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Novel Materials and Processes for Photovoltaic Technology

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "D1: Advanced Energy Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 16255

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luigi Vesce

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Guest Editor

CHOSE–Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
Interests: photovoltaics; nanotechnology; electronics; technology transfer; process engineering

Special Issue Information

Photovoltaic technology is the symbol of a sustainable future in many countries around the globe. As a result, numerous investments have been made in research, development, demonstrators, and production lines. No other renewable technology has received such a strong appreciation from the public, politics, and industry. New technologies have traced the way for new materials, products, and additional market segments. Engineering, nanoscience, nanotechnology, and surface science have contributed to introducing new materials and customized processes for solar cell and to developing the sustainable energy sources scenario. In the last decades, many research institutes, companies, and consortia have demonstrated that the new concept of solar cell technology can achieve high performance, large application areas, and industrialization. There are different types of solar devices among the third generation photovoltaics that have recently emerged and their benefits and issues have been exhibited, e.g.: dye-sensitized solar cells, hybrid and organic solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, and perovskite solar cells. This Special Issue aims to be a global reference for research and industrial developments in third-generation photovoltaics. We expect to receive original or review manuscripts that can be of interest and help to researchers, experts, and entrepreneurs.

Dr. Luigi Vesce
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

Nanotechnology
Dye-sensitized solar cells
Hybrid and organic solar cells
Quantum dot solar cells
Perovskite solar cells
Third-generation photovoltaics
High-performing solar cells
Scalable solar cells
Stable solar cells
Low cost solar cells.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 6742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stable Semi-Transparent Dye-Sensitized Solar Modules and Panels for Greenhouse Application

by Jessica Barichello, Luigi Vesce, Paolo Mariani, Enrico Leonardi, Roberto Braglia, Aldo Di Carlo, Antonella Canini and Andrea Reale

Energies 2021, 14(19), 6393; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14196393 - 06 Oct 2021

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 5874

Abstract

Our world is facing an environmental crisis that is driving scientists to research green and smart solutions in terms of the use of renewable energy sources and low polluting technologies. In this framework, photovoltaic (PV) technology is one of the most worthy of interest. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are innovative PV devices known for their encouraging features of low cost and easy fabrication, good response to diffuse light and colour tunability. All these features make DSSCs technology suitable for being applied to the so-called agrovoltaic field, taking into account their dual role of filtering light and supporting energy needs. In this project, we used 40 DSSC Z-series connected modules with the aim of combining the devices’ high conversion efficiency, transparency and robustness in order to test them in a greenhouse. A maximum conversion efficiency of 3.9% on a 221 cm² active area was achieved with a transparency in the module’s aperture (312.9 cm²) area of 35%. Moreover, different modules were stressed at two different temperature conditions, 60 °C and 85 °C, and under light soaking at the maximum power point, showing a strong and robust stability for 1000 h. We assembled the fabricated modules to form ten panels to filter the light from the roof of the greenhouse. We carried out panel measurements in outdoor and greenhouse environments in both sunny and cloudy conditions to find clear trends in efficiency behaviour. A maximum panel efficiency in outdoor conditions of 3.83% was obtained in clear and sunny sky conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials and Processes for Photovoltaic Technology)

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8 pages, 1969 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Efficient and Stable Perovskite Large Area Cells by Low-Cost Fluorene-Xantene-Based Hole Transporting Layer

by Luigi Vesce, Maurizio Stefanelli and Aldo Di Carlo

Energies 2021, 14(19), 6081; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14196081 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2068

Abstract

Among the new generation photovoltaics, perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology reached top efficiencies in a few years. Currently, the main objective to further develop PSCs is related to the fabrication of stable devices with cost-effective materials and reliable fabrication processes to achieve a possible industrialization pathway. In the n-i-p device configuration, the hole transporting material (HTM) used most is the highly doped organic spiro-fluorene-based material (Spiro-OMeTAD). In addition to the high cost related to its complex synthesis, this material has different issues such as poor photo, thermal and moisture stability. Here, we test on small and large area PSCs a commercially available HTM (X55, Dyenamo) with a new core made by low-cost fluorene–xantene units. The one-pot synthesis of this compound reduces 30 times its cost with respect to Spiro-OMeTAD. The optoelectronic performances and properties are characterized through JV measurement, IPCE (incident photon to current efficiency), steady-state photoluminescence and ISOS stability test. SEM (scanning electron microscope) images reveal a uniform and pinhole free coverage of the X55 HTM surface, which reduces the charge recombination losses and improves the device performance relative to Spiro-OMeTAD from 16% to 17%. The ISOS-D-1 stability test on large area cells without any encapsulation reports an efficiency drop of about 15% after 1000 h compared to 30% for the reference case. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials and Processes for Photovoltaic Technology)

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Review

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7 pages, 2892 KiB

Open AccessReview

Passivation Strategies through Surface Reconstruction toward Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells on n-i-p Architecture

by Jiajia Suo, Bowen Yang and Anders Hagfeldt

Energies 2021, 14(16), 4836; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14164836 - 08 Aug 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2772

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells have achieved remarkable enhancement in their performance in recent years. However, to get an entrance to the photovoltaic market, great effort is still necessary to further improve their efficiency as well as their long-term stability under various conditions. Among various types of approaches (including compositional engineering, dopant engineering, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), et al.), interfacial engineering through passivation treatment has been considered as one of the most effective strategies to reduce the non-radiative recombination within the PSCs. Thus, this short review summaries recent efforts on chemical interfacial passivation strategies from a different perspective owing to their common phenomena of reconstructing the perovskite surface via the formation of three-dimensional perovskite, low-dimensional perovskite and synergistic effect provided by a mixed-salt passivation system, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials and Processes for Photovoltaic Technology)

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49 pages, 4279 KiB

Open AccessReview

Dopant-Free All-Organic Small-Molecule HTMs for Perovskite Solar Cells: Concepts and Structure–Property Relationships

by Mohamed M. H. Desoky, Matteo Bonomo, Roberto Buscaino, Andrea Fin, Guido Viscardi, Claudia Barolo and Pierluigi Quagliotto

Energies 2021, 14(8), 2279; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14082279 - 18 Apr 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4409

Abstract

Since the introduction of Perovskite Solar Cells, their photovoltaic efficiencies have grown impressively, reaching over 25%. Besides the exceptional efficiencies, those solar cells need to be improved to overcome some concerns, such as their intrinsic instability when exposed to humidity. In this respect, the development of new and stable Hole Transporting Materials (HTMs) rose as a new hot topic. Since the doping agents for common HTM are hygroscopic, they bring water in contact with the perovskite layer, thus deteriorating it. In the last years, the research focused on “dopant-free” HTMs, which are inherently conductive without any addition of dopants. Dopant-free HTMs, being small molecules or polymers, have still been a relatively small set of compounds until now. This review collects almost all the relevant organic dopant-free small-molecule HTMs known so far. A general classification of HTMs is proposed, and structure analysis is used to identify structure–property relationships, to help researchers to build better-performing materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials and Processes for Photovoltaic Technology)

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