Baoli Chen

Indium- and Platinum-Free Counter Electrode for Green Mesoscopic Photovoltaics through Graphene Electrode and Graphene Composite Catalysts: Interfacial Compatibility.

The scarcity and noble indium and platinum (Pt) are important elements in photoelectric nanomaterials. Therefore, development of low cost alternative materials to meet different practical applications is an urgent need. Two-dimensional (2D) layered graphene (GE) with unique physical, mechanical, and electrical properties has recently drawn a great deal of attention in various optoelectronic fields. Herein, the large scale (21 cm × 15 cm) high-quality single layer graphene (SLG) and multilayer graphene on a flexible plastic substrate PET were controllably prepared through layer-by-layer (LBL) transfer using the thermal release adhesive transfer method (TRA-TM). Transmission and antibending performance based on PET/GE were superior to traditional PET/ITO. The square resistance of a nine-layer graphene electrode reached approximately 58 Ω. Combined with our newly developed and highly effective Fe3O4@RGO (reduced graphene oxide) catalyst, the power conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) using flexible PET/GE conductive substrate was comparable to that of the DSC using the PET/ITO substrate. The desirable performance of PET/GE/Fe3O4@RGO counter electrodes (low-cost indium- and platinum-free counter electrodes) is attributed to the interfacial compatibility between 2D graphene composite catalyst (Fe3O4@RGO) and 2D PET/GE conductive substrate. In addition, DSCs that use only PET/GE (without Fe3O4@RGO catalyst) as counter electrodes can also achieve a photocurrent density of 6.30 mA cm(-2). This work is beneficial for fundamental research and practical applications of graphene and graphene composite in photovoltaics, photocatalytic water splitting, supercapacitors.

Layered and Pb-Free Organic–Inorganic Perovskite Materials for Ultraviolet Photoresponse: (010)-Oriented (CH3NH3)2MnCl4 Thin Film

Organic-inorganic lead perovskite materials show impressive performance in photovoltaics, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, lasers, sensors, medical imaging devices, and other applications. Although organic-inorganic lead perovskites have shown good performance in numerous fields, they contain toxic Pb, which is expected to cause environmental pollution in future large-scale applications. Thus, the photoelectric properties of Pb-free organic-inorganic perovskite materials should be developed and studied. In this paper, we report on the photoresponse of Pb-free organic-inorganic hybrid manganese perovskite (CH3NH3)2MnCl4. To the best of our knowledge, this study demonstrates the first time that organic-inorganic hybrid manganese perovskites are used for this type of application. We found that the solution-processed MA2MnCl4 thin film tends to be oriented along the b-axis direction on the TiO2 surface. The evident photoresponse of the FTO/TiO2/MA2MnCl4/carbon electrode devices was observed under 10-30 Hz flashlight frequencies and a 330 nm light beam. This simple, green, and low-cost photoresponsive device is beneficial for the future industrial production of optical recorders and optical memory devices.

From two-dimensional graphene oxide to three-dimensional honeycomb-like Ni3S2@graphene oxide composite: insight into structure and electrocatalytic properties

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene composites have drawn increasing attention in energy storage/conversion applications due to their unique structures and properties. Herein, we synthesized 3D honeycomb-like Ni3S2@graphene oxide composite (3D honeycomb-like Ni3S2@GO) by a one-pot hydrothermal method. We found that positive charges of Ni2+ and negative charges of NO3− in Ni(NO3)2 induced a transformation of graphene oxide with smooth surface into graphene oxide with wrinkled surface (w-GO). The w-GO in the mixing solution of Ni(NO3)2/thioacetamide/H2O evolved into 3D honeycomb-like Ni3S2@GO in solvothermal process. The GO effectively inhibited the aggregation of Ni3S2 nanoparticles. Photoelectrochemical cells based on 3D Ni3S2@GO synthesized at 60 mM l−1 Ni(NO3)2 exhibited the best energy conversion efficiency. 3D Ni3S2@GO had smaller charge transfer resistance and larger exchange current density than pure Ni3S2 for iodine reduction reaction. The cyclic stability of 3D honeycomb-like Ni3S2@GO was good in the iodine electrolyte. Results are of great interest for fundamental research and practical applications of 3D GO and its composites in solar water-splitting, artificial photoelectrochemical cells, electrocatalysts and Li-S or Na-S batteries.

Lead-free and amorphous organic–inorganic hybrid materials for photovoltaic applications: mesoscopic CH3NH3MnI3/TiO2 heterojunction

As one type of organic–inorganic hybrid material, APbX3 organic–inorganic lead perovskite materials have attracted considerable attention in optoelectronic applications. Although organic–inorganic lead perovskites possess high solar-to-electrical conversion efficiency, the toxic Pb in organic–inorganic lead perovskites is expected to cause environmental pollution in future mass applications. Thus, exploiting Pb-free organic–inorganic hybrid materials is urgently needed. In this study, a lead-free and amorphous CH3NH3MnI3 (a-MAMnI3) thin film was prepared by spin coating a mixed MnI2 and MAI precursor solution on an electronic transport layer (ETL)-TiO2. A mesoscopic a-MAMnI3/TiO2 heterojunction was formed by filling the mesoporous TiO2 layer with MAMnI3. The architecture of the optoelectronic device is FTO/ETL-TiO2/a-MAMnI3/Spiro-MeOTAD/Ag. The photovoltage of the optoelectronic device based on the mesoscopic a-MAMnI3/TiO2 heterojunction reached 300 mV under AM1.5, 100 mW cm−2 simulated illumination. The evident photoresponse was observed at 530 nm green light. The test with 2000 s on/off cycling indicated the good stability and repeatability of the device. The findings pave a way for realizing Pb-free and amorphous organic–inorganic hybrid materials applied to optoelectronic logic devices, photodetectors, and optical memory devices.

Earth-abundant Fe1−xS@S-doped graphene oxide nano–micro composites as high-performance cathode catalysts for green solar energy utilization: fast interfacial electron exchange

In the process of conversion of solar energy into electricity and fuel, efficient electrocatalysts are indispensable. Rieske iron–sulfur protein and FeS catalysts play an important role in natural photosynthesis (NPS), and in artificial photoelectrochemical cells, respectively. Nano–micro composite catalysts (NMCCs) possess not only high catalytic activity but also fast electron transport. Herein, we prepared a nano–micro composite (NMC) of Fe1−xS nanoparticles decorated on sulfur-doped graphene oxide (S-GO) sheets (namely, Fe1−xS@S-GO–NMC) to be used as a cathode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The GO effectively inhibit the aggregation of Fe1−xS nanoparticles. Notably, DSCs based on an Fe1−xS@S-GO–NMC cathode achieved a high solar-to-electrical conversion efficiency up to 7.23%. The conversion efficiency is, to our knowledge, one of the highest efficiencies for DSCs based on an FeS or FeS2 cathode. Although the Fe1−xS@S-GO–NMC exhibited a low thermodynamic possibility for redox reactions, it showed a higher kinetic rate than that of Pt for the charge transfer between the reaction medium and the cathode. This indicates that a fast electron exchange process occurs at the interface between the reaction and the cathode. The value of the time constant (τ) corresponding to the charge exchange resistance based on Fe1−xS@S-GO–NMC (0.0215 ms) was smaller than that obtained with Pt (0.261 ms). Therefore, we ascribed the superior performance of the photoelectrochemical device based on Fe1−xS@S-GO–NMC to its good electrocatalytic performance. The results are of great interest for fundamental research and for practical applications of FeS and FeS2 and their composites in the solar splitting of water, artificial photoelectrochemical cells, and electrocatalysts.

Low defects, large area and high stability of all-inorganic lead halide perovskite CsPbBr3 thin films with micron-grains via heat-spraying process for self-driven photodetector

All-inorganic lead halide perovskite CsPbBr3 has important applications in photoelectronic devices such as photodetectors, LEDs and photovoltaic devices. However, preparing high-quality CsPbBr3 thin films has proven to be challenging. In this study, we prepared all-inorganic lead halide perovskite CsPbBr3 thin films with micron-grains (MG-CsPbBr3-TF) via a heat-spraying process (HSP) using a CsPbBr3-saturated solution (CsPbBr3-SS), and the films exhibited large area, low defects and high stability. The grain size of MG-CsPbBr3-TF was about 1–5 microns. The micron-sized grains in MG-CsPbBr3-TF enabled the absorption cutoff edge to be extended from 537 to 545 nm. In addition, the presence of fewer boundaries in MG-CsPbBr3-TF reduced the defects in MG-CsPbBr3-TF (the blue shift of luminescence). The response wavelengths of a low-cost and self-driven (zero-biased) photodetector based on MG-CsPbBr3-TF were from 330 to 600 nm. CsPbBr3 thin films having a large area (10 cm × 10 cm) and micron-sized grains were also prepared by HSP and exhibited excellent stability (1944 h) in air (T = 298 K, 40% humidity). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of high-quality CsPbBr3 thin films prepared by HSP. The results are of great interest for both fundamental research and practical applications of CsPbBr3 in photodetectors, LEDs and photovoltaic devices.

Supplementary material from "From two-dimensional graphene oxide to three-dimensional honeycomb-like Ni 3 S 2 @graphene oxide composite: insight into structure and electrocatalytic properties"

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene composites have drawn increasing attention in energy storage/conversion applications due to their unique structures and properties. Herein, we synthetized 3D honeycomb-like Ni 3 S 2 @graphene oxide composite (3D honeycomb-like Ni 3 S 2 @GO) by a one-pot hydrothermal method. We found that positive charges of Ni 2+ and negative charges of NO 3 − in Ni(NO 3 ) 2 induced graphene oxide with smooth surface (s-GO) into graphene oxide with wrinkled surface (w-GO). The w-GO in the mixing solution of Ni(NO 3 ) 2 /thioacetamide/H 2 O evolved into 3D honeycomb-like Ni 3 S 2 @GO in solvothermal process. The GO effectively inhibited the aggregation of Ni 3 S 2 nanoparticles. The photoelectrochemical cells based on 3D Ni 3 S 2 @GO synthetized at 60 mM l −1 Ni(NO 3 ) 2 exhibited the best energy conversion efficiency. 3D Ni 3 S 2 @GO processed the smaller charge transfer resistance and larger exchange current density than that of pure Ni 3 S 2 for iodine reduction reaction. The cyclic stability of 3D honeycomb-like Ni 3 S 2 @GO was good in the iodine electrolyte. Results are of great interest for the fundamental research and practical applications of 3D GO and their composite in solar water-splitting, artificial photoelectrochemical cells, electrocatalysts and Li-S or Na-S batteries.