Eco-friendly and high-efficiency luminescent solar concentrators enabled by green-emissive manganese halide hybrids

Abstract

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have recently emerged as promising candidates due to their advantages in effectively collecting solar energy through large-area photovoltaic windows for reducing the cost of solar cells. Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have been demonstrated as the preferred choice of fluorophore materials for high-performance LSCs thanks to their exceptional optical properties. Nonetheless, the use of toxic heavy metals in QDs and expensive preparation technology impede their commercialization. Herein, we demonstrate a series of quaternary ammonium-type manganese halide hybrids featuring non-toxic and highly luminescent properties, and manipulate their optical properties by varying the Mn⋯Mn distance. The optimal (BTMA)₂MnBr₄ (BTMA⁺ = benzyl trimethylammonium) material exhibits the highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) nearing 100%. In addition, the interaction between (BTMA)₂MnBr₄ and polyethylene oxide (PEO) enables the obtained film to display bright green light emission and exceptional transparency. Furthermore, the prepared (BTMA)₂MnBr₄@PEO film is constructed on the LSC (20 mm × 20 mm × 2 mm) surface as a fluorescent layer, realizing a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 2.06% and an internal quantum efficiency of 45.33% under 1 sun AM 1.5G illumination. These results indicate the significant promise of manganese halide hybrids for large-area, efficient, and ecofriendly LSCs.