High-Performance Perovskite Betavoltaics Employing High-Crystallinity MAPbBr₃ Films

Abstract

Long-life and self-powered betavoltaic batteries are extremely attractive for many fields that require a long-term power supply, such as space exploration, polar exploration, and implantable medical technology. Organic lead halide perovskites are great potential candidate materials for betavoltaic batteries due to the large attenuation coefficient and the long carrier diffusion length, which guarantee the scale match between the penetration depth of β particles and the carrier diffusion length. However, the performance of perovskite betavoltaics is limited by the fabrication process of the thick and high-crystallinity perovskite film.In this work, we demonstrated high-performance perovskite betavoltaic cells using thick, high-quality, and wide-band-gap MAPbBr 3 polycrystalline films. The solvent annealing method was adopted to improve the crystallinity and eliminate the pinholes in the MAPbBr 3 film. The optimal MAPbBr 3 betavoltaic cell achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.35% and a maximum output power of 1.203 μW under radiation of electrons of 15 keV with an equivalent activity of 253 mCi. These results are a nearly 50% improvement from previous reports. Effects of the MAPbBr 3 perovskite layer thickness on the device performance were also discussed. The mechanisms of film-growth processes and device physics could provide insights for the research community of perovskites and betavoltaics.

Rational Design of Superior Photoelectrochemical System through Bioinspired Self-Assembly of Light-Harvesting Complexes

“…The energy conversion efficiency of the photoelectrochemical system based on the linking of gold microplates and PCP complexes is 7.95% under optimal conditions and 1 sun AM 1.5G (100 mW/cm) simulated solar illumination. According to the structures of the designed photoelectrochemical system, the theoretical PCE value is about 26%. , The energy conversion efficiency is not very high, as the surfaces of gold microplates are not completely covered by PCP complexes and the gold microplates are randomly distributed without close packing and homogeneous arrangements. However, it is still over 14 times higher than that unlinked system (0.559%) and much higher than natural photosynthesis (less than 1%).…”

Betavoltaic Nuclear Battery: A Review of Recent Progress and Challenges as an Alternative Energy Source

“…Under 3 H and 63 Ni radiation sources, the GEANT4 simulation showed ECEs of 19.6 and 21.0% with 0.8 and 4.0 μm of perovskite layer thickness, respectively (Figure a). In another study, Li et al developed a high-performing perovskite betavoltaic battery using MAPbBr 3 polycrystalline films and an e-beam source . The solvent annealing process was adopted to enhance the crystallinity and eliminate the pinholes in the MAPbBr 3 polycrystalline film. , The MAPbBr 3 films were fabricated with an optimal perovskite thickness of 0.667, 1.246, and 1.607 μm, and their corresponding ECEs being 4.48, 5.35, and 3.64%, respectively, under 15 keV e-beam radiation (Figure b).…”

“…(b) Performance of MAPbBr 3 perovskite under the radiation of 15 keV electrons. Reproduced with permission from ref . Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society (ACS).…”

Soft nanocomposites of lead bromide perovskite and polyurethane prepared via coordination chemistry for highly flexible, stable, and quaternary metal alloy-printed light emitting diodes

“…The crystallization of pure MAPbBr 3 is accompanied by substantial pinhole formation, primarily because the insufficient nucleation density and growth rate result in the incomplete coverage of the underlying layer with grains. [20][21][22] Furthermore, atomic vacancies and grain boundaries act as charge-trapping sites to impede carrier transport and radiative recombination within the films. 23,24 Therefore, defect density reduction, e.g., through the incorporation of defect-passivating additives, is essential for securing the high performance and stability of perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs).…”