05 May 12:22
by Liangliang Zhu,
Tianpeng Ding,
Minmin Gao,
Connor Kang Nuo Peh,
Ghim Wei Ho
Organic solar absorber sponge with a broadband light absorption and inbuilt cellular structure performs efficient interfacial photothermic vaporization. The solar‐to‐vapor conversion efficiency can be remarkably enhanced by compressing or isolating from bulk water. In addition, the complementary thermoelectric power generation induced by solar heat stored in the sponge can be achieved during the solar vaporization.
Abstract
Solar‐driven interfacial vaporization by localizing solar‐thermal energy conversion to the air–water interface has attracted tremendous attention due to its high conversion efficiency for water purification, desalination, energy generation, etc. However, ineffective integration of hybrid solar thermal devices and poor material compliance undermine extensive solar energy exploitation and practical outdoor use. Herein, a 3D organic bucky sponge that has a combination of desired chemical and physical properties, i.e., broadband light absorbing, heat insulative, and shape‐conforming abilities that render efficient photothermic vaporization and energy generation with improved operational durability is reported. The highly compressible and readily reconfigurable solar absorber sponge not only places less constraints on footprint and shape defined fabrication process but more importantly remarkably improves the solar‐to‐vapor conversion efficiency. Notably, synergetic coupling of solar‐steam and solar‐electricity technologies is realized without trade‐offs, highlighting the practical consideration toward more impactful solar heat exploitation. Such solar distillation and low‐grade heat‐to‐electricity generation functions can provide potential opportunities for fresh water and electricity supply in off‐grid or remote areas.
15 Oct 12:39
Energy Environ. Sci., 2018, 11,3431-3442
DOI: 10.1039/C8EE02792G, Paper
Jian Lv, Itthipon Jeerapan, Farshad Tehrani, Lu Yin, Cristian Abraham Silva-Lopez, Ji-Hyun Jang, Davina Joshuia, Rushabh Shah, Yuyan Liang, Lingye Xie, Fernando Soto, Chuanrui Chen, Emil Karshalev, Chuncai Kong, Zhimao Yang, Joseph Wang
The hybrid device, screen-printed on two sides of the fabric, is designed to scavenge biochemical energy from the wearer's sweat using a biofuel cell module, and to store the harvested bioenergy into the supercapacitor module for subsequent use.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
15 Jan 13:31
by Junwei Yang, Jin Wang, Ke Zhao, Takuya Izuishi, Yan Li, Qing Shen and Xinhua Zhong
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b10546
15 Jan 13:10
by Yi-Ge Zhou, Reza M. Mohamadi, Mahla Poudineh, Leyla Kermanshah, Sharif Ahmed, Tina Saberi Safaei, Jessica Stojcic, Robert K. Nam, Edward H. Sargent, Shana O. Kelley
A chip-based approach for electrochemical characterization and detection of microsomes and exosomes based on direct electro-oxidation of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) that specifically recognize surface markers of these vesicles is reported. It is found that exosomes and microsomes derived from prostate cancer cells can be identified by their surface proteins EpCAM and PSMA, suggesting the potential of exosomes and microsomes for use as diagnostic biomarkers.
15 Jan 13:09
by Jae Woong Lee, Do Young Kim, Sujin Baek, Hyeonggeun Yu, Franky So
Solution-processed inorganic UV-visible short-wave-infrared photodetectors with light sensitivity from 350 nm to 2000 nm are fabricated using highly monodispersed large PbS NCs. These devices showed detectivity values over 1 × 1011 Jones from 350 nm to 2000 nm, and a maximum detectivity value of 1.2 × 1012 Jones at 1800 nm.
13 Jan 09:50
by Min-Jae Choi, Sunchuel Kim, Hunhee Lim, Jaesuk Choi, Dong Min Sim, Soonmin Yim, Byung Tae Ahn, Jin Young Kim, Yeon Sik Jung
The depletion region width of metal-oxide/quantum-dot (QD) heterojunction solar cells is increased by a new method in which heavily boron-doped n+-ZnO is employed. It is effectively increased in the QD layer by 30% compared to the counterpart with conventional n-ZnO, and provides 41% and 37% improvement of Jsc (16.7 mA cm−2 to 23.5 mA cm−2) and power conversion efficiency (5.52% to 7.55%), respectively.
19 Dec 04:52
by Vidya Kochat, Chandra Sekhar Tiwary, Tathagata Biswas, Gopalakrishnan Ramalingam, Kimberly Hsieh, Kamanio Chattopadhyay, Srinivasan Raghavan, Manish Jain and Arindam Ghosh
Nano Letters
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04234
18 Dec 11:55
by Chang Woo Kim, Young Seok Son, Myung Jong Kang, Do Yoon Kim, Young Soo Kang
A (040)-crystal facet engineered BiVO4 ((040)-BVO) photoanode is investigated for solar fuel production. The (040)-BVO photoanode is favorable for improved charge carrier mobility and high photocatalytic active sites for solar light energy conversion. This crystal facet design of the (040)-BVO photoanode leads to an increase in the energy conversion efficiency for solar fuel production and an enhancement of the oxygen evolution rate. The photocurrent density of the (040)-BVO photoanode is determined to be 0.94 mA cm−2 under AM 1.5 G illumination and produces 42.1% of the absorbed photon-to-current conversion efficiency at 1.23 V (vs RHE, reversible hydrogen electrode). The enhanced charge separation efficiency and improved charge injection efficiency driven by (040) facet can produce hydrogen with 0.02 mmol h−1 at 1.23 V. The correlation between the (040)-BVO photoanode and the solar fuel production is investigated. The results provide a promising approach for the development of solar fuel production using a BiVO4 photoanode.
A facile strategy for improving solar fuel production of BiVO4 photoanodes is investigated. A (040)-crystal facet engineered BiVO4 is hydrothermally synthesized with a structure directing agent and seed layer approach. Its photocurrent density is determined to be 0.94 mA cm−2 under 1-sun and produces 42.1% of the absorbed photon-to-current conversion efficiency at 1.23 V (vs RHE, reversible hydrogen electrode). The photoelectrochemical hydrogen production can reach 0.2 mmol in 10 h.
10 Dec 04:36
by Xinzheng Lan, Oleksandr Voznyy, Amirreza Kiani, F. Pelayo García de Arquer, Abdullah Saud Abbas, Gi-Hwan Kim, Mengxia Liu, Zhenyu Yang, Grant Walters, Jixian Xu, Mingjian Yuan, Zhijun Ning, Fengjia Fan, Pongsakorn Kanjanaboos, Illan Kramer, David Zhitomirsky, Philip Lee, Alexander Perelgut, Sjoerd Hoogland, Edward H. Sargent
A solution-based passivation scheme is developed featuring the use of molecular iodine and PbS colloidal quantum dots (CQDs). The improved passivation translates into a longer carrier diffusion length in the solid film. This allows thicker solar-cell devices to be built while preserving efficient charge collection, leading to a certified power conversion efficiency of 9.9%, which is a new record in CQD solar cells.
08 Dec 01:39
by Axel Freytag, Sara Sánchez-Paradinas, Suraj Naskar, Natalja Wendt, Massimo Colombo, Giammarino Pugliese, Jan Poppe, Cansunur Demirci, Imme Kretschmer, Detlef W. Bahnemann, Peter Behrens, Nadja C. Bigall
Abstract
A versatile method to fabricate self-supported aerogels of nanoparticle (NP) building blocks is presented. This approach is based on freezing colloidal NPs and subsequent freeze drying. This means that the colloidal NPs are directly transferred into dry aerogel-like monolithic superstructures without previous lyogelation as would be the case for conventional aerogel and cryogel fabrication methods. The assembly process, based on a physical concept, is highly versatile: cryogelation is applicable for noble metal, metal oxide, and semiconductor NPs, and no impact of the surface chemistry or NP shape on the resulting morphology is observed. Under optimized conditions the shape and volume of the liquid equal those of the resulting aerogels. Also, we show that thin and homogeneous films of the material can be obtained. Furthermore, the physical properties of the aerogels are discussed.
A versatile method to fabricate self-supported porous monoliths of extremely low density consisting of nanoparticle (NP) building blocks is presented. Our approach is based on freezing and subsequent freeze drying of aqueous colloidal NPs. The assembly process is highly versatile: cryogelation is applicable for noble metal, metal oxide, and semiconductor NPs, and shaping of the aerogels is easily possible.
07 Dec 01:26
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C5TA09306F, Paper
Jin Wang, Yan Li, Qing Shen, Takuya Izuishi, Zhenxiao Pan, Ke Zhao, Xinhua Zhong
Transition metal ion (especially Mn2+) doping has been proven to be an effective approach to modify the intrinsic photo-electronic properties of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). However, previous works of direct...
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
07 Dec 01:06
by Cherie R. Kagan
Nature Nanotechnology 10, 1013 (2015).
doi:10.1038/nnano.2015.247
Authors: Cherie R. Kagan & Christopher B. Murray
07 Dec 01:06
by Maksym V. Kovalenko
Nature Nanotechnology 10, 994 (2015).
doi:10.1038/nnano.2015.284
Author: Maksym V. Kovalenko
Although research into colloidal quantum dots has led to promising results for the realization of photovoltaic devices, a better understanding of the robustness and stability of these devices is necessary before commercial competiveness can be claimed.
01 Dec 01:33
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C5TA08668J, Communication
Joongpil Park, Jin-Hyuk Heo, Sang Hyuk Im, Sang-Wook Kim
We synthesized a new type of PbS colloidal quantum dots (QDs) embedding CuS (PbS[CuS] QDs) by rapid injection of a sulfur precursor to a lead precursor solution followed by cation...
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
01 Dec 01:30
Energy Environ. Sci., 2016, 9,517-529
DOI: 10.1039/C5EE02979A, Paper
Xiaokai Hu, Priyanka Jood, Michihiro Ohta, Masaru Kunii, Kazuo Nagase, Hirotaka Nishiate, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Atsushi Yamamoto
In this work, we demonstrate the use of high performance nanostructured PbTe-based materials in high conversion efficiency thermoelectric modules.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
01 Dec 01:27
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C5TA08507A, Paper
Fangyuan Liu, Zhaolai Chen, Xiaohang Du, Qingsen Zeng, Tianjiao Ji, Zhongkai Cheng, Gan Jin, Bai Yang
Due to low cost, environmental friendliness and efficient, aqueous-processed polymer/nanoctrystal hybrid solar cells (HSCs) have attracted much attention in recent years. To promote the development of aqueous-processed HSCs, the design...
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
01 Dec 01:26
by Meriem Gaceur, Sadok Ben Dkhil, David Duché, Fatima Bencheikh, Jean-Jacques Simon, Ludovic Escoubas, Mahdi Mansour, Antonio Guerrero, Germà Garcia-Belmonte, Xianjie Liu, Mats Fahlman, Walid Dachraoui, Abdou Karim Diallo, Christine Videlot-Ackermann, Olivier Margeat, Jörg Ackermann
The color of polymer solar cells using an opaque electrode is given by the reflected light, which depends on the composition and thickness of each layer of the device. Metal-oxide-based optical spacers are intensively studied in polymer solar cells aiming to optimize the light absorption. However, the low conductivity of materials such as ZnO and TiO2 limits the thickness of such optical spacers to tenths of nanometers. A novel synthesis route of cluster-free Al-doped ZnO (AZO) nanocrystals (NCs) is presented for solution processing of highly conductive layers without the need of temperature annealing, including thick optical spacers on top of polymer blends. The processing of 80 nm thick optical spacers based on AZO nanocrystal solutions on top of 200 nm thick polymer blend layer is demonstrated leading to improved photocurrent density of 17% compared to solar cells using standard active layers of 90 nm in combination with thin ZnO-based optical spacers. These AZO NCs also open new opportunities for the processing of high-efficiency color tuned solar cells. For the first time, it is shown that applying solution-processed thick optical spacer with polymer blends of different thicknesses can process solar cells of similar efficiency over 7% but of different colors.
A facile Al-doped ZnO nanocrystal synthesis for solution-processed electron extraction layer and playing as well as optical spacer in regular polymer solar cells is presented. A high power conversion efficiency together with fine-tuning of the reflected cell color is obtained. Thick layers of this annealing-free conductive film (up to 80 nm) together with thick layers of active blends (up to 200 nm) strongly improve the compatibility of polymer solar cells with large-scale robust solution processing.
23 Nov 01:22
by Zhenyu Yang, Oleksandr Voznyy, Mengxia Liu, Mingjian Yuan, Alexander H. Ip, Osman S. Ahmed, Larissa Levina, Sachin Kinge, Sjoerd Hoogland and Edward H. Sargent
ACS Nano
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b05617
17 Nov 13:20
by Ala'a O. El-Ballouli, Erkki Alarousu, Ahmad R. Kirmani, Aram Amassian, Osman M. Bakr, Omar F. Mohammed
Light harvesting from large size of semiconductor PbS quantum dots (QDs) with a bandgap of less than 1 eV is one of the greatest challenges precluding the development of PbS QD-based solar cells because the interfacial charge transfer (CT) from such QDs to the most commonly used electron acceptor materials is very inefficient, if it occurs at all. Thus, an alternative electron-accepting unit with a new driving force for CT is urgently needed to harvest the light from large-sized PbS QDs. Here, a cationic porphyrin is utilized as a new electron acceptor unit with unique features that bring the donor–acceptor components into close molecular proximity, allowing ultrafast and efficient electron transfer for QDs of all sizes, as inferred from the drastic photoluminescence quenching and the ultrafast formation of the porphyrin anionic species. The time-resolved results clearly demonstrate the possibility of modulating the electron transfer process between PbS QDs and porphyrin moieties not only by the size quantization effect but also by the interfacial electrostatic interaction between the positively charged porphyrin and the negatively charged QDs. This approach provides a new pathway for engineering QD-based solar cells that make the best use of the diverse photons making up the Sun's broad irradiance spectrum.
The interfacial electrostatic interaction between the positively charged porphyrin and the negatively charged quantum dots (QDs) surface enables widening the effective bandgap (Eg) range for charge transfer (CT) from PbS QDs. For the first time, the occurance of an effective CT from large PbS QDs (Eg < 1 eV) is shown to positively charged porphyrin, thus overcoming the previously reported cut-off CT bandgaps at PbS QD interface.
14 Nov 01:28
Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, 8,3208-3214
DOI: 10.1039/C5EE02155C, Communication
Dong Yang, Ruixia Yang, Jing Zhang, Zhou Yang, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu, Can Li
15.07% efficiency for flexible perovskite solar cells is achieved using low temperature TiO2.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
14 Nov 01:27
Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C5EE02965A, Communication
Steve Albrecht, Michael Saliba, Juan Pablo Correa Baena, Felix Lang, Lukas Kegelmann, Mathias Mews, Ludmilla Steier, Antonio Abate, Jorg Rappich, Lars Korte, Rutger Schlatmann, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Anders Hagfeldt, Michael Gratzel, Bernd Rech
We present a monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem cell enabling a high Voc and a stabilized power output of 18%.
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
10 Apr 17:48
by Henry J. Snaith, Antonio Abate, James M. Ball, Giles E. Eperon, Tomas Leijtens, Nakita K. Noel, Samuel D. Stranks, Jacob Tse-Wei Wang, Konrad Wojciechowski and Wei Zhang
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
DOI: 10.1021/jz500113x
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