Recent Advances in Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells: Fabrication and Applications

Flexible perovskite solar cells have attracted widespread research effort because of their potential in portable electronics. The efficiency has exceeded 18 % owing to the high‐quality perovskite film achieved by various low‐temperature fabrication methods and matching of the interface and electrode materials. This Review focuses on recent progress in flexible perovskite solar cells concerning low‐temperature fabrication methods to improve the properties of perovskite films, such as full coverage, uniform morphology, and good crystallinity; demonstrated interface layers used in flexible perovskite solar cells, considering key figures‐of‐merit such as high transmittance, high carrier mobility, suitable band gap, and easy fabrication via low‐temperature methods; flexible transparent electrode materials developed to enhance the mechanical stability of the devices; mechanical and long‐term environmental stability; an outlook of flexible perovskite solar cells in portable electronic devices; and perspectives of commercialization for flexible perovskite solar cells based on cost.     

新型有机-无机杂化钙钛矿发光材料的研究进展

作为近几年来光伏领域最具竞争力的材料之一,有机-无机杂化钙钛矿受到了广泛的重视。除了在光伏领域的潜在应用,钙钛矿材料也显示出了独特的光致发光与电致发光特性。本综述回顾了近期有机-无机杂化钙钛矿材料的快速发展历程,详细介绍了其在发光领域的研究进展与应用前景;概括了钙钛矿发光材料的特性及影响因素、发光原理、光谱可调节性,重点介绍了形貌对钙钛矿发光性能的影响;进而探讨了钙钛矿材料在发光二极管、激光器件以及发光场效应晶体管领域最新的应用进展。最后,展望了钙钛矿材料的关键性热点问题以及所面临的挑战,并尝试给未来钙钛矿材料的商业化途径指出方向。     

利用扫描开尔文探针显微镜观察薄膜光电器件能级排布

薄膜光电器件的能级结构直接决定了载流子的产生、分离、传输、复合和收集等微观动力学过程,从而决定了器件性能。因此准确获取器件能级结构,是深入理解器件工作机制、推动器件技术革新的重要科学依据。此专论系统地介绍了本课题组利用扫描开尔文探针显微镜(SKPM)表征薄膜光电器件如有机太阳能电池、有机-无机钙钛矿光探测器等器件中界面能级结构的工作。垂直型薄膜器件中的活性材料层被顶电极与底电极封闭,通常难以直接在器件工况下测量其中的界面能级排布,我们发展了横截面SKPM技术来解决这一难题。研究表明,界面层是调控器件能级结构、决定器件极性、提高器件性能的重要手段。本文介绍的表征技术有望在各种薄膜光电器件,诸如光伏器件、光探测器、发光二极管,尤其是各种叠层构型器件的研究中展现出广阔的应用前景。     

Integrating Perovskite Solar Cells into a Flexible Fiber

Perovskite solar cells have triggered a rapid development of new photovoltaic devices because of high energy conversion efficiencies and their all‐solid‐state structures. To this end, they are particularly useful for various wearable and portable electronic devices. Perovskite solar cells with a flexible fiber structure were now prepared for the first time by continuously winding an aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube sheet electrode onto a fiber electrode; photoactive perovskite materials were incorporated in between them through a solution process. The fiber‐shaped perovskite solar cell exhibits an energy conversion efficiency of 3.3 %, which remained stable on bending. The perovskite solar cell fibers may be woven into electronic textiles for large‐scale application by well‐developed textile technologies.     

基于非富勒烯电子受体的半透明有机太阳能电池

半透明有机太阳能电池以其独特的光电特性在建筑集成光伏上具有广阔的应用前景。非富勒烯小分子受体近几年发展十分迅速。其中,基于非富勒烯小分子受体的半透明有机太阳能电池具有较高的光电转换效率和平均可见光透过率,因而得到了广泛关注。本文总结了近几年来非富勒烯受体型半透明有机太阳能电池的最新研究进展,探究活性层材料设计及器件构型优化对半透明有机太阳能电池的影响,希望为半透明有机太阳能电池在今后研究中新材料体系的优选提供一定的参考。     

基于WOx/PEDOT:PSS复合空穴传输层的高效稳定平面异质结钙钛矿太阳电池

在基于钙钛矿/富勒烯平面异质结的钙钛矿太阳电池中,PEDOT:PSS是最常使用的空穴传输材料. 但PEDOT:PSS呈酸性,会腐蚀金属氧化物透明电极,使器件的电极界面稳定性欠佳. 本文将高功函的氧化钨（WO_x）插入到PEDOT:PSS和FTO之间,形成WO_x/PEDOT:PSS复合空穴传输层,这样既可以避免PEDOT:PSS与FTO直接接触,提高器件的稳定性,又可以进一步降低电极界面的接触势垒,从而提升器件的性能. 作者研究了复合传输层对透光率、钙钛矿形貌、钙钛矿结晶、光伏性能及器件稳定性的影响. 基于WO_x/PEDOT:PSS复合空穴传输层的电池效率可以达到12.96%,比单纯的PEDOT:PSS的电池效率(10.56%)提升了22.7%,同时器件的稳定性也得到大幅改善.     

A Comprehensive Review on Perovskite Solar Cells Integrated Photo-supercapacitors and Perovskites-Based Electrochemical Supercapacitors

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have rapidly become a prevalent photovoltaic technology owing to their simple structure, low processing cost, and remarkable increase in solar-to-electric power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, the intermittent nature of solar radiation induces some technical and financial challenges for its practical applications as a reliable power source. To address this issue, the integration of PSCs with supercapacitors (SCs) in the form of integrated photo-supercapacitors (IPSs) has gathered significant attention. This integration can balance energy availability and demand, reduce energy wastage, and stabilize power output for portable and wearable electronics. Meanwhile, the excellent optoelectronic properties with mixed electronic and ionic conductivity of metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have expanded their application as electrode and electrolyte materials for SCs and photo-supercapacitors (PSs) applications. This review provides an all-inclusive summary of the current state-of-the-art research progress of PSCs-IPSs and MHPs-based SCs and PSs by highlighting their basics and integration approaches. It also discusses the challenges and prospects of these materials and technologies.     

Recoverable Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells for Next-Generation Portable Power Sources

Flexible perovskite solar cells (FPSCs) with excellent recoverability show a wide range of potential applications in portable power sources. The recoverability of FPSCs requires outstanding bendability of each functional layer, including the flexible substrates, electrodes, perovskite light absorbers, and charge transport materials. This review highlights the recent progress and practical applications of high-recoverability FPSCs, and illustrates the routes toward improvement of the recoverability and environmental stability through the choice of flexible substrates and the preparation of high-quality perovskite films, as well as the optimization of charge-selective contacts. In addition, we explore the intrinsic properties of each functional layer from the physical perspective and analyze how to select suitable functional layers. Additionally, some effective strategies are summarized, including material modification engineering of selective contacts, additives and interface engineering of interlayers, which can release mechanical stress and increase the power-conversion efficiency (PCE) and recoverability of the FPSCs. The challenges of making high-performance FPSCs with long-term stability and high recoverability are discussed. Finally, future applications and perspectives for FPSCs are discussed, aiming to promote more extensive commercialization processes for lightweight and durable FPSCs.     

Bifunctional air electrodes for flexible rechargeable Zn-air batteries

Flexible rechargeable Zn-air batteries are considered as one of the most promising battery systems to drive flexible and wearable electronic devices owing to their high safety,high gravimetric energy density,low self-discharge and low cost.One of the key challenges is to develop air electrodes with high performance and high mechanical flexibility.This minireview discusses the recent progress in the design and fabrication of flexible air electrodes.It focuses on the latest innovations in bifunctional oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts,mainly including carbon-based materials(e.g.,heteroatom-doped carbon,metal-nitrogen moieties doped carbon),metal oxides(e.g.,spinel oxides,perovskite oxides) and their composites.It aims to provide an insight into the structureproperty relationship of bifunctional catalysts.We also discuss the challenges and future perspectives.     

Perovskite indoor photovoltaics: opportunity and challenges

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoTs), photovoltaics (PVs) has a vast market supply gap of billion dollars. Moreover, it also puts forward new requirements for the development of indoor photovoltaic devices (IPVs). In recent years, PVs represented by organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), silicon solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), etc. considered for use in IoTs mechanisms have also been extensively investigated. However, there are few reports on the indoor applications of perovskite devices, even though it has the advantages of better performance. In fact, perovskite has the advantages of better bandgap adjustability, lower cost, and easier preparation of large-area on flexible substrates, compared with other types of IPVs. This review starts from the development status of IoTs and investigates the cost, technology, and future trends of IPVs. We believe that perovskite photovoltaics is more suitable for indoor applications and review some strategies for fabricating high-performance perovskite indoor photovoltaic devices (IPVs). Finally, we also put forward a perspective for the long-term development of perovskite IPVs.

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoTs), photovoltaics (PVs) has a vast market supply gap of billion dollars.     

New advances in small molecule hole-transporting materials for perovskite solar cells

Organic π-functional molecules are the foundation and basic component of organic optoelectronic devices.For example,for ideal carrier transporting materials,extended π-conjugation and ordered π-πstacking are necessary to enhance the charge mobility and achieve desirable results.As a promising way to convert sunlight into electricity,organometal halide perovskite solar cells(PSCs) have captured a lot of attention due to its predominant merits especially in the aspect of remarkable photovoltaic performance and much potentially low production cost.For conventional planar PSC structure,hole-transporting layer which typically consists of organic π-functional materials plays a key role in suppressing holeelectron pair recombination,promoting charge transporting and ensuring ohmic contact of back electrode.Considering the key roles of HTMs and its soaring progress in recent years,here,we will summarize recent progress in small organic π-functional materials from its diverse functions in PSCs.Besides,aiming to further promote the development of organic π-functional molecules and HTMs,a promising direction toward highly efficient HTMs will also be discussed.     

Macromolecular architectures for organic photovoltaics

Research in the field of organic photovoltaics has gained considerable momentum in the last two decades owing to the need for developing low-cost and efficient energy harvesting systems. Elegant molecular architectures have been designed, synthesized and employed as active materials for photovoltaic devices thereby leading to a better molecular structure-device property relationship understanding. In this perspective, we outline new macromolecular scaffolds that have been designed within the purview of each of the three fundamental processes involving light harvesting, charge separation and charge transport.     

Recent progress of thin-film photovoltaics for indoor application

Indoor photovoltaics have attracted increasing attentions owing to their great potential in supplying energy for low power devices under indoor light in our daily life.The third generation thin-film solar cells,including dye-sensitized solar cells,perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells,have made rapid progress from the aspect of materials design to photovoltaic performance.This review provides an overview on the recent advances in the development of indoor photovoltaic technologies based on the third generation solar cells.The design principles of advanced thin-film indoor photovoltaics were also summarized according to the characteristics of indoor light and the advantages of the third generation solar cells.Finally,after summarizing the current research progress,the perspective on this topic is provided.     

A Smart Flexible Zinc Battery with Cooling Recovery Ability

Flexible batteries are essential for wearable electronic devices. To meet practical applications, they need to be mechanically robust and stable. However, strong or multiple bending may sever the interfacial contact between electrode and electrolyte, causing capacity fading or even battery failure. Herein we present a new cooling‐recovery concept for flexible batteries, which involves a temperature‐sensitive sol–gel transition behavior of the thermoreversible polymer hydrogel electrolyte. Once a battery has suffered from strong mechanical stresses, a simple cooling process can refresh the electrode–electrolyte interface. The energy‐storage capability can be recovered with a healing efficiency higher than 98 %. It is believed that this study not only offers new valuable insights, but also opens up new perspectives to develop functional wearable devices.     

Transparent Electrodes Printed with Nanocrystal Inks for Flexible Smart Devices

Transparent electrodes (TEs) are crucial in a wide range of modern electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, traditional TEs cannot meet the requirements of smart devices under development in unique fields, such as electronic skins, wearable electronics, robotic skins, flexible and stretchable displays, and solar cells. Emerging TEs printed with nanocrystal (NC) inks are inexpensive and compatible with solution processes, and have huge potential in flexible, stretchable, and wearable devices. Every development in ink‐based electrodes makes them more competitive for practical applications in various smart devices. Herein, we provide an overview of emergent ink‐based electrodes, such as transparent conducting oxides, metal nanowires, graphene, and carbon nanotubes, and their application in solution‐based flexible and stretchable devices.     

Recent advances in high-performance semitransparent perovskite solar cells

Semitransparent perovskite photovoltaics have been developed to realize practical applications, such as windows in buildings/automobiles or the top cells of tandem devices. Among the functional layers constituting solar cell devices, fabricating efficient semitransparent light absorbers is one of the key issues for developing semitransparent devices. This short review describes the recent strategies for structuring semitransparent perovskite layers to achieve high performance in terms of both power conversion efficiency and transmittance.     

Research progress on hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites for photo-applications

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials have attracted significant attention of most researchers in recently years, which is ascribed to the superior photoelectric properties, such as the suitable band gaps for harvesting sunlight, and exhibit high optical adsorption, high charge-carrier lifetimes and long diffusion lengths. The photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photocatalysts represent the remarkable applications for the hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials. Herein, we review the recent progress of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite-based photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photocatalysts. The challenges and outlook for the hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite-based photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photocatalysts are considered.     

超级电容器用石墨烯薄膜：制备、基元结构及表面调控

石墨烯薄膜是一种以石墨烯纳米片为基元结构的宏观体,通过合理的结构设计和表面修饰使其具有优异的电学、力学和热学性能,将在电化学储能、电子器件、健康和环保等领域具有潜在的应用。本文主要综述了从石墨烯基元调控到二维宏观膜组装以及石墨烯薄膜在超级电容器应用中的研究进展。主要介绍了石墨烯薄膜的简易制备方法,并详细介绍了通过对石墨烯基元的结构调控和表面修饰来优化石墨烯薄膜电化学性能的两大策略,最后对石墨烯薄膜应用所面临的挑战和未来的发展进行了总结与展望。     

Highly flexible pseudocapacitor based on freestanding heterogeneous MnO2/conductive polymer nanowire arrays

Flexible electronics such as wearable electronic clothing, paper-like electronic devices, and flexible biomedical diagnostic devices are expected to be commercialized in the near future. Flexible energy storage will be needed to power these devices. Supercapacitor devices based on freestanding nanowire arrays are promising high power sources for these flexible electronics. Electrodes for these supercapacitor devices consisting of heterogeneous coaxial nanowires of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-shell and MnO(2)-core materials have been shown in a half cell system to have improved capacitance and rate capabilities when compared to their pure nanomaterials; however, their performance in a full cell system has not been fully investigated. Herein, these coaxial nanowires are tested in both a symmetric and an asymmetric (utilizing a PEDOT nanowire anode) full cell configuration in the aspect of charge storage, charge rate, and flexibility without using any carbon additives and polymer binders. It is found that the asymmetric cell outperforms the symmetric cell in terms of energy density, rate capability, and cycle ability. The asymmetric device's electrode materials display an energy density of 9.8 Wh/kg even at a high power density of 850 W kg(-1). This device is highly flexible and shows fast charging and discharging while still maintaining 86% of its energy density even under a highly flexed state. The total device is shown to have a total capacitance of 0.26 F at a maximum voltage of 1.7 V, which is capable of providing enough energy to power small portable devices.     

提升基于钙钛矿的叠层太阳能电池稳定性的策略

近年来,基于有机无机金属卤化物钙钛矿的叠层太阳能电池引起了巨大的研究热潮。但是,不稳定性限制了其商业化。适用于顶部子电池的宽带隙钙钛矿存在相不稳定性,而适用于底部子电池的窄带隙钙钛矿存在空气不稳定性。首先,我们总结了提升基于钙钛矿的叠层太阳能电池稳定性的最新进展。然后,我们系统地分析了导致宽带隙钙钛矿的相不稳定性和窄带隙钙钛矿的空气不稳定性的原因,并为解决这些不稳定性问题总结了合理的策略。我们也简短地总结了中间层带来的不稳定性以及相应的解决措施。最后,我们回顾了钙钛矿材料固有的本征不稳定性和相应的改进方法,这对于将来发展更稳定的叠层太阳能电池中是必要的。我们认为随着对钙钛矿子电池的理解越来越深入,基于钙钛矿的叠层电池特别是钙钛矿/硅叠层电池将会迅速商业化。