ZiQi Sun

Charge extracting layers play a key role in the elimination of hysteresis from J–V characteristics of inverted hybrid perovskite solar cells. Methanofullerene electron extracting layers stabilize short-circuit photocurrents from the very first J–V scan, while preconditioning cycles are needed to stabilize the open-circuit voltage owing to interaction between migrating iodide ions and the charge extraction layer.

A new 3D nonfullerene small-molecule acceptor is reported. The 3D interlocking geometry of the small-molecule acceptor enables uniform molecular conformation and strong intermolecular connectivity, facilitating favorable nanoscale phase separation and electron charge transfer. By employing both a novel polymer donor and a nonfullerene small-molecule acceptor in the solution-processed organic solar cells, a high-power conversion efficiency of close to 6% is demonstrated.

In article number 1500761, Jongseung Yoon and co-workers report a photovoltaic system that can improve the collection efficiency of above-bandgap, long-wavelength photons in ultrathin nanostructured silicon solar cells. A flexible composite solar module integrated with silver nanostructures and upconversion printing medium enables the enhanced photovoltaic performance of surface-embedded 8-μm-thick silicon microcells via synergistic contributions from plasmonically amplified spectral upconversion, waveguiding, and fluorescence of the upconversion medium.

In article 1500877, Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, Harald Ade, and co-workers demonstrate the connection between device performance and morphological parameters in organic photovoltaics. The results demonstrate the complex correlation between domain purity, size, and molecular ordering, and highlight the requirement of achieving sufficient average phase purity of donor and acceptor domains to diminish charge recombination losses in solution-processed small-molecule bulk heterojunction solar cells.