Perovskite solar cells have rapidly advanced to the forefront of solution-processable photovoltaic devices, but the CH3NH3PbI3 semiconductor decomposes rapidly in moist air, limiting their commercial utility. In this work, we report a quantitative and systematic investigation of perovskite degradation processes. By carefully controlling the relative humidity of an environmental chamber and using in situ absorption spectroscopy and in situ grazing incidence X-ray diffraction to monitor phase changes in perovskite degradation process, we demonstrate the formation of a hydrated intermediate containing isolated PbI6(4-) octahedra as the first step of the degradation mechanism. We also show that the identity of the hole transport layer can have a dramatic impact on the stability of the underlying perovskite film, suggesting a route toward perovskite solar cells with long device lifetimes and a resistance to humidity.

The rapid development of organometal halide perovskite solar cells has led to reports of power conversion efficiencies of over 20%. Despite this excellent performance, their instability remains the major challenge limiting their commercialization. In this report, we systematically investigate the origin of the thermal instability of perovskite solar cells fabricated using ZnO electron transport layers. Through in situ grazing incidence X-ray diffraction experiments and Density Functional Theory calculations, we show that the basic nature of the ZnO surface leads to proton-transfer reactions at the ZnO/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 interface, which results in decomposition of the perovskite film. The decomposition process is accelerated by the presence of surface hydroxyl groups and/or residual acetate ligands; calcination of the ZnO layer results in a more thermally stable ZnO/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 interface, albeit at the cost of a small decrease in power conversion efficiency.

Ultrathin MoS2/N‐graphene nanosheets with ≈4 nm thickness exhibit exceptional electrochemical performance. Extension of the defect sites and vacancies of the nanosheets results in the increase of capacity during cycling.

The recent breakthrough of organometal halide perovskites as the light harvesting layer in photovoltaic devices has led to power conversion efficiencies of over 16%. To date, most perovskite solar cells have adopted a structure in which the perovskite light absorber is placed between carrier-selective electron- and hole-transport layers (ETLs and HTLs). Here we report a new type of compact layer free bilayer perovskite solar cell and conclusively demonstrate that the ETL is not a prerequisite for obtaining excellent device efficiencies. We obtained power conversion efficiencies of up to 11.6% and 13.5% when using poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis(N,N-di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino)-9,9'-spirobifluorene, respectively, as the hole-transport material. This performance is very comparable to that obtained with the use of a ZnO ETL. Impedance spectroscopy suggests that while eliminating the ZnO leads to an increase in contact resistance, this is offset by a substantial decrease in surface recombination.

As one of the most promising negative electrode materials in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), SnO2 experiences intense investigation due to its high specific capacity and energy density, relative to conventional graphite anodes. In this study, for the first time, atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to deposit SnO2, containing both amorphous and crystalline phases, onto graphene nanosheets (GNS) as anodes for LIBs. The resultant SnO2‐graphene nanocomposites exhibit a sandwich structure, and, when cycled against a lithium counter electrode, demonstrate a promising electrochemical performance. It is demonstrated that the introduction of GNS into the nanocomposites is beneficial for the anodes by increasing their electrical conductivity and releasing strain energy: thus, the nanocomposite electrode materials maintain a high electrical conductivity and flexibility. It is found that the amorphous SnO2‐GNS is more effective than the crystalline SnO2‐GNS in overcoming electrochemical and mechanical degradation; this observation is consistent with the intrinsically isotropic nature of the amorphous SnO2, which can mitigate the large volume changes associated with charge/discharge processes. It is observed that after 150 charge/discharge cycles, 793 mA h g−1 is achieved. Moreover, a higher coulombic efficiency is obtained for the amorphous SnO2‐GNS composite anode. This study provides an approach to fabricate novel anode materials and clarifies the influence of SnO2 phases on the electrochemical performance of LIBs.