Themed collection JMC A Editor’s choice collection: Recent advances in photovoltaics

The mixed cation lead halide perovskite solar cells exhibited improved performance and enhanced stabilities.

This brief review summarizes non-fullerene acceptors based on perylene diimides used in bulk-heterojunction solar cells which were reported mainly during 2014–2016.

Perylenediimides are ideal candidates for the substitution of fullerene derivatives as electron acceptors in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells due to their extremely intense light absorbance, high electron mobility and excellent photochemical stability.

Density functional theory screening of the hybrid double perovskites (MA)₂B^IBiX₆ (B^I = K, Cu, Ag, Tl; X = Cl, Br, I) was performed and (MA)₂TlBiBr₆, isoelectronic with MAPbBr₃, was synthesised and found to have a band gap of ∼2.0 eV.

A small molecule named DICTF was synthesized and an organic solar cell based on PTB7-Th:DICTF exhibited a high PCE of 7.93%.

With a low bandgap copolymer P(IDT-NDI) as an acceptor material and a medium bandgap polymer J51 as a donor material, efficient all-polymer solar cell are realized.

Cs₂AgBiBr₆ double perovskite thin films were prepared and incorporated into photovoltaic devices featuring power conversion efficiencies close to 2.5%.

The morphology and carrier transport of PTB7:PC₇₁BM blend film were tailored through embedding the cathode modifying layer–Jeffamines. The Jeffamine D2000-derived inverted device displayed an enhanced PCE of 9.1% and a FF of 74.2%.

Non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) are becoming a serious contender to fullerene-based electron acceptors in organic photovoltaics, due to their structural versatility and easily tunable optical and electronic properties.

CoSe₂ nanotubes have been used as highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for both DSSCs and HER in alkaline medium.

Higher charge transport, collection and final efficiency of planar perovskite solar cells are achieved with a Mg-doped TiO₂ compact layer.

PEALD deposition was used to reduce the effective deposition temperature of SnO₂ electron selective layers without compromising the performance of perovskite solar cells.

A perylene diimide based electron acceptor with a simple structure, low-cost and high efficiency of 5.65% is presented here.

The encapsulation of carbon counter electrode based perovskite solar cells with PDMS is studied. The solar cells demonstrate a 54% enhancement over those without encapsulation and an impressive stability over 3000 h.

Using an appropriate SeS₂/Se weight ratio, band gap grading was realized. By increasing the value of V_OC through band gap grading in the depletion region, a record V_OC deficit of 0.576 V and an efficiency of 12.3% were obtained.

A CdS passivation layer was introduced to a PbS QD surface to synthesize PbS/CdS core/shell QDs through an ion exchange procedure, achieving a record PCE of 7.19% for PbS-based liquid-junction quantum dot sensitized solar cells.

We present a non-fullerene electron acceptor bearing a fused 10-heterocyclic ring with a narrow band gap, which achieved a power conversion efficiency of 6.5% when paired with PTB7-Th.

A PSC based on 2% Nb-doped TiO₂ achieved a PCE of up to 16.3%, which is consistent with a stabilized maximum power output of 15.8%.

We investigate the influence of solvent drenching in hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite (CH₃NH₃PbX) crystallization process with a non-solvent, toluene, during film fabrication process.

An effective strategy to obtain a non-fullerene acceptor with good absorption and high electron mobility by introducing thiophene-2-carbonitrile groups.