Paul R. Coxon

Black silicon: fabrication methods, properties and solar energy applications

Black silicon (BSi) represents a very active research area in renewable energy materials. The rise of BSi as a focus of study for its fundamental properties and potentially lucrative practical applications is shown by several recent results ranging from solar cells and light-emitting devices to antibacterial coatings and gas-sensors. In this paper, the common BSi fabrication techniques are first reviewed, including electrochemical HF etching, stain etching, metal-assisted chemical etching, reactive ion etching, laser irradiation and the molten salt Fray-Farthing-Chen-Cambridge (FFC-Cambridge) process. The utilization of BSi as an anti-reflection coating in solar cells is then critically examined and appraised, based upon strategies towards higher efficiency renewable solar energy modules. Methods of incorporating BSi in advanced solar cell architectures and the production of ultra-thin and flexible BSi wafers are also surveyed. Particular attention is given to routes leading to passivated BSi surfaces, which are essential for improving the electrical properties of any devices incorporating BSi, with a special focus on atomic layer deposition of Al2O3. Finally, three potential research directions worth exploring for practical solar cell applications are highlighted, namely, encapsulation effects, the development of micro-nano dual-scale BSi, and the incorporation of BSi into thin solar cells. It is intended that this paper will serve as a useful introduction to this novel material and its properties, and provide a general overview of recent progress in research currently being undertaken for renewable energy applications.

Graphene-wrapped sulfur/metal organic framework-derived microporous carbon composite for lithium sulfur batteries

A three-dimensional hierarchical sandwich-type graphene sheet-sulfur/carbon (GS-S/CZIF8-D) composite for use in a cathode for a lithium sulfur (Li-S) battery has been prepared by an ultrasonic method. The microporous carbon host was prepared by a one-step pyrolysis of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8), a typical zinc-containing metal organic framework (MOF), which offers a tunable porous structure into which electro-active sulfur can be diffused. The thin graphene sheet, wrapped around the sulfur/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 derived carbon (S/CZIF8-D) composite, has excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility, thus facilitating rapid electron transport and accommodating the changes in volume of the sulfur electrode. Compared with the S/CZIF8-D sample, Li-S batteries with the GS-S/CZIF8-D composite cathode showed enhanced capacity, improved electrochemical stability, and relatively high columbic efficiency by taking advantage of the synergistic effects of the microporous carbon ...

A universal synthetic route to carbon nanotube/transition metal oxide nano-composites for lithium ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors.

We report a simple synthetic approach to coaxially grow transition metal oxide (TMO) nanostructures on carbon nanotubes (CNT) with ready control of phase and morphology. A thin (~4 nm) sulfonated-polystyrene (SPS) pre-coating is essential for the deposition of transition metal based materials. This layer has abundant sulfonic groups (−SO3−) that can effectively attract Ni2+, Co2+, Zn2+ ions through electrostatic interaction and induce them via hydrolysis, dehydration and recrystallization to form coaxial (NiO, Co3O4, NiCoO2 and ZnCo2O4) shells and a nanosheet-like morphology around CNT. These structures possess a large active surface and enhanced structural robustness when used as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and electrochemical capacitors (ECs). As electrodes for LIBs, the ZnCo2O4@CNT material shows extremely stable cycling performance with a discharge capacity of 1068 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 400 mAg−1. For EC applications, the NiCoO2@CNT exhibits a high capacitance of 1360 Fg−1 at current densities of 10 Ag−1 after 3000 cycles and an overall capacitance loss of only 1.4%. These results demonstrate the potential of such hybrid materials meeting the crucial requirements of cycling stability and high rate capability for energy conversion and storage devices.

Hedgehog-like hierarchical ZnO needle-clusters with superior electron transfer kinetics for dye-sensitized solar cells

Hedgehog-like hierarchical ZnO needle-clusters, three-dimensional (3-D) ZnO flowers and one-dimensional (1-D) ZnO needles have been synthesised via a facile hydrothermal method. These samples with different morphologies and microstructures were used to fabricate photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Out of the three samples, current–voltage (I–V) curve measurements show that DSSCs with hedgehog-like ZnO needle-clusters display the best photoelectrochemical performance which can be attributed to enhanced light harvesting and faster reaction kinetics resulting from the unique morphology. The UV-vis absorption and diffused reflectance spectra indicate that hedgehog-like ZnO needle-clusters show higher light harvesting abilities due to high UV absorption, stronger light scattering, as well as a high surface area. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS), and intensity-modulated voltage spectroscopy (IMVS) further demonstrate that hedgehog-like ZnO needle-clusters provide superior electron transfer kinetics: fast electron transfer and long electron lifetimes with suppressed recombination. The ZnO needle-clusters obtained not only provide a 3-D matrix but also avoid extensive grain boundary formation. The discoveries from this work are important for the design of efficient photoanode materials with optimum structures for DSSCs.

A Praline‐Like Flexible Interlayer with Highly Mounted Polysulfide Anchors for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is dogged by the rapid capacity decay arising from polysulfide dissolution and diffusion in organic electrolytes. To solve this critical issue, a praline-like flexible interlayer consisting of high-loading titanium oxide (TiO2 ) nanoparticles and relatively long carbon nanofibers is fabricated. TiO2 nanoparticles with a size gradient occupy both the external and internal of carbon fiber and serve as anchors that allow the chemical adsorption of polysulfides through a conductive nanoarchitecture. The porous conductive carbon backbone helps in the physical absorption of polysulfides and provides redox reaction sites to allow the polysulfides to be reused. More importantly, it offers enough mechanical strength to support a high load TiO2 nanoparticle (79 wt%) that maximizes their chemical role, and can accommodate the large volume changes. Significant enhancement in cycle stability and rate capability is achieved for a readily available sulfur/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite cathode simply by incorporating this hierarchically nanostructured interlayer. The design and synthesis of interlayers by in situ integration of metal oxides and carbon fibers via a simple route offers the potential to advance Li-S batteries for practical applications in the future.