Efficient hybrid colloidal quantum dot/organic solar cells mediated by near-infrared sensitizing small molecules

Baek, Se Woong; Jun, Sunhong; Kim, Byeongsu; Proppe, Andrew H.; Ouellette, Olivier; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Kim, Changjo; Kim, Junho; Walters, Grant; Song, Jee-Hun; Jeong, Sohee; Byun, Hyunil; Jeong, Mun Seok; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Arquer, F. Pelayo Garcı́a de; Kelley, Shana O.; Lee, Jung‐Yong; Sargent, Edward H.

doi:10.1038/s41560-019-0492-1

Cited by 140 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…[ 7 ] With the significant progress in synthesis, ligand exchange, and device structure, the performance of PbS QD solar cells has been improved rapidly, achieving a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.3%. [ 8–14 ] In addition, PbS QD solar cells also show excellent stability, demonstrated by nonencapsulated devices exhibiting no loss in PCE for over 150 days of storage in air. [ 11 ] Therefore, PbS QDs are a very promising potential photovoltaic material for low‐cost and high‐efficiency solar cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facet Control for Trap‐State Suppression in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solids

Xia

Chen

Zhang

et al. 2020

Adv Funct Materials

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Trap states in colloidal quantum dot (QD) solids significantly affect the performance of QD solar cells, because they limit the open-circuit voltage and short circuit current. The {100} facets of PbS QDs are important origins of trap states due to their weak or missing passivation. However, previous investigations focused on synthesis, ligand exchange, or passivation approaches and ignored the control of {100} facets for a given dot size. Herein, trap states are suppressed from the source via facet control of PbS QDs. The {100} facets of ≈3 nm PbS QDs are minimized by tuning the balance between the growth kinetics and thermodynamics in the synthesis. The PbS QDs synthesized at a relatively low temperature with a high oversaturation follow a kinetics-dominated growth, producing nearly octahedral nanoparticles terminated mostly by {111} facets. In contrast, the PbS QDs synthesized at a relatively high temperature follow a thermodynamics-dominated growth. Thus, a spherical shape is preferred, producing truncated octahedral nanoparticles with more {100} facets. Compared to PbS QDs from thermodynamics-dominated growth, the PbS QDs with less {100} facets show fewer trap states in the QD solids, leading to a better photovoltaic device performance with a power conversion efficiency of 11.5%.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facet Control for Trap‐State Suppression in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solids

Xia

Chen

Zhang

et al. 2020

Adv Funct Materials

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“…This gap in performance is mainly attributed to limited light absorption and weak charge transport properties 172. To address these issues, several approaches have been explored, in particular the incorporation of a third component such as squarine (SQ),173 colloidal QDs,174 alkane‐dithiols,175 fullerene derivatives,176 etc., to binary active layer that improves energy transfer, photon harvesting, charge transfer and tuning the in‐built potential 177. Among all these examples, the incorporation of colloidal QDs is the simplest and most effective strategy to improve the PCE due to their promising opto‐electronic properties.…”

Section: Hybrid Solar Cellsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The trend of the EQE measurements is consistent with the reported photovoltaic parameters of the respective solar cells. Recently, Sargent and co‐workers designed hybrid colloidal PbS QDs‐OSCs and reported a record PCE of 13.1% with excellent stability (retaining over 80% of the initial PCE after 150 h of continuous illumination) 174. As the PCE of hybrid OSCs based on colloidal PbS QDs is higher than that of hybrid OSCs based on the core/shell QDs.…”

Section: Hybrid Solar Cellsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Core/Shell Quantum Dots Solar Cells

Selopal

Zhao

Wang

et al. 2020

Adv Funct Materials

129

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Semiconductor nanocrystals, the so-called quantum dots (QDs), exhibit versatile optical and electrical properties. However, QDs possess high density of surface defects/traps due to the high surface-to-volume ratio, which act as nonradiative carrier recombination centers within the QDs, thereby deteriorating the overall solar cell performance. The surface passivation of QDs through the growth of an outer shell of different materials/compositions called "core/shell QDs" has proven to be an effective approach to reduce the surface defects and confinement potential, which can enable the broadening of the absorption spectrum, accelerate the carrier transfer, and reduce exciton recombination loss. Here, the recent research developments in the tailoring of the structure of core/shell QDs to tune exciton dynamics so as to improve solar cell performance are summarized. The role of band alignment of core and shell materials, core size, shell thickness/compositions, and interface engineering of core/thick shell called "giant" QDs on electron-hole spatial separation, carrier transport, and confinement potential, before and after grafting on the carrier scavengers (semiconductor/electrolyte), is described. Then, the solar cell performance based on core/shell QDs is introduced. Finally, an outlook for the rational design of core/shell QDs is provided, which can further promote the development of high-efficiency and stable QD sensitized solar cells.

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“…Specifically, they have the following advantages: (i) tunable bandgap through quantum size effects enabling optimal matching of the absorbance for single‐junction solar cells to solar spectrum while permitting multiple‐junction devices for further high efficiency; (ii) multiple exciton generation (MEG) effect reducing thermalization losses and further improving the spectral utilization; (iii) solution‐processed fabrication achieving low‐cost spray‐coating or inkjet printing as well as roll‐to‐roll processing . With the advances of ligand engineering, surface passivation and device architecture optimization, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of PbS CQD solar cells have been improved significantly throughout the last several decades . Recently, a certified 12.3% PCE of PbS CQD solar cells has been achieved, indicating the great potential for future commercial applications …”

Section: Background and Originality Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the advances of ligand engineering, surface passivation and device architecture optimization, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of PbS CQD solar cells have been improved significantly throughout the last several decades . Recently, a certified 12.3% PCE of PbS CQD solar cells has been achieved, indicating the great potential for future commercial applications …”

Section: Background and Originality Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Room‐Temperature Solution‐Processed PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Xue

Liu

et al. 2020

Chin. J. Chem.

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Summary of main observation and conclusion Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are attractive absorber materials for high‐efficiency photovoltaics because of their facile solution processing, bandgap tunability due to quantum confinement effect, and multi‐exciton generation. To date, all published performance records for PbS CQDs solar cells have been based on the conventional hot‐injection synthesis method. This method usually requires relatively strict conditions such as high temperature and the utility of expensive source material (pyrophoric bis(trimethylsilyl) sulfide (TMS‐S)), limiting the potential for large‐scale and low‐cost synthesis of PbS CQDs. Here we report a facile room‐temperature synthetic method to produce high‐quality PbS CQDs through inexpensive ionic source materials including Pb(NO3)2 and Na2S in the presence of triethanolamine (TEA) as the stabilizing ligand. The PbS CQDs were successfully prepared with an average particle size of about 5 nm. Solar cells based on the as‐synthesized PbS CQDs show a preliminary power conversion efficiency of 1.82%. This room‐temperature and low‐cost synthesis of PbS CQDs will further benefit the development of solution‐processed CQD solar cells.

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Efficient hybrid colloidal quantum dot/organic solar cells mediated by near-infrared sensitizing small molecules

Cited by 140 publications

References 41 publications

Facet Control for Trap‐State Suppression in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solids

Facet Control for Trap‐State Suppression in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solids

Core/Shell Quantum Dots Solar Cells

Room‐Temperature Solution‐Processed PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells

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