Review of roll-to-roll fabrication techniques for colloidal quantum dot solar cells

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are of great interest to photovoltaic (PV) technologies as they possess the benefits of solution-processability, size-tunability, and roll-to-roll manufacturability, as well as unique capabilities to harvest near-infrared (NIR) radiation. During the last decade, lab-scale CQD solar cells have achieved rapid improvement in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) from ~1% to 18%, which will potentially exceed 20% in the next few years and approach the performance of other PV technologies, such as perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells. In the meanwhile, CQD solar cells exhibit long lifetimes either under shelf storage or continuous operation, making them highly attractive to industry. However, in order to meet the industrial requirements, mass production techniques are necessary to scale up the fabrication of those lab devices into large-area PV modules, such as roll-to-toll coating. This paper reviews the recent developments of large-area CQD solar cells with a focus on various fabrication methods and their principles. It covers the progress of typical large-area coating techniques, including spray coating, blade coating, dip coating, and slot-die coating. It also discusses next steps and new strategies to accomplish the ultimate goal of the low-cost large-area fabrication of CQD solar cells and emphasizes how artificial intelligence or machine learning could facilitate the developments of CQD solar cell research.     

In Situ Topochemical Transformation of ZnIn2S4 for Efficient Photocatalytic Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Diformylfuran

Photocatalytic selective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) coupled H₂ production offers a promising approach to producing valuable chemicals. Herein, an efficient in situ topological transformation tactic is developed for producing porous O-doped ZnIn₂S₄ nanosheets for HMF oxidation cooperative with H₂ evolution. Aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM images show that the hierarchical porous O-ZIS-120 possesses abundant atomic scale edge steps and lattice defects, which is beneficial for electron accumulation and molecule adsorption. The optimal catalyst (O-ZIS-120) exhibits remarkable performance with 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) yields of 1624 µmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ and the selectivity of >97%, simultaneously with the H₂ evolution rate of 1522 µmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹. Mechanistic investigations through theoretical calculations show that O in the O-ZIS-120 lattice can reduce the oxidation energy barrier of hydroxyl groups of HMF. In situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) results reveal that DFF^* (C₄H₂(CHO)₂O^*) intermediate has a weak interaction with O-ZIS-120 and desorb as the final product. This study elucidates the topotactic structural transitions of 2D materials simultaneously with electronic structure modulation for efficient photocatalytic DFF production.     

Optoelectronic Synapses and Photodetectors Based on Organic Semiconductor/Halide Perovskite Heterojunctions: Materials,Devices, and Applications

Both photodetectors (PDs) and optoelectronic synaptic devices (OSDs) are optoelectronic devices converting light signals into electrical responses. Optoelectronic devices based on organic semiconductors and halide perovskites have aroused tremendous research interest owing to their exceptional optical/electrical characteristics and low-cost processability. The heterojunction formed between organic semiconductors and halide perovskites can modify the exciton dissociation/recombination efficiency and modulate the charge-trapping effect. Consequently, organic semiconductor/halide perovskite heterojunctions can endow PDs and OSDs with high photo responsivity and the ability to simulate synaptic functions respectively, making them appropriate for the development of energy-efficient artificial visual systems with sensory and recognition functions. This article summarizes the recent advances in this research field. The physical/chemical properties and preparation methods of organic semiconductor/halide perovskite heterojunctions are briefly introduced. Then the development of PDs and OSDs based on organic semiconductor/halide perovskite heterojunctions, as well as their innovative applications, are systematically presented. Finally, some prospective challenges and probable strategies for the future development of optoelectronic devices based on organic semiconductor/halide perovskite heterojunctions are discussed.     

Tailoring of Photoluminescence Properties in All-Vacuum Deposited Perovskite via Ruddlesden–Popper Faults

Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) faults are well known in oxide perovskites, and are also observed in promising metal halide perovskites. However, the effect of RP faults on optical properties of perovskite has not been systematically investigated. In this study, it is found that RP faults are common planar faults in all-vacuum deposited CsPbBr₃-based perovskite polycrystal thin films, and the density of RP planar faults can be greatly increased by non-stoichiometric composition (Cs-rich) as well as reduced dimensionality (quasi-2D) strategies. The photoluminescence (PL) measurement reveals monotonically increasing peak intensities with higher densities of RP planar faults from Cs-rich, quasi-2D to Cs-rich & quasi-2D samples. The corresponding atomic-scale differential phase contrast maps indicate strongly confined charges within the RP planar fault network, which explains well the relationship between PL enhancement and the density of RP planar faults, and offers an alternative pathway for tailoring the optoelectronic properties of perovskite.     

Covalent Adaptable Microstructures via Combining Two-Photon Laser Printing and Alkoxyamine Chemistry: Toward Living 3D Microstructures

Manufacturing programmable materials, whose mechanical properties can be adapted on demand, is highly desired for their application in areas ranging from robotics, to biomedicine, or microfluidics. Herein, the inclusion of dynamic and living bonds, such as alkoxyamines, in a printable formulation suitable for two-photon 3D laser printing is exploited. On one hand, taking advantage of the dynamic covalent character of alkoxyamines, the nitroxide exchange reaction is investigated. As a consequence, a reduction of the Young´s Modulus by 50%, is measured by nanoindentation. On the other hand, due to its “living” characteristic, the chain extension becomes possible via nitroxide mediated polymerization. In particular, living nitroxide mediated polymerization of styrene results not only in a dramatic increase of the volume (≈8 times) of the 3D printed microstructure but also an increase of the Young's Modulus by two orders of magnitude (from 14 MPa to 2.7 GPa), while maintaining the shape including fine structural details. Thus, the approach introduces a new dimension by enabling to create microstructures with dynamically tunable size and mechanical properties.     

Self-Mineralizing Dnazyme Hydrogel as a Multifaceted Bone Microenvironment Amendment for Promoting Osteogenesis in Osteoporosis

The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and minimal osteogenic raw material in the osteoporotic bone microenvironment greatly inhibits the activity of osteoblasts. Herein, it is originally proposed to construct a biomatrix multifaceted bone microenvironment amendment -Mineralized zippered G4-Hemin DNAzyme hydrogel (MDH)-to improve osteoporotic osteogenic capacity and promote high-quality bone defect repair. The programmed design of the rolling circle amplified DNA hydrogel synthesis system allows the introduction of massive amounts of zippered G4-Hemin DNAzyme in MDH. The zippered G4-Hemin DNAzyme highly mimics the tight catalytic configuration of horseradish peroxidase and exerts excellent enzyme-like activity with considerable ROS molecule scavenging ability. In addition, the DNA amplification by-product pyrophosphate is ingeniously employed as a sufficient phosphorus source, thus constituting an autonomous mineralization system for waste reuse through the introduction of pyrophosphate hydrolase and calcium ions, which deposits in MDH as an osteogenic raw material and addresses the challenge of DNA hydrogel bio-application stability. The remarkable in vitro and in vivo outcomes demonstrate that MDH can effectively improve the oxidative stress status of osteoblasts, restore the balance of mitochondrial membrane potential, and reduce apoptosis, ultimately demonstrating superior osteogenic capacity.     

A Low-Hysteresis and Highly Stretchable Ionogel Enabled by Well Dispersed Slidable Cross-Linker for Rapid Human-Machine Interaction

Ionic conductive soft materials for mimicking human skin are a promising topic since they can be thought of as a possible basis for biomimetic sensing. In pursuit of devices with a long working range and low signal delay, conductive materials with low hysteresis and good stretchability are highly demanded. To overcome the challenges of highly stretchable conductive materials with good resilience, herein a chemical design is proposed where polyrotaxanes act as topological cross-linkers to enhance the stretchability by sliding-induced reduced stress concentration while the compatible ionic liquid is introduced as a dispersant for low hysteresis. The obtained ionogels exhibit versatile properties more than low hysteresis (residual strain = 7%) and good stretchability (550%), and also anti-fatigue, biocompatibility, and good adhesion. The low hysteresis is attributed to lower energy dissipation from the well-dispersed polyrotaxanes by compatible ionic liquids. The mechanism provides a new insight in fabricating highly stretchable and low-hysteresis slide-ring materials. Furthermore, the conductivity of the ionogels and their responses to strains and temperatures are measured. Benefiting from the good conductivity and low hysteresis, the ionogel is applied to develop a wireless communication system to realize rapid human-machine interactions.     

Vapor Phase Growth of Centimeter-Sized Band Gap Engineered Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Single-Crystal Thin Films with Color-tunable Stimulated Emission

Single crystal metal halide perovskites thin films are considered to be a promising optical, optoelectronic materials with extraordinary performance due to their low defect densities. However, it is still difficult to achieve large-scale perovskite single-crystal thin films (SCTFs) with tunable bandgap by vapor-phase deposition method. Herein, the synthesis of CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs with centimeter size (1 cm × 1 cm) via vapor-phase deposition is reported. The Br composition of CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs can be gradually tuned from x = 0 to x = 1, leading the corresponding bandgap to change from 2.29 to 2.91 eV. Additionally, an low-threshold (≈23.9 µJ cm⁻²) amplified spontaneous emission is achieved based on CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs at room temperature, and the wavelength is tuned from 432 to 547 nm by varying the Cl/Br ratio. Importantly, the high-quality CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs are ideal optical gain medium with high gain up to 1369.8 ± 101.2 cm⁻¹. This study not only provides a versatile method to fabricate high quality CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs with different Cl/Br ratio, but also paves the way for further research of color-tunable perovskite lasing.     

基于MATLAB的集成电路储能焊封装能量分布研究

气密性是集成电路封装中的一项重要技术指标,对于集成电路的可靠性使用具有重要作用。就气密性封装工艺中的储能焊封装技术进行了讨论,通过对储能焊设备放电过程进行分析及建模,得到了气密性焊接能量与各个工艺参数之间的关系,并利用MATLAB软件进行了模拟计算。结合具体实验,验证了理论建模及模拟的正确性,对于储能焊焊接的工艺参数设定及优化具有一定的指导意义。