DJL

Alignment of 1D assemblies of a wide variety of nanoparticles (e.g., metal, metal oxide, semiconductor quantum dots, or organic microspheres) in one direction upon diverse substrates (including industrial silicon wafers and transparent glass plates) by a general strategy is demonstrated. This sandwich method provides an efficient way of rapidly and precisely assembling nanoparticles on a large scale (up to 10 cm × 10 cm) for device applications.

CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) can be used as an electron acceptor in solar cells, employing organic ligands to passivate their surface and make them processable from solution. The nature and abundance of impurities present after NC ligand exchange from oleic acid to n-butylamine are identified. A further purification step using hexane as a selective solvent is described, which excludes NC aggregates from solution. The influence of NC aggregates on photovoltaic device performance is studied in a CdSe:poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MDMO-PPV) bulk heterojunction solar cell. The exclusion of NC aggregates leads to a four-fold increase in device power conversion efficiency (PCE) in optimized devices. A superior blend morphology leading to improved charge generation and a better NC percolation network is identified as the main causes of this increased solar cell performance.

The influence of nanocrystal aggregates on photovoltaic device performance is studied in a CdSe:poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MDMO-PPV) bulk heterojunction solar cell. The exclusion of CdSe aggregates yields a superior blend morphology leading to improved charge generation and better percolation in the nanocrystal component. Solar cells with treated nanocrystals show a significant increase in device performance.

Indium selenides have attracted extensive attention in high-efficiency thermoelectrics for waste heat energy conversion due to their extraordinary and tunable electrical and thermal properties. This Review aims to provide a thorough summary of the structural characteristics (e.g. crystal structures, phase transformations, and structural vacancies) and synthetic methods (e.g. bulk materials, thin films, and nanostructures) of various indium selenides, and then summarize the recent progress on exploring indium selenides as high-efficiency thermoelectric materials. By highlighting challenges and opportunities in the end, this Review intends to shine some light on the possible approaches for thermoelectric performance enhancement of indium selenides, which should open up an opportunity for applying indium selenides in the next-generation thermoelectric devices.

Indium selenides recently emerged as high-efficiency thermoelectric materials for waste heat energy conversion. This Review provides a thorough summary of the structural characteristics, synthetic methods, and thermoelectric properties of various indium selenides. By highlighting challenges and opportunities, this Review intends to shine some light on the possible approaches for thermoelectric performance enhancement of indium selenides.