

Colorful indoor organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years for their autonomous function in internet-of-things (IoT) devices. In this study, a solution-processed TiO2layer in a metal-oxide-metal (MOM) color filter electrode is used for light energy recycling in P3HT:ICBA-based indoor OPVs. The MOM electrode allows for tuning of the optical cavity mode to maximize photocurrent production by modulating the thickness of the TiO2layer in the sandwich structure. This approach preserves the OPVs' optoelectronic properties without damaging the photoactive layer and enables them to display a suitable range of vivid colors. The optimized MOM-OPVs demonstrated an excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.8% ± 0.2%, which is approximately 20% higher than that of reference opaque OPVs under 1000 lx light emitting diode illumination. This can be attributed to the high photocurrent density due to the nonresonant light reflected from metals into the photoactive layer. Additionally, the proposed MOM-OPVs exhibited high external quantum efficiency and large parasitic shunt resistances, leading to improved fill factor and PCE values. Thus, the study's MOM electrode provides excellent feasibility for realizing colorful and efficient indoor OPVs for IoT applications.

Amino acid position 37 of HLA-DRß1 affects susceptibility to Crohn's disease in Asians.

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the major types of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by recurring episodes of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Although it is well established that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is a major risk factor for IBD, it is yet to be determined which HLA alleles or amino acids drive the risks of CD and UC in Asians. To define the roles of HLA for IBD in Asians, we fine-mapped HLA in 12 568 individuals from Korea and Japan (3294 patients with CD, 1522 patients with UC and 7752 controls). We identified that the amino acid position 37 of HLA-DRß1 plays a key role in the susceptibility to CD (presence of serine being protective, P = 3.6 × 10-67, OR = 0.48 [0.45-0.52]). For UC, we confirmed the known association of the haplotype spanning HLA-C*12:02, HLA-B*52:01 and HLA-DRB1*1502 (P = 1.2 × 10-28, OR = 4.01 [3.14-5.12]).

Reducing Trap-Assisted Recombination in Small Organic Molecule-Based Photovoltaics by the Addition of a Conjugated Block Copolymer.

The performance of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) based on the small-molecule organic semiconductor p-DTS(FBTTh2 )2 is greatly improved by the addition of a conjugated block copolymer composed of difluoroquinoxaline and thienopyrrolodione blocks (D130). The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the p-DTS(FBTTh2 )2 -based OPV is improved from 5.08% to 6.75% by the addition of 5 wt% D130 to the photoactive layer, which is composed of p-DTS(FBTTh2 )2 and a fullerene derivative. Current-voltage and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering analyses revealed that the addition of D130 significantly reduces the trap density of the device and changes the packing orientation of p-DTS(FBTTh2 )2 from mostly edge-on to partially face-on. These changes greatly improve the charge carrier mobility of the OPV, indicating that D130 is highly compatible with p-DTS(FBTTh2 )2 . Furthermore, the addition of D130 improve the photostability of the OPV by reducing the burn-in loss under a light soaking intensity of 1 sun. The D130-based OPV maintained 34% of its initial PCE after a light soaking test for 858 h. In contrast, the PCE of the OPV without D130 reduced to 14% of its initial efficiency in the same time period.

Ternary solvent for CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films with uniform domain size.

A ternary solvent system consisting of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), γ-butyrolactone (GBL) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) has been developed to improve the uniformity of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) perovskite domains. Compared to MAPbI3 perovskite films prepared using a binary solvent consisting of DMSO and GBL, the surface roughness and uniformity of MAPbI3 films fabricated by using the ternary solvent system are greatly improved. The thermogravimetric analysis reveals that a NMP-PbI2-MAI intermediate, a DMSO-PbI2-MAI intermediate and MAPbI3 crystals co-existed in the as-cast MAPbI3 films. Furthermore, it is found that the thermal stability of intermediate phases and the solvent evaporation rate are critical for the nucleation of the perovskite crystals during the thermal annealing treatment. The thermally stable intermediates prepared with the ternary solvent are converted to MAPbI3 films with a highly uniform and smooth surface. The film forms an intimate contact with the charge transporting layer when the layer is applied as a photoactive layer in the solar cell. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of ternary solvent processed solar cells is enhanced by 38.2% compared to that of the binary solvent processed one. Furthermore, the stability of the ternary processed perovskite solar cells is greatly improved, as well. This investigation provides a better understanding about the role of different processing solvents or additives in effecting the perovskite film quality.

Near infrared organic photodetector utilizing a double electron blocking layer.

A near infrared organic photodiode (OPD) utilizing a double electron blocking layer (EBL) fabricated by the sequential deposition of molybdenum (VI) oxide (MoO3) and poly(3,4ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene-sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is reported. The double EBL improves the on/off current ratio of OPD up to 1.36 x 104 at -1V, which is one order of magnitude higher than PEDOT:PSS single EBL (2.45 x 103) and three orders of magnitude higher than that of MoO3 single EBL (7.86). The detectivity at near infrared (800 nm) at -1V is 4.90 x 1011 Jones, which is 2.83 times higher than the PEDOT:PSS single EBL and 2 magnitudes higher compared to the MoO3 single EBL.

Solution processed organic photodetector utilizing an interdiffused polymer/fullerene bilayer.

Low dark current (off-current) and high photo current are both essential for a solution processed organic photodetector (OPD) to achieve high photo-responsivity. Currently, most OPDs utilize a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photo-active layer that is prepared by the one-step deposition of a polymer:fullerene blend solution. However, the BHJ structure is the main cause of the high dark current in solution processed OPDs. It is revealed that the detectivity and spectral responsivity of the OPD can be improved by utilizing a photo-active layer consisting of an interdiffused polymer/fullerene bilayer (ID-BL). This ID-BL is prepared by the sequential solution deposition (SqD) of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6] phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) solutions. The ID-BL OPD is found to prevent undesirable electron injection from the hole-collecting electrode to the ID-BL photo-active layer resulting in a reduced dark current in the ID-BL OPD. Based on dark current and external quantum efficiency (EQE) analysis, the detectivity of the ID-BL OPD is determined to be 7.60 × 10(11) Jones at 620 nm. This value is 3.4 times higher than that of BHJ OPDs. Furthermore, compared to BHJ OPDs, the ID-BL OPD exhibited a more consistent spectral response in the range of 400 - 660 nm.

Ruthenium based nanostructures driven by morphological controls as efficient counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells.

We introduce a facile approach to use ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) and ruthenium (Ru) nanostructures as effective counter electrodes instead of using platinum (Pt) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). RuO2 and Ru nanostructure layers on the FTO glass can be readily prepared by a simple annealing process followed by the spin coating process of the mixture solution containing amorphous RuO2·xH2O precursor and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a dispersion matrix at low temperature in air. The Ru metal nanostructure layer prepared by the reduction of RuO2 with H2 shows the highest efficiency of 6.77% in DSSC operation, which is comparable to the efficiency of the Pt electrode (7.87%).

Electroless chemical grafting of nitrophenyl groups on n-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon surfaces.

The direct spontaneous grafting of 4-nitrophenyl molecules onto n-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) surfaces without external ultraviolet, thermal, or electrochemical energy was invegtigated. Clean n-doped a-Si:H thin films were dipped in a solution of 4-nitrobenzenediazonium salts (PNBD) in acetonitrile. After the modified surfaces were rinsed, they were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XPS and AFM results show that the reaction of an n-doped a-Si:H thin film with PNBD self-terminates without polymerization, after 5 h, and the surface number density of 4-nitrophenyl molecules is 4.2 x 10(15)/cm2. These results demonstrate that the spontaneous grafting of nitrophenyl layers onto n-doped a-Si:H thin films is an attractive pathway toward forming interfaces between a-Si:H and organic layers under ambient conditions.

A facile and rapid process to fabricate platinum counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cell using nanosecond pulsed laser sintering at room temperature.

To fabricate the platinum (Pt) counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), rapid and low sintering process was carried out using nanosecond pulsed laser sintering (LS) method based on third harmonic (355 nm) of an Nd:YAG laser at room temperature. The surface morphology of LS-Pt on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode showed thin and compact structure, consisting of particles size of - 10-30 nm and thickness of below 30 nm. The DSSCs with the LS-Pt/FTO counter electrodes displayed the power conversion efficiency of 4.4% with short-circuit current = 9.07 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage = 0.79 V and fill factor = 61.3.

Vacuum-Processed Propylene Urea Additive: A Novel Approach for Controlling the Growth of CH3NH3PbI3 Crystals in All Vacuum-Processed Perovskite Solar Cells.

In this study, we present a novel method for controlling the growth of perovskite crystals in the vacuum thermal evaporation process by utilizing a vacuum-processable additive, propylene urea (PU). By coevaporation of perovskite precursors with PU to form the perovskite layer, PU, acting as a Lewis base additive, retards the direct reaction between the perovskite precursors. This facilitates a larger domain size and reduced defect density. Following the removal of the residual additive, the perovskite layer, exhibiting improved crystallinity, demonstrates reduced charge recombination, as confirmed by a time-resolved microwave conductivity analysis. Consequently, there is a notable enhancement in open-circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency, increasing from 1.05 to 1.15 V and from 17.17 to 18.31%, respectively. The incorporation of a vacuum-processable and removable Lewis base additive into the fabrication of vacuum-processed perovskite solar cells offers new avenues for optimizing these devices.

Improving the Stability of Non-fullerene-Based Organic Photovoltaics through Sequential Deposition and Utilization of a Quasi-orthogonal Solvent.

The development of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices based on non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) has led to a rapid improvement in their efficiency. Despite these improvements, significant performance degradation in the early stages of operation, known as burn-in, remains a challenge for NFA-based OPVs. To address this challenge, this study demonstrates a stable NFA-based OPV fabricated using sequential deposition (SqD) and a quasi-orthogonal solvent. The quasi-orthogonal solvent, which is prepared by incorporating 1-chloronaphthalene (1-CN) into dichloromethane (DCM), reduces the vapor pressure of the solvent and allows for the efficient dissolution and penetration of the Y6 (one of efficient NFAs) into a PM6 polymer-donor layer without damaging the latter. The resulting bulk heterojunction (BHJ) is characterized by a higher degree of crystallinity in the PM6 domains than that prepared using a conventional single-step deposition (SD) process. The OPV fabricated using the SqD process exhibits a PCE of 14.1% and demonstrates superior thermal stability to the SD-processed OPV. This study conclusively reveals that the formation of a thermally stable interface between the photoactive layer and the electron-transport layer (ETL) is the primary factor contributing to the high thermal stability observed in the SqD-processed OPV.

Critical Role of Non-Halogenated Solvent Additives in Eco-Friendly and Efficient All-Polymer Solar Cells.

Organic solar cells (OSCs) demonstrating high power conversion efficiencies have been mostly fabricated using halogenated solvents, which are highly toxic and harmful to humans and the environment. Recently, non-halogenated solvents have emerged as a potential alternative. However, there has been limited success in attaining an optimal morphology when non-halogenated solvents (typically o-xylene (XY)) were used. To address this issue, we studied the dependence of the photovoltaic properties of all-polymer solar cells (APSCs) on various high-boiling-point non-halogenated additives. We synthesized PTB7-Th and PNDI2HD-T polymers that are soluble in XY and fabricated PTB7-Th:PNDI2HD-T-based APSCs using XY with five additives: 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (TMB), indane (IN), tetralin (TN), diphenyl ether (DPE), and dibenzyl ether (DBE). The photovoltaic performance was determined in the following order: XY + IN < XY + TMB < XY + DBE ≤ XY only < XY + DPE < XY + TN. Interestingly, all APSCs processed with an XY solvent system had better photovoltaic properties than APSCs processed with chloroform solution containing 1,8-diiodooctane (CF + DIO). The key reasons for these differences were unraveled using transient photovoltage and two-dimensional grazing incidence X-ray diffraction experiments. The charge lifetimes of APSCs based on XY + TN and XY + DPE were the longest, and their long lifetime was strongly associated with the polymer blend film morphology; the polymer domain sizes were in the nanoscale range, and the blend film surfaces were smoother, as the PTB7-Th polymer domains assumed an untangled, evenly distributed, and internetworked morphology. Our results demonstrate that the use of an additive with an optimal boiling point facilitates the development of polymer blends with a favorable morphology and can contribute to the widespread use of eco-friendly APSCs.

Suppressed recombination in quantum dot-sensitized solar cells with blocking layers on FTO substrates.

The compact and thin TiO2 blocking layers (c-TiO2) were formed on F-doped SnO2 (FTO) substrate in quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QSSCs) by chemical deposition. The c-TiO2 layers induced indirect contact between electrolyte and FTO electrode, which reduced leakage in QSSCs. The QSSCs showed power conversion efficiency (Eff) of 3.85% in the presence of c-TiO2 layers which leads to 21% improved compared to that without c-TiO2 layers (Eff = 3.18%). The presence of the c-TiO2 layers in QSSCs also improved the stability under illumination.

Immobilization of Conjugated Polymer Domains for Highly Stable Non-Fullerene-Based Organic Solar Cells.

To commercialize organic solar cells (OSCs), changes in the optimized morphology of the photoactive layer caused by external stimuli that cause degradation must be addressed. This work improves OSC stability by utilizing the cross-linking additive 1,8-dibromooctane (DBO) and a sequential deposition process (XSqD) to fabricate the photoactive layer. The cross-linking additive in the donor polymer (PTB7-Th) improves polymer crystallinity and immobilizes the crystalline morphology by partial photo-cross-linking. Ellipsometry experiments confirm the increase in the glass transition temperature of cross-linked PTB7-Th. The polymer crystallinity is further improved after removal of non-cross-linked polymer and residual additive by chlorobenzene. The cross-linked polymer layer forms an efficient and stable heterojunction with a nonfullerene acceptor (IEICO-4F) layer via an XSqD process. The OSC based on the immobilized PTB7-Th exhibits excellent stability against light soaking and thermal aging.

Fabrication of mesoporous titania membrane of dual-pore system and its photocatalytic activity and dye-sensitized solar cell performance.

We report the fabrication of a novel titania membrane of the dual-pore system that is strategically designed and prepared by a two-step replication process and sol-gel reaction. The primary nanoporous channel structure is fabricated by the cage-like PMMA template (CPT) obtained from the nanoporous alumina membrane and the secondary mesoporous structure is formed by the sol-gel reaction of the lyotropic precursor solution within the CPT. Furthermore the mesoporous titania membrane (MTM) frame consists of the titania nanoparticles of 10-12 nm in diameter. Morphology and structural properties of the MTM are investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area. The photocatalytic activity and the solar energy properties of the MTM are characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometer, spectrofluorometer and photoinduced I-V measurement. The photocatalytic test indicates that the MTM has higher efficiency than the commercial P25 with a good recyclability due to its large-scale membrane style and the preliminary result on the solar cell application shows a solar energy conversion efficiency of 3.35% for the dye-sensitized solar cell utilizing the MTM.

Expanding the spectral response of a dye-sensitized solar cell by applying a selective positioning method.

We have developed a facile method to position different dyes (N719 and N749) sequentially in a mesoporous TiO(2) layer through selective desorption and adsorption processes. From the selective removal of the only upper part of the first adsorbed dye, double-layered dye-sensitized solar cells have been successfully achieved without any damage to the dye. From the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) measurement, the multi-layered dye-sensitized solar cell (MDSSC) was found to exhibit an expanded spectral response for the solar spectrum while maintaining the maximum IPCE value of each single-layered cell. The highest photocurrent density, 19.3 mA cm( - 2), was obtained from the MDSSC utilizing an N719/N749 bi-layered mesoporous TiO(2) film. The power conversion efficiency of 9.8% was achieved from the MDSSC, which is higher than that of single N719-or N749-based cells and cocktail-dyed (a mixture of N719 and N749) cells.

Quantum dot assisted luminescent hexarhenium cluster dye for a transparent luminescent solar concentrator.

A luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) is a solar-light harvesting device that concentrates light on a photovoltaic cell placed at the edge of an LSC panel to convert it into electricity. The nano-sized inorganic-organic cluster complex (dMDAEMA)4[Re6S8(NCS)6] (this refers to RMC where dMDAEMA is 2-dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate) is a promising candidate for LSC luminophores due to its downshifted broad photoluminescence suitable for photovoltaic cells. However, the low quantum yield (QY) of RMC limits the performance. Here, zinc-doped CuGaS/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (ZQD) were used as energy transferring donor with high QY to improve the performance of the LSC. The two metal chalcogenide luminophores, RMC and ZQD, are chemically suitable for dispersion in an amphiphilic polymer matrix, producing a transparent waveguide with suppressed reabsorption and extended harvesting coverage of the solar spectrum. We achieved an ηopt of 3.47% and a PCE of 1.23% while maintaining greater than 80% transparency in the visible range. The high performance of this dual-dye LSC with suppressed reabsorption, and scattering losses is not only due to uniform dispersion of dyes in a polymer matrix, but also energy transfer from ZQD to RMC. This report suggests a new possibility for promising various multi-dye LSCs for use in building-integrated photovoltaic windows.

Selective positioning of organic dyes in a mesoporous inorganic oxide film.

Although sequential adsorption of dyes in a single TiO(2) electrode is ideal to extend the range of light absorption in dye-sensitized solar cells, high-temperature processing has so far limited its application. We report a method for selective positioning of organic dye molecules with different absorption ranges in a mesoporous TiO(2) film by mimicking the concept of the stationary phase and the mobile phase in column chromatography, where polystyrene-filled mesoporous TiO(2) film is explored for use as a stationary phase and a Brønsted-base-containing polymer solution is developed for use as a mobile phase for selective desorption of the adsorbed dye. By controlling the desorption and adsorption depth, yellow, red and green dyes were vertically aligned within a TiO(2) film, which is confirmed by an electron probe micro-analyser. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectrum from a solar cell with three selectively positioned dyes reveals the EQE characteristics of each single-dye cell.

Method to protect charge recombination in the back-contact dye-sensitized solar cell.

We prepared a back-contact dye-sensitized solar cell and investigated effect of the sputter deposited thin TiO2 film on the back-contact ITO electrode on photovoltaic property. The nanocrystalline TiO2 layer with thickness of about 11 µm formed on a plain glass substrate in the back-contact structure showed higher optical transmittance than that formed on an ITO-coated glass substrate, which led to an improved photocurrent density by about 6.3%. However, photovoltage was found to decrease from 817 mV to 773 mV. The photovoltage recovered after deposition of a 35 nm-thick thin TiO2 film on the surface of the back-contact ITO electrode. Little difference in time constant for electron transport was found for the back-contact ITO electrodes with and without the sputter deposited thin TiO2 film. Whereas, time constant for charge recombination increased after introduction of the thin TiO2 film, indicating that such a thin TiO2 film protected back electron transfer, associated with the recovery of photovoltage. As the result of the improved photocurrent density without deterioration of photovoltage, the back-contact dye-sensitized solar cell exhibited 13.6% higher efficiency than the ITO-coated glass substrate-based dye-sensitized solar cell.

Panchromatically Responsive Organic Photodiodes utilizing a Noninvasive Narrowband Color Electrode.

Organic photodiodes (OPDs) are emerging as potential candidates in image sensors owing to their high sensitivity and submicron photoactive layer thickness. For OPDs to be more competitive, it is necessary to develop an economical fabrication process and improve their narrowband spectral response from visible to near-infrared (NIR). In this study, panchromatic OPDs with a remarkable narrowband response from visible to NIR are developed by integrating a solution-processed optical filter-electrode (OF-electrode) and a panchromatic organic photoactive layer. Solution-processable TiO2 nanoparticles (sTNPs) bound to an acetylacetone ligand are used to construct the OF-electrode, which had the structure Ag/sTNP/Ag, and a ternary blend of a polymer donor, a nonfullerene acceptor, and a fullerene acceptor is used for preparing the panchromatic organic photoactive layer. Direct integration of the OF-electrode with the organic photoactive layer eliminates the need for additional OF installation, without damaging the underlying organic photoactive layer. Variation of the sTNP layer thickness controls the color filtering wavelength to vary from visible to NIR, with exceptionally narrow full width at half-maximum (fwhm) values of 48-82 nm and transparency values of 50-70%. Owing to their selective response for the desired color and their capability to minimize noise from other colors, the OPDs exhibit high sensitivity values of 2.82 × 1012, 3.02 × 1012, and 3.94 × 1012 cm Hz0.5/W (Jones) with narrow fwhm values of 110, 91, and 75 nm at a peak transmittance exceeding 65% for blue, green, and red, respectively. Furthermore, they detect NIR light at a wavelength of 950 nm with a narrow fwhm value of 51 nm and a high sensitivity of 3.78 × 1012 cm Hz0.5/W (Jones).