Ionic liquids are composed of equal quantities of positive and negative
ions. In the bulk, electrical neutrality occurs in these liquids due to
Coulombic ordering, in which ion shells of alternating charge form around a
central ion. Their structure under confinement is far less well understood. This
hinders the widespread application of ionic liquids in technological
applications. Here we use scattering experiments to resolve the structure of the
widely used ionic liquid (EMI-TFSI) when it is confined inside nanoporous
carbons. We show that Coulombic ordering reduces when the pores can only
accommodate a single layer of ions. Instead, equally-charged ion pairs are
formed due to the induction of an electric potential of opposite sign in the
carbon pore walls. This non-Coulombic ordering is further enhanced in the
presence of an applied external electric potential. This finding opens the door
for the design of better materials for electrochemical applications.
1D semiconducting oxides are unique structures that have been widely used for photovoltaic (PV) devices due to their capability to provide a direct pathway for charge transport. In addition, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have played multifunctional roles in a range of PV cells because of their fascinating properties. Herein, the influence of CNTs on the PV performance of 1D titanium dioxide nanofiber (TiO2 NF) photoelectrode perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is systematically explored. Among the different types of CNTs, single‐walled CNTs (SWCNTs) incorporated in the TiO2 NF photoelectrode PSCs show a significant enhancement (≈40%) in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) as compared to control cells. SWCNTs incorporated in TiO2 NFs provide a fast electron transfer within the photoelectrode, resulting in an increase in the short‐circuit current (J
sc) value. On the basis of our theoretical calculations, the improved open‐circuit voltage (V
oc) of the cells can be attributed to a shift in energy level of the photoelectrodes after the introduction of SWCNTs. Furthermore, it is found that the incorporation of SWCNTs into TiO2 NFs reduces the hysteresis effect and improves the stability of the PSC devices. In this study, the best performing PSC device constructed with SWCNT structures achieves a PCE of 14.03%.
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