New Horizon in Perovskite Nanocrystals

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanophotonics Materials and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2023) | Viewed by 18339

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Chemistry and Institute of Molecular Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta-Hsueh Rd., Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
Interests: perovskite solar cells; perovskite nanocrystals; 2D Materials; photocatalysis; femtosecond spectroscopy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the impact of global warming and our ever-increasing demand for energy, traditional energy sources based on fossil fuels must be replaced by clean and renewable energy. The Sun is the most important and inexhaustible source of clean energy. Effective utilization of solar energy will be a major goal of human endeavors in the coming decades because of the exhaustion of fossil fuels and environmental concerns. The renaissance of organo-inorganic hybrid halide perovskite materials has particularly set off a revolutionary journey in the history of photovoltaic research. For example, perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention due to their rapid progress in device performance to attain efficiency approaching 26%, which is comparable to silicon-based solar cells. Due to the excellent optoelectronic properties, perovskite-related nanomaterials have been broadly applied not only in solar cells, but also in the fields of lighting devices and photocatalysis. The intriguing physical and chemical properties of halide perovskites offer scientists a fantastic field to work with. Nevertheless, there are still many fundamental issues like lead toxicity and stability in perovskite nanocrystals to be addressed and further investigated.

Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to contribute an article for our Special Issue with the aim towards the subject of perovskite nanocrystals applied in the fields of photovoltaic, photocatalysis and any optoelectronic device. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Perovskite Solar Cells;
  • Perovskite Nanocrystals for Optoelectronic Applications (LED, display, sensor laser, etc.);
  • Perovskite for Photocatalysis (CO2 reduction, water splitting, etc.);
  • Fundamental Studies on Perovskite Nanomaterials (perovskite quantum dots, 2D perovskites, double or triple perovskites).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Eric Wei-Guang Diau
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • perovskite nanocrystals
  • perovskite quantum dots
  • 2D perovskites
  • lead-free perovskites
  • solar cells
  • photocatalysis
  • optoelectronics

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3552 KiB  
Article
Effect of Acidic Strength of Surface Ligands on the Carrier Relaxation Dynamics of Hybrid Perovskite Nanocrystals
by Sudhakar Narra, Po-Sen Liao, Sumit S. Bhosale and Eric Wei-Guang Diau
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(11), 1718; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13111718 - 24 May 2023
Viewed by 1497
Abstract
Perovskite nanocrystals (PeNCs) are known for their use in numerous optoelectronic applications. Surface ligands are critical for passivating surface defects to enhance the charge transport and photoluminescence quantum yields of the PeNCs. Herein, we investigated the dual functional abilities of bulky cyclic organic [...] Read more.
Perovskite nanocrystals (PeNCs) are known for their use in numerous optoelectronic applications. Surface ligands are critical for passivating surface defects to enhance the charge transport and photoluminescence quantum yields of the PeNCs. Herein, we investigated the dual functional abilities of bulky cyclic organic ammonium cations as surface-passivating agents and charge scavengers to overcome the lability and insulating nature of conventional long-chain type oleyl amine and oleic acid ligands. Here, red-emitting hybrid PeNCs of the composition CsxFA(1−x)PbBryI(3−y) are chosen as the standard (Std) sample, where cyclohexylammonium (CHA), phenylethylammonium (PEA) and (trifuluoromethyl)benzylamonium (TFB) cations were chosen as the bifunctional surface-passivating ligands. Photoluminescence decay dynamics showed that the chosen cyclic ligands could successfully eliminate the shallow defect-mediated decay process. Further, femtosecond transient absorption spectral (TAS) studies uncovered the rapidly decaying non-radiative pathways; i.e., charge extraction (trapping) by the surface ligands. The charge extraction rates of the bulky cyclic organic ammonium cations were shown to depend on their acid dissociation constant (pKa) values and actinic excitation energies. Excitation wavelength-dependent TAS studies indicate that the exciton trapping rate is slower than the carrier trapping rate of these surface ligands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizon in Perovskite Nanocrystals)
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15 pages, 2091 KiB  
Article
Formation of Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells by Applying Li-Doped CuSCN Hole Conductor and Interface Treatment
by In Seok Yang, You Jin Park, Yujin Hwang, Hoi Chang Yang, Jeongho Kim and Wan In Lee
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(22), 3969; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12223969 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1842
Abstract
Li-doped CuSCN films of various compositions were applied as hole-transporting material (HTM) for mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Those films of ~60 nm thickness, spin-coated on the perovskite layer, exhibit significantly higher crystallinity and hole mobility compared with the pristine CuSCN films. Among [...] Read more.
Li-doped CuSCN films of various compositions were applied as hole-transporting material (HTM) for mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Those films of ~60 nm thickness, spin-coated on the perovskite layer, exhibit significantly higher crystallinity and hole mobility compared with the pristine CuSCN films. Among them, 0.33% Li-doped CuSCN (Li0.33:CuSCN) shows the best performance as the HTM of mesoscopic PSC. Furthermore, by depositing a slight amount of PCPDTBT over the Li0.33:CuSCN layer, the VOC was increased to 1.075 V, resulting in an average PCE of 20.24% and 20.65% for the champion device. These PCE and VOC values are comparable to those of PSC using spiro-OMETAD (PCE: 20.61%, VOC: 1.089 V). Such a remarkable increase can be attributed to the penetration of the PCPDTBT polymer into the grain boundaries of the Li0.33:CuSCN film, and to the interface with the perovskite layer, leading to the removal of defects on the perovskite surface by paving the non-contacting parts, as well as to the tight interconnection of the Li0.33:CuSCN grains. The PSC device with Li0.33:CuSCN showed a high long-term stability similar to that with bare CuSCN, and the introduction of PCPDTBT onto the perovskite/Li0.33:CuSCN further improved device stability, exhibiting 94% of the initial PCE after 100 days. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizon in Perovskite Nanocrystals)
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14 pages, 34619 KiB  
Article
Toward Clean and Economic Production of Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Module Using a Cost-Effective and Low Toxic Aqueous Lead-Nitrate Precursor
by Yi-Chen Teng, Tzu-Sen Su, Shiang Lan, Ahmed Fouad Musa and Tzu-Chien Wei
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3783; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213783 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1707
Abstract
Toxic substance usage remains one of the major concerns that must be addressed toward the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics. Herein, we report a highly efficient perovskite solar module (>13%) fabricated via a wet process that uses a unique aqueous Pb(NO3)2 [...] Read more.
Toxic substance usage remains one of the major concerns that must be addressed toward the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics. Herein, we report a highly efficient perovskite solar module (>13%) fabricated via a wet process that uses a unique aqueous Pb(NO3)2 precursor, eliminating the use of toxic organic solvents during perovskite film preparation. In addition, we demonstrate a unique pattern in a monolithically interconnected module structure to check the uniformity of perovskite film and the quality of laser scribing. Finally, we highlight that this aqueous Pb(NO3)2 precursor protocol could achieve an enormous cost reduction over conventional PbI2 organic solutions whether in the laboratory research stage or at mass production scale, strengthening the core competitiveness of perovskite solar cells in the Darwinian ocean of photovoltaic technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizon in Perovskite Nanocrystals)
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Review

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24 pages, 4000 KiB  
Review
Perovskite-Based X-ray Detectors
by Chen-Fu Lin, Kuo-Wei Huang, Yen-Ting Chen, Sung-Lin Hsueh, Ming-Hsien Li and Peter Chen
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(13), 2024; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13132024 - 7 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3815
Abstract
X-ray detection has widespread applications in medical diagnosis, non-destructive industrial radiography and safety inspection, and especially, medical diagnosis realized by medical X-ray detectors is presenting an increasing demand. Perovskite materials are excellent candidates for high-energy radiation detection based on their promising material properties [...] Read more.
X-ray detection has widespread applications in medical diagnosis, non-destructive industrial radiography and safety inspection, and especially, medical diagnosis realized by medical X-ray detectors is presenting an increasing demand. Perovskite materials are excellent candidates for high-energy radiation detection based on their promising material properties such as excellent carrier transport capability and high effective atomic number. In this review paper, we introduce X-ray detectors using all kinds of halide perovskite materials along with various crystal structures and discuss their device performance in detail. Single-crystal perovskite was first fabricated as an active material for X-ray detectors, having excellent performance under X-ray illumination due to its superior photoelectric properties of X-ray attenuation with μm thickness. The X-ray detector based on inorganic perovskite shows good environmental stability and high X-ray sensitivity. Owing to anisotropic carrier transport capability, two-dimensional layered perovskites with a preferred orientation parallel to the substrate can effectively suppress the dark current of the device despite poor light response to X-rays, resulting in lower sensitivity for the device. Double perovskite applied for X-ray detectors shows better attenuation of X-rays due to the introduction of high-atomic-numbered elements. Additionally, its stable crystal structure can effectively lower the dark current of X-ray detectors. Environmentally friendly lead-free perovskite exhibits potential application in X-ray detectors by virtue of its high attenuation of X-rays. In the last section, we specifically introduce the up-scaling process technology for fabricating large-area and thick perovskite films for X-ray detectors, which is critical for the commercialization and mass production of perovskite-based X-ray detectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizon in Perovskite Nanocrystals)
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18 pages, 2191 KiB  
Review
Recent Strategies for High-Performing Indoor Perovskite Photovoltaics
by Kelvian T. Mularso, Ji-Young Jeong, Gill Sang Han and Hyun Suk Jung
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(2), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13020259 - 7 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3614
Abstract
The development of digital technology has made our lives more advanced as a society familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT). Solar cells are among the most promising candidates for power supply in IoT sensors. Perovskite photovoltaics (PPVs), which have already attained 25% [...] Read more.
The development of digital technology has made our lives more advanced as a society familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT). Solar cells are among the most promising candidates for power supply in IoT sensors. Perovskite photovoltaics (PPVs), which have already attained 25% and 40% power conversion efficiencies for outdoor and indoor light, respectively, are the best candidates for self-powered IoT system integration. In this review, we discuss recent research progress on PPVs under indoor light conditions, with a focus on device engineering to achieve high-performance indoor PPVs (Id-PPVs), including bandgap optimization and defect management. Finally, we discuss the challenges of Id-PPVs development and its interpretation as a potential research direction in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizon in Perovskite Nanocrystals)
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47 pages, 17613 KiB  
Review
Recent Advancements in Tin Halide Perovskite-Based Solar Cells and Thermoelectric Devices
by Ajay Kumar Baranwal and Shuzi Hayase
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(22), 4055; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12224055 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4861
Abstract
The excellent optoelectronic properties of tin halide perovskites (Sn-PVKs) have made them a promising candidate for replacing toxic Pb counterparts. Concurrently, their enormous potential in photon harvesting and thermoelectricity applications has attracted increasing attention. The optoelectronic properties of Sn-PVKs are governed by the [...] Read more.
The excellent optoelectronic properties of tin halide perovskites (Sn-PVKs) have made them a promising candidate for replacing toxic Pb counterparts. Concurrently, their enormous potential in photon harvesting and thermoelectricity applications has attracted increasing attention. The optoelectronic properties of Sn-PVKs are governed by the flexible nature of SnI6 octahedra, and they exhibit extremely low thermal conductivity. Due to these diverse applications, this review first analyzes the structural properties, optoelectronic properties, defect physics, and thermoelectric properties of Sn-PVKs. Then, recent techniques developed to solve limitations with Sn-PVK-based devices to improve their photoelectric and thermoelectric performance are discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and prospects for further development of Sn-PVK-based devices are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizon in Perovskite Nanocrystals)
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