Quantum dots make for stabler, more efficient perovskite solar cells
Perovskite solar cells have come a long way in a short time, but there’s still room for improvement. Engineers have now added a layer of quantum dots to the recipe, resulting in a more stable solar cell with near-record efficiency.
Perovskite materials make effective solar cells for a few reasons. Thin films of them are able to efficiently absorb the entire spectrum of visible light, they’re cheap to make, lightweight and flexible.
But of course, there’s a catch. Perovskite solar cells have stability issues and can degrade under real-world conditions, and their efficiency tends to drop on larger scales. In past studies, scientists have tried to improve the stability by adding bulky molecules, old pigments, 2D additives, or chili compounds.
For the new study, researchers at EPFL and the Korea Institute of Energy Research tested out a new ingredient – quantum dots. These tiny particles emit specific colors of light when illuminated, and are beginning to find use in things like TVs and solar cells.
In this case, the team used quantum dots made of a type of tin oxide to serve as the electron-transport layer of the device. This layer shuttles electrons produced by the perovskite into the electrode, so the energy can be used. Compared to the usual titanium dioxide material this layer is made from, the quantum dots improved the device’s capacity for capturing light, as well as reducing an effect that sometimes takes place between the two layers, which normally reduces efficiency.
All up, the team found that perovskite solar cells with a quantum dot layer achieved efficiencies of up to 25.7 percent – just 0.1 percent shy of the current perovskite record set by a device measuring 0.08 cm2(0.01 in2). Efficiencies for larger solar cells were decent too: the team recorded 23.3 percent efficiency for a 1-cm2(0.2 in2) cell, 21.7 percent for 20 cm2(3.1 in2) and 20.6 percent for 64 cm2(9.9 in2).
The research was published in the journal Science.
Source: EPFL via Eurekalert
(责任编辑:新闻中心)
- Ruling bloc divided on foreign nannies' pay
- Elon Musk says new Tesla Gigafactory will be built in Berlin
- US fully implements travel ban on North Korea
- Senior UN official to visit North Korea this week for 'wide
- Ruling bloc divided on foreign nannies' pay
- Is Mercury retrograde messing with you? Think again.
- 雨中行车 请注意……
- Here's everything we know about the 'Call of Duty: WWII' story
- Sheryl Sandberg discussed 'Facebook lite' for kids in 2013, leaked messages show
- Amazon Android Days sale 2024: Save on unlocked phones, tablets, and more
- Report claims Apple is teaming with Valve to develop its AR headset
- He redesigned Count Chocula. Now he creates emoji.
- [News Focus] How likely is another Korean War?
-
Unionized hospital workers pull out from strike
Health care workers at Chosun University Hospital hold signs and chant slogans at the hospital' ...[详细] -
20 things you've seen on TikTok that are available on Amazon (and make great gifts)
A sunset lamp projector to mimic the sunshine long after the sun sets...at 4 PM...in case you needed ...[详细] -
North Korea's new ICBM test 'successful': defense ministry
South Korea's defense ministry on Friday characterized North Korea's projectile, fired earlier this ...[详细] -
Influencers aren't going anywhere. So what does that mean for today's teens?
Influencers are not new, but the harm they're spreading might be.The concept of influencers — ...[详细] -
How do you make safe, cheap nuclear reactors? Bury them a mile deep
Startup Deep Fission has come up with a new way to deal with the economic and safety problems of nuc ...[详细] -
7月1日,我市举办的庆祝建党90周年基层党建理论与实践研讨会上,雨城区青江街道汉碑路社区党支部书记姚云鹤,凭借在社区工作近10年的经验,就社区党员和单位党员的双重管理工作,作了经验交流发言。2002年 ...[详细]
-
Moon vows to lower mobile rates, improve free Internet service
Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party, on Tuesday announced pledge ...[详细] -
Why Facebook just changed its company logo
Facebook, the company, just changed its logo and is putting the new design all over its products to ...[详细] -
Apple Watch 10 rumors: Everything we know so far
Apple Watch Series 10, also called "Apple Watch 10" or "Apple Watch X" among tech enthusiasts, shoul ...[详细] -
Please enjoy Obama photographer Pete Souza's latest flawless Trump troll
Trump's 100-day mark is fast approaching, and he's not getting great reviews. So, naturally, Pete So ...[详细]
- Venture Missionaries
- Twitter's about to introduce Topics. Here's how the new feature works
- 雅上线通了!昨日恢复通车 比预计时间提前两天
- Sabalenka keeps cool to win politically
- Sports minister says audits into football, badminton federations set to conclude in Sept.
- OMG Jeff Goldblum will return in 'Jurassic World' sequel
- United is in trouble yet again after giant rabbit dies on flight