High‐Efficiency and Reliable Smart Photovoltaic Windows Enabled by Multiresponsive Liquid Crystal Composite Films and Semi‐Transparent Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

Smart photovoltaic windows (SPWs) are functional devices possessing the capabilities of electrical power output, energy saving, and privacy protection by managing sunlight under external stimuli and potentially applicable in the fields of energy‐saving buildings, automobiles, and switchable optoelectronics. However, long response time, low power conversion efficiency (PCE), poor stability and cycling performance, and monostimuli responsive behavior restrict their practical applications. To address these issues, high‐efficiency and reliable SPWs are demonstrated by coupling multiresponsive liquid crystal/polymer composite (LCPC) films and semi‐transparent perovskite solar cells (ST‐PSCs). In this design, fast and multiple stimuli‐responsive LCPC films are utilized as an inside layer to control the transparency of SPWs. The ST‐PSCs with competitive PCE and qualified transparency acting as an outside layer offer energy generation functionality. Benefiting from repeatable transparency transition modulated by external stimuli, a series of working modes are achieved in the SPWs providing distinguished and stable energy generation, energy saving, and privacy protection performances.

Recent Advances in Perovskite‐Based Building‐Integrated Photovoltaics

“…Moreover, if preferred, the transparency of the window can be manipulated by applying an external electric field. Therefore, these findings reported in this exciting work by Xia et al [23] show great promise for the future development of perovskite-based SPWs. However, it should be noted that in their work, the electric field (up to 55 V) used to modulate the optical transmittance was externally supplied.…”

“…[22,26] Recently, Xia and coworkers made an important contribution to the field of SPWs by integrating ST PSCs with multi-responsive liquid crystal/ polymer composite (LCPC) films. [23] Stimuli-responsive LCPC films were used as an inside layer on the device to modulate the optical transparency of the SPWs. The as-prepared LCPC films were highly responsive to temperatures (Figure 6a) and external electric fields (Figure 6b), with outstanding switchable stability.…”

Recent advances in semitransparent perovskite solar cells

“…12 The potential areas of semitransparent/transparent solar cells are illustrated in Figure 1. [13][14][15]18 By utilizing transparent electrode, semitransparent perovskite solar cell (ST-PSC) could be extensively utilized as solar windscreen. 19 A tremendous transparent electrode should have excessive transparency, robust chemical stability, active charge collection ability, low sheet resistance and low cost.…”

“…In parallel with the major increment in efficiency, another appealing factor of the perovskite is the probability of making it transparent due to their potential in building‐integrating photovoltaic (BIPV) 12 . The potential areas of semitransparent/transparent solar cells are illustrated in Figure 1 13‐15,18 . By utilizing transparent electrode, semitransparent perovskite solar cell (ST‐PSC) could be extensively utilized as solar windscreen 19 .…”

Perovskite phase change materials targeting smart photovoltaic window applications

“…[18,19] . 此外, 热致变色材 料与半透明光伏电池的组合也较为常见 [20,21] . 例如, 通 过使用液晶材料, 可以利用热、电两个控制参数对其 透光率进行调控, 实现双调控响应, 以满足人们多种场 景下对玻璃透光度的需求 [21] .…”