Semiconductors group

Abstract:

We investigate the impact of employing fullerene self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) in conjunction with SnO2 electron-transport layers (ETLs) in negative–intrinsic–positive (n–i–p) perovskite solar cells. We compare the efficacy of the fullerene-SAM surface-binding group—carboxylic or phosphonic acid—on the passivation, charge transport, and energetics of the modified-SnO2 surface. Planar n–i–p perovskite solar cells with these SAM-modified SnO2 exhibit significantly reduced hysteresis, and the steady-state maximum power point tracked efficiencies (η MPP) of the devices improved from an average of 18.6–20.0% comparing devices with neat SnO2 to the C60-PA SAM inclusion, respectively. While C60-PA SAM improved the initial solar cell efficiency, this benefit was not maintained during light exposure at elevated temperatures as the fullerene SAM weakened adhesion at the perovskite/metal oxide interface in the aged devices. These results highlight the importance of improving the mechanical robustness of perovskite/charge-transport layer interfaces under operational aging conditions.

Abstract:

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) offers a scalable, solution-processable and binder-free route for assembling functional electrode films, yet its applicability across chemically diverse materials remains largely unexplored. In this study, we present a facile EPD platform for the rapid fabrication of electrodes and photoelectrodes from more than 20 functional materials, including carbon nanostructures, polymeric semiconductors, metal oxides, chalcogenides, nitrides, porous metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks and hybrid composites. Optimised deposition recipes are established for each material by controlling suspension chemistry, charging agents, applied voltage and deposition time. For photoactive materials, the photocurrent response is used as a practical descriptor to evaluate film quality and guide loading optimisation. Structural characterisation by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirms uniform coatings, controlled morphologies, and intimate contact between deposited materials and conductive substrates. The versatility of the method is further validated by conformal deposition on both indium tin oxide (ITO) and porous carbon paper substrates, highlighting its compatibility with diverse electrode architectures. We also clarify the role of iodine and citric acid as charging agents for stabilising suspensions and ensuring reproducible deposition. Overall, this work demonstrates EPD as a versatile and scalable approach for integrating a wide range of functional materials into binder-free electrodes for photoelectrochemical and catalytic applications.

Abstract:

Lead-free perovskites have emerged as environmentally benign alternatives to lead halide counterparts for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. Among them, the double perovskite Cs₂AgInCl₆ family, with proper composition engineering, exhibits remarkable white-light emission characteristics enabled by strong electron-phonon coupling and the formation of self-trapped excitons (STEs). Despite these advantages, the fundamental photophysics and structural dynamics governing their excited-state behavior remain poorly understood. Here, we report a long-lived metastable phase in the Cs₂AgInCl₆ double perovskite family and unravel this process and the concomitant electronic and structural evolution using a suite of tools including transient optical spectroscopy, time-resolved x-ray diffraction (TR-XRD), time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy (TR-XAS), and inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS). We show that the photoinduced, transient metastable phase is associated with B-site [silver (Ag)-indium (In)] disorder, which induces a markedly reduced optical bandgap. Supported by TR-XRD and first-principles calculations, the Ag-In disorder drives the formation of Ag-rich and In-rich domains with millisecond lifetimes, with lifetimes increasing at lower temperatures. TR-XAS further reveals that the photogenerated STEs oxidize Ag⁺ to Ag²⁺, which facilitates this highly temporally asymmetric order-disorder transition. Our findings demonstrate a previously unidentified mechanism, mediated by hole-localized STE formation, that enables prolongation of transient light-induced states to the multimillisecond regime in halide double perovskites, opening possibilities to harvesting the functional properties of metastable phases of these material systems.

Abstract:

Effective charge-carrier transport is a key requirement of next-generation thin-film materials developed for solar cells. Perovskite-inspired materials (PIMs), including metal chalcohalides, show great promise as lead-free solar absorbers. However, intrinsic charge-carrier localization processes have frequently been reported to severely limit their transport properties. Recent research has thus focused on developing a rational understanding of this localization process and identifying strategies to eliminate it. Mixed-metal chalcohalides (A₂BCh₂X₃) may offer promising solutions, combining enhanced chemical stability with promising optoelectronic properties. Here, we demonstrate how charge-carrier localization can be overcome through judicious chemical substitution in this family of materials. Upon changing the M(II) cation on the A-site, the lattice symmetry shifts from the lower-symmetry monoclinic P2₁/c phase in Pb₂SbS₂I₃ to the higher-symmetry orthorhombic Cmcm phase in Sn₂SbS₂I₃. Crucially, a rapid localization of charge carriers within the first few picoseconds of their generation is observed only for Pb₂SbS₂I₃, whereas Sn₂SbS₂I₃ maintains a longer-lived nanosecond photoconductivity. We attribute this observation to the higher electronic dimensionality of the Cmcm Sn₂SbS₂I₃ structure, whose more symmetric lattice suppresses the charge-carrier localization dominating in the lower-dimensional P2₁/c Pb-analogue. These findings establish a direct link between structural and optoelectronic properties in metal chalcohalides, demonstrating how facile chemical tuning can be harnessed to overcome charge-carrier localization in PIM absorbers for solar energy harvesting.

Abstract:

Abstract Coupling CO₂ reduction with selective oxidation of biomass-derived molecules enables simultaneous carbon utilisation and value-added chemical synthesis, offering a sustainable pathway when driven by solar energy. Here, we report a bias-free photoelectrochemical platform that co-produces formate from CO₂ and 5-formyl-2-furoic acid, a key precursor to bio-based plastics. The system integrates a Co₃O₄/WO₃/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction photoanode on carbon paper, which selectively oxidises 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furoic acid to 5-formyl-2-furoic acid with a Faradaic efficiency of 95%, and a tin nanoparticle-decorated carbon paper cathode, which reduces CO₂ to formate with a Faradaic efficiency of 93% under solar irradiation and without external bias. The WO₃/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction promotes efficient Z-scheme charge transfer, enabling spatially separated oxidation and reduction reactions using earth-abundant materials and scalable electrode architectures. Life cycle assessment demonstrates low greenhouse gas emissions and low water consumption potential of the CO₂-to-formate pathway, highlighting the environmental sustainability of the process. By directly coupling CO₂ reduction with the upgrading of biomass-derived furanics into polymer-relevant intermediates, this work establishes a practically meaningful and scalable co-production strategy for solar-driven carbon utilisation and sustainable plastic precursor synthesis.