Balancing Surface Chemistry and Flake Size of MXene-Based Electrodes for Bioelectrochemical Reactors.

MXenes have excellent properties as electrode materials in energy storage devices or fuel cells. In bioelectrochemical systems (for wastewater treatment and energy harvesting), MXenes can have antimicrobial characteristics in some conditions. Here, different intercalation and delamination approaches to obtain TiCT MXene flakes with different terminal groups and lateral dimensions are comprehensively investigated.

Enhanced cation interaction in perovskites for efficient tandem solar cells with silicon.

To achieve the full potential of monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, crystal defects and film inhomogeneities in the perovskite top cell must be minimized. We discuss the use of methylenediammonium dichloride as an additive to the perovskite precursor solution, resulting in the incorporation of in situ-formed tetrahydrotriazinium (THTZ-H) into the perovskite lattice upon film crystallization. The cyclic nature of the THTZ-H cation enables a strong interaction with the lead octahedra of the perovskite lattice through the formation of hydrogen bonds with iodide in multiple directions.

Double-side 2D/3D heterojunctions for inverted perovskite solar cells.

Defects at the top and bottom interfaces of three-dimensional (3D) perovskite photoabsorbers diminish the performance and operational stability of perovskite solar cells owing to charge recombination, ion migration and electric-field inhomogeneities. Here we demonstrate that long alkyl amine ligands can generate near-phase-pure 2D perovskites at the top and bottom 3D perovskite interfaces and effectively resolve these issues. At the rear-contact side, we find that the alkyl amine ligand strengthens the interactions with the substrate through acid-base reactions with the phosphonic acid group from the organic hole-transporting self-assembled monolayer molecule, thus regulating the 2D perovskite formation.

Sublimed C for efficient and repeatable perovskite-based solar cells.

Thermally evaporated C is a near-ubiquitous electron transport layer in state-of-the-art p-i-n perovskite-based solar cells. As perovskite photovoltaic technologies are moving toward industrialization, batch-to-batch reproducibility of device performances becomes crucial. Here, we show that commercial as-received (99.

Enhanced optoelectronic coupling for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells.

Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells are of great appeal as they promise high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) at affordable cost. In state-of-the-art tandems, the perovskite top cell is electrically coupled to a silicon heterojunction bottom cell by means of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), anchored on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), which enables efficient charge transfer between the subcells. Yet reproducible, high-performance tandem solar cells require energetically homogeneous SAM coverage, which remains challenging, especially on textured silicon bottom cells.

In-Depth Chemical and Optoelectronic Analysis of Triple-Cation Perovskite Thin Films by Combining XPS Profiling and PL Imaging.

The investigation of chemical and optoelectronic properties of halide perovskite layers and associated interfaces is crucial to harness the full potential of perovskite solar cells. Depth-profiling photoemission spectroscopy is a primary tool to study the chemical properties of halide perovskite layers at different scales from the surface to the bulk. The technique employs ionic argon beam thinning that provides accurate layer thicknesses.