Xiaodan Hong

Recent advancements in perovskite solar cells: flexibility, stability and large scale

Recent progress in organic–inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has attracted great attention due to their impressive photovoltaic properties, and easy device manufacturing with facile layer deposition by solution processes, suggesting their great potential for large-scale applications. Remarkably, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of PSCs have jumped from 3.8% of methyl ammonium lead halide, CH3NH3PbX3 (X = Br, I), sensitized liquid solar cells in 2009, to more than 20% of all solid-state solar cells in 2015. Just over the past 6 years, numerous efforts have contributed to promote PSCs with more attractive properties, in preparation for future commercial applications, such as high PCE, high stability, high flexibility, large area, low cost, environmental friendliness, etc. In this review, we will concentrate on the recent advancements in the aspects of flexibility, stability and large scale of PSCs. We strive to present a comprehensive overview and show a deep understanding of the reported strategies for PSC devices with flexible, stable and large-scale properties.

Recent advances in quantum dot-sensitized solar cells: insights into photoanodes, sensitizers, electrolytes and counter electrodes

Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs), as promising candidates for cost-effective photoelectrochemical solar cells, have attracted much attention due to their characteristic properties such as processability at low cost, feasibility to control light absorption spectrum in a wide region, and possibility of multiple electron generation with a theoretical conversion efficiency up to 44%. QDSCs have analogous structures to dye-sensitized solar cells typically consisting of semiconductor photoanodes sensitized with quantum dots (QDs), redox electrolytes, and counter electrodes (CEs). Much effort has been dedicated to optimizing each component of QDSCs for higher device performance. In this review, recent advances of photoanodes with various architectures, QDs with tunable band gaps, electrolytes in liquid, quasi-solid or solid state, and CEs with great electrocatalytic activity for QDSCs will be highlighted. We aim to elaborate the rational strategies in material design for QDSC applications. Finally, the conclusion and future prospects emphasize the key developments and remaining challenges for QDSCs.

Data analysis between controllable variables and the performance of CuS crackle based electrode

In this article, we provide the data analysis between controllable variables and the performance of CuS crackle based electrode, there are four important factors which could influence the formation of cracks, the colloid concentration, drying temperature, colloid dosage and ambient humidity. We carried out and summed nineteen controlled data experiments below and other variates which could affect the performance were discussed in this article.

Rational design of coralloid Co9S8–CuS hierarchical architectures for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Metal sulfide nanostructures, which have been widely studied in recent years, are one of the most promising candidates in energy devices. Herein, coralloid hierarchical structures composed of Co9S8 hollow nanoneedle trunks and CuS nanosheet branches are, for the first time, well-constructed on fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) substrates via a multistep route. A seeding assistant strategy is applied to grow uniform and firm metal sulfide films on the FTO substrates. It is revealed that different seeds (i.e., TiO2, CuS and ZnO) all have a positive effect to facilitate the film growth because of their surface roughening behavior on the FTO substrates. Significantly, such three dimensional (3D) Co9S8–CuS electrodes show superior electrocatalytic performance in the reduction reaction of polysulfide electrolyte, and yield an enhanced power conversion efficiency of 4.50% for CdS/CdSe quantum-dot sensitized solar cells as counter electrodes when compared with the one dimensional (1D) Co9S8 hollow nanoneedle (3.25%) and two dimensional (2D) CuS nanosheet (3.83%) electrodes. More impressively, the coralloid structure exhibits excellent stability in the electrochemical cycling tests, keeping 80% current after 500 cycles. Above all, the synthesis strategy here is also feasible to fabricate hybrid Co9S8–CuS films on various flexible substrates, such as carbon cloth, Ti mesh, and Ni foam for potential applications in wearable energy devices.