Partial oxidation of 2-propanol on perovskites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sumathi, R.; Viswanathan, B.; Varadarajan, T.K. [Indian Inst. of Tech., Madras (India). Dept. of Chemistry

1998-12-31

Partial oxidation of 2-propanol was carried out on AB{sub 1-x}B`{sub x}O{sub 3} (A=Ba, B=Pb, Ce, Ti; B`=Bi, Sb and Cu) type perovskite oxides. Acetone was the major product observed on all the catalysts. All the catalysts underwent partial reduction during the reaction depending on the composition of the reactant, nature of the B site cation and the extent of substitution at B site. The catalytic activity has been correlated with the reducibility of the perovskite oxides determined from Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR) studies. (orig.)

Rh promoted La0.75Sr0.25(Fe0.8Co0.2)1−xGaxO3-δ perovskite catalysts: Characterization and catalytic performance for methane partial oxidation to synthesis gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palcheva, R.; Olsbye, U.; Palcut, M.; Rauwel, P.; Tyuliev, G.; Velinov, N.; Fjellvåg, H.H.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Perovskites type-oxide La 0.75 Sr 0.25 (Fe 0.8 Co 0.2 ) 1−x Ga x O 3-δ (x = 0.1, 0.25, 0.4) prepared by the sol–gel citrate method. • Bulk and surface analysis to determine catalysts composition evolution. • Anaerobic catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas at 600 °C in a pulse apparatus over Rh promoted perovskites. • The catalysts showed high stability and selectivity. - Abstract: Synthesis gas production via selective oxidation of methane at 600 °C in a pulse reaction over La 0.75 Sr 0.25 (Fe 0.8 Co 0.2 ) 1−x Ga x O 3-δ (x = 0.1, 0.25, 0.4) perovskite-supported rhodium catalysts, was investigated. The perovskite oxides were prepared by sol–gel citrate method and characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Moessbauer Spectroscopy (MS), Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR-H 2 ), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). According to XRD analysis, the synthesized samples were a single perovskite phase. The perovskite structure of Ga substituted samples remained stable after TPR-H 2 , as confirmed by XRD. Data of MS identified Fe 3+ ions in two distinctive coordination environments, and Fe 4+ ions. The Rh 2 O 3 thin overlayer was detected by the HRTEM for the Rh impregnated perovskite oxides. During the interaction of methane with oxidized perovskite-supported Rh (0.5 wt.%) catalysts, besides CO, H 2 , and surface carbon, CO 2 and H 2 O were formed. The Rh perovskite catalyst with x = 0.25 gallium exhibits the highest catalytic activity of 83% at 600 °C. The CO selectivity was affected by the reducibility of La 0.75 Sr 0.25 (Fe 0.8 Co 0.2 ) 1−x Ga x O 3-δ perovskite materials.

Incorporation effect of nanosized perovskite LaFe₀.₇Co₀.₃O₃ on the electrochemical activity of Pt nanoparticles-multi walled carbon nanotube composite toward methanol oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noroozifar, Meissam, E-mail: mnoroozifar@chem.usb.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, PO Box 98155-147, Zahedan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khorasani-Motlagh, Mozhgan; Khaleghian-Moghadam, Roghayeh; Ekrami-Kakhki, Mehri-Saddat; Shahraki, Mohammad [Department of Chemistry, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, PO Box 98155-147, Zahedan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-05-01

Nanosized perovskite LaFe₀.₇Co₀.₃O₃ (LFCO) is synthesized through conventional co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The incorporation effect of the mentioned perovskite to catalytic activity of the PtNPs-MWCNTs-nafion (or -chitosan) catalyst toward methanol oxidation has been studied by cyclic voltammetry. Based on the electrochemical studies, all MWCNTs-PtNPs-nafion (or chitosan) and MWCNTs-PtNPs-LFCO-nafion (or chitosan) catalysts show a considerable activity for methanol oxidation. However, a synergistic effect is observed when LFCO is added to the catalyst by decreasing the poisoning rate of the Pt catalyst. - Graphical abstract: Nanosized perovskite LaFe₀.₇Co₀.₃O₃ is synthesized and characterized. The incorporation effect of the mentioned perovskite to catalytic activity of the PtNPS-MWCNTs-nafion (or -chitosan) catalyst toward methanol oxidation is studied. Highlights: • Nanocrystalline LaFe₀.₇Co₀.₃O₃ (LFCO) is prepared by a new simple co-precipitation method. • Effect of LFCO to catalytic activity of PtNPS for methanol oxidation is studied. • A synergistic effect is observed when LFCO is added to the Pt catalyst. • Oxygen of LFCO could be considered as active oxygen to remove CO intermediates.

Catalytic removal of phenol from gas streams by perovskite-type catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dai Ling; Pan, Kuan Lun; Chang, Moo Been

2017-06-01

Three perovskite-type catalysts prepared by citric acid method are applied to remove phenol from gas streams with the total flow rate of 300mL/min, corresponding to a GHSV of 10,000/hr. LaMnO 3 catalyst is first prepared and further partially substituted with Sr and Cu to prepare La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 and La 0.8 Sr 0.2 Mn 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 3 , and catalytic activities and fundamental characteristics of these three catalysts are compared. The results show that phenol removal efficiency achieved with La 0.8 Sr 0.2 Mn 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 3 reaches 100% with the operating temperature of 200°C and the rate of mineralization at 300°C is up to 100%, while the phenol removal efficiencies achieved with La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 and LaMnO 3 are up to 100% with the operating temperature of 300°C and 400°C, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis shows that the addition of Sr and Cu increases the lattice oxygen of La 0.8 Sr 0.2 Mn 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 3 , and further increases mobility or availability of lattice oxygen. The results indicate that La 0.8 Sr 0.2 Mn 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 3 has the best activity for phenol removal among three catalysts prepared and the catalytic activity of phenol oxidation is enhanced by the introduction of Sr and Cu into LaMnO 3 . Apparent activation energy of 48kJ/mol is calculated by Mars-Van Krevelen Model for phenol oxidation with La 0.8 Sr 0.2 Mn 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 3 as catalyst. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Solution processed deposition of electron transport layers on perovskite crystal surface—A modeling based study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mortuza, S.M.; Taufique, M.F.N.; Banerjee, Soumik, E-mail: soumik.banerjee@wsu.edu

2017-02-01

Highlights: • The model determined the surface coverage of solution-processed film on perovskite. • Calculated surface density map provides insight into morphology of the monolayer. • Carbonyl oxygen atom of PCBM strongly attaches to the (110) surface of perovskite. • Uniform distribution of clusters on perovskite surface at lower PCBM concentration. • Deposition rate of PCBM on the surface is very high at initial stage of film growth. - Abstract: The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has reached up to ∼20%. However, structural and chemicals defects that lead to hysteresis in the perovskite based thin film pose challenges. Recent work has shown that thin films of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) deposited on the photo absorption layer, using solution processing techniques, minimize surface pin holes and defects thereby increasing the PCE. We developed and employed a multiscale model based on molecular dynamics (MD) and kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) to establish a relationship between deposition rate and surface coverage on perovskite surface. The MD simulations of PCBMs dispersed in chlorobenzene, sandwiched between (110) perovskite substrates, indicate that PCBMs are deposited through anchoring of the oxygen atom of carbonyl group to the exposed lead (Pb) atom of (110) perovskite surface. Based on rates of distinct deposition events calculated from MD, kMC simulations were run to determine surface coverage at much larger time and length scales than accessible by MD alone. Based on the model, a generic relationship is established between deposition rate of PCBMs and surface coverage on perovskite crystal. The study also provides detailed insights into the morphology of the deposited film.

Solution processed deposition of electron transport layers on perovskite crystal surface—A modeling based study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mortuza, S.M.; Taufique, M.F.N.; Banerjee, Soumik

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The model determined the surface coverage of solution-processed film on perovskite. • Calculated surface density map provides insight into morphology of the monolayer. • Carbonyl oxygen atom of PCBM strongly attaches to the (110) surface of perovskite. • Uniform distribution of clusters on perovskite surface at lower PCBM concentration. • Deposition rate of PCBM on the surface is very high at initial stage of film growth. - Abstract: The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has reached up to ∼20%. However, structural and chemicals defects that lead to hysteresis in the perovskite based thin film pose challenges. Recent work has shown that thin films of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) deposited on the photo absorption layer, using solution processing techniques, minimize surface pin holes and defects thereby increasing the PCE. We developed and employed a multiscale model based on molecular dynamics (MD) and kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) to establish a relationship between deposition rate and surface coverage on perovskite surface. The MD simulations of PCBMs dispersed in chlorobenzene, sandwiched between (110) perovskite substrates, indicate that PCBMs are deposited through anchoring of the oxygen atom of carbonyl group to the exposed lead (Pb) atom of (110) perovskite surface. Based on rates of distinct deposition events calculated from MD, kMC simulations were run to determine surface coverage at much larger time and length scales than accessible by MD alone. Based on the model, a generic relationship is established between deposition rate of PCBMs and surface coverage on perovskite crystal. The study also provides detailed insights into the morphology of the deposited film.

Solution-Phase Synthesis of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dandan; Eaton, Samuel W; Yu, Yi; Dou, Letian; Yang, Peidong

2015-07-29

Halide perovskites have attracted much attention over the past 5 years as a promising class of materials for optoelectronic applications. However, compared to hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, the study of their pure inorganic counterparts, like cesium lead halides (CsPbX3), lags far behind. Here, a catalyst-free, solution-phase synthesis of CsPbX3 nanowires (NWs) is reported. These NWs are single-crystalline, with uniform growth direction, and crystallize in the orthorhombic phase. Both CsPbBr3 and CsPbI3 are photoluminescence active, with composition-dependent temperature and self-trapping behavior. These NWs with a well-defined morphology could serve as an ideal platform for the investigation of fundamental properties and the development of future applications in nanoscale optoelectronic devices based on all-inorganic perovskites.

Comparison of different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in the presence of perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivas, F.J.; Carbajo, M.; Beltran, F.; Gimeno, O.; Frades, J.

2008-01-01

The efficacy of the oxidation systems: O 3 , UV radiation, O 3 /UV radiation, O 3 /perovskite, UV radiation/perovskite, O 3 /UV radiation/perovskite, H 2 O 2 /UV radiation, H 2 O 2 /UV radiation/perovskite, has been investigated by using pyruvic acid as probe compound. Under the operating conditions used, the combination of UV radiation and hydrogen peroxide (with or without perovskites) leads to the fastest pyruvic acid removal while the best results in terms of mineralization degree are obtained when combining O 3 /UV radiation/perovskite. The effect of the variables: inlet ozone (15-75 mg L -1 ) and initial pyruvic acid (10 -3 to 10 -2 M) concentrations, catalyst load (0.01-1.5 g L -1 ) and pH (2-9) was investigated for the photocatalytic ozonation. The most influencing parameter was the ozone concentration fed to the photoreactor. A zero order was observed for pyruvic acid concentration and close to zero for catalyst load. Some deactivation is observed after reusing the catalyst, likely due to leaching of the active phase

Rh promoted La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}(Fe{sub 0.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}O{sub 3-δ} perovskite catalysts: Characterization and catalytic performance for methane partial oxidation to synthesis gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palcheva, R., E-mail: radost@ic.bas.bg [InGAP Centre for Research-based Innovation, SMN, University of Oslo, PO Box 1033, Blindern, Oslo 0315 Norway (Norway); Olsbye, U.; Palcut, M. [InGAP Centre for Research-based Innovation, SMN, University of Oslo, PO Box 1033, Blindern, Oslo 0315 Norway (Norway); Rauwel, P. [Department of Physics, SMN, University of Oslo, PO Box B 1048 Blindern, Oslo 0316 (Norway); Tyuliev, G.; Velinov, N. [Institute of Catalysis, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, G. Bonchev Str., Bldg. 11, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria); Fjellvåg, H.H. [InGAP Centre for Research-based Innovation, SMN, University of Oslo, PO Box 1033, Blindern, Oslo 0315 Norway (Norway)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Perovskites type-oxide La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}(Fe{sub 0.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}O{sub 3-δ} (x = 0.1, 0.25, 0.4) prepared by the sol–gel citrate method. • Bulk and surface analysis to determine catalysts composition evolution. • Anaerobic catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas at 600 °C in a pulse apparatus over Rh promoted perovskites. • The catalysts showed high stability and selectivity. - Abstract: Synthesis gas production via selective oxidation of methane at 600 °C in a pulse reaction over La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}(Fe{sub 0.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}O{sub 3-δ} (x = 0.1, 0.25, 0.4) perovskite-supported rhodium catalysts, was investigated. The perovskite oxides were prepared by sol–gel citrate method and characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Moessbauer Spectroscopy (MS), Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR-H{sub 2}), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). According to XRD analysis, the synthesized samples were a single perovskite phase. The perovskite structure of Ga substituted samples remained stable after TPR-H{sub 2}, as confirmed by XRD. Data of MS identified Fe{sup 3+} ions in two distinctive coordination environments, and Fe{sup 4+} ions. The Rh{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin overlayer was detected by the HRTEM for the Rh impregnated perovskite oxides. During the interaction of methane with oxidized perovskite-supported Rh (0.5 wt.%) catalysts, besides CO, H{sub 2}, and surface carbon, CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O were formed. The Rh perovskite catalyst with x = 0.25 gallium exhibits the highest catalytic activity of 83% at 600 °C. The CO selectivity was affected by the reducibility of La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}(Fe{sub 0.8}Co{sub 0.2}){sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}O{sub 3-δ} perovskite materials.

Light-Independent Ionic Transport in Inorganic Perovskite and Ultrastable Cs-Based Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wenke; Zhao, Yicheng; Zhou, Xu; Fu, Rui; Li, Qi; Zhao, Yao; Liu, Kaihui; Yu, Dapeng; Zhao, Qing

2017-09-07

Due to light-induced effects in CH 3 NH 3 -based perovskites, such as ion migration, defects formation, and halide segregation, the degradation of CH 3 NH 3 -based perovskite solar cells under maximum power point is generally implicated. Here we demonstrated that the effect of light-enhanced ion migration in CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 can be eliminated by inorganic Cs substitution, leading to an ultrastable perovskite solar cell. Quantitatively, the ion migration barrier for CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 is 0.62 eV under dark conditions, larger than that of CsPbI 2 Br (0.45 eV); however, it reduces to 0.07 eV for CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 under illumination, smaller than that for CsPbI 2 Br (0.43 eV). Meanwhile, photoinduced halide segregation is also suppressed in Cs-based perovskites. Cs-based perovskite solar cells retained >99% of the initial efficiency (10.3%) after 1500 h of maximum power point tracking under AM1.5G illumination, while CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 solar cells degraded severely after 50 h of operation. Our work reveals an uncovered mechanism for stability improvement by inorganic cation substitution in perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.

Ethanol tolerant precious metal free cathode catalyst for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimmer, Ilena; Zorn, Paul; Weinberger, Stephan; Grimmer, Christoph; Pichler, Birgit; Cermenek, Bernd; Gebetsroither, Florian; Schenk, Alexander; Mautner, Franz-Andreas

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Selective ORR catalysts are presented for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells. • Perovskite based cathode catalysts show high tolerance toward ethanol. • A membrane-free alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell is presented. - Abstract: La 0.7 Sr 0.3 (Fe 0.2 Co 0.8 )O 3 and La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 −based cathode catalysts are synthesized by the sol-gel method. These perovskite cathode catalysts are tested in half cell configuration and compared to MnO 2 as reference material in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFCs). The best performing cathode is tested in single cell setup using a standard carbon supported Pt 0.4 Ru 0.2 based anode. A backside Luggin capillary is used in order to register the anode potential during all measurements. Characteristic processes of the electrodes are investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Physical characterizations of the perovskite based cathode catalysts are performed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and by X-ray diffraction showing phase pure materials. In half cell setup, La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 shows the highest tolerance toward ethanol with a performance of 614 mA cm −2 at 0.65 V vs. RHE in 6 M KOH and 1 M EtOH at RT. This catalyst outperforms the state-of-the-art precious metal-free MnO 2 catalyst in presence of ethanol. In fuel cell setup, the peak power density is 27.6 mW cm −2 at a cell voltage of 0.345 V and a cathode potential of 0.873 V vs. RHE.

Ferroelectric ultrathin perovskite films

Science.gov (United States)

Rappe, Andrew M; Kolpak, Alexie Michelle

2013-12-10

Disclosed herein are perovskite ferroelectric thin-film. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the properties of ferroelectric thin films. These films can be used in a variety materials and devices, such as catalysts and storage media, respectively.

Preparation and Performance Validation of Nano-Perovskite Type for Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Taegyu; Park, Daeil

2018-02-01

This paper describes the La0.8Sr0.2NiO3 perovskite-type catalysts supported on α-Al2O3 that were prepared by polyol method and used as a catalyst for the carbon dioxide reforming of methane. The effect of the molar concentration of polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) on the reducibility, structural properties and carbon deposition was characterized by XRD, and TGA. The carbon dioxide reforming of methane on the catalyst was performed at the different concentration of PVP. At the 1 M PVP, main characteristic peaks of perovskite structure were established without impurities, thus showing the highest catalytic activity; 87.7% and 92.1% in CH4 and CO2 conversion, respectively. After the reaction, carbon deposition was 0.4-0.6%, while 6.2% on the existing Ni catalyst, indicating the perovskite-type catalyst has a superior characteristic preventing it from the carbon deposition at the carbon dioxide reforming of methane.

Performance evaluation of a biodiesel fuelled transportation engine retrofitted with a non-noble metal catalysed diesel oxidation catalyst for controlling unregulated emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Pravesh Chandra; Gupta, Tarun; Agarwal, Avinash Kumar

2018-02-15

In present study, engine exhaust was sampled for measurement and analysis of unregulated emissions from a four cylinder transportation diesel engine using a state-of-the-art FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) emission analyzer. Test fuels used were Karanja biodiesel blend (B20) and baseline mineral diesel. Real-time emission measurements were performed for raw exhaust as well as exhaust sampled downstream of the two in-house prepared non-noble metal based diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) and a baseline commercial DOC based on noble metals. Two prepared non-noble metal based DOCs were based on Co-Ce mixed oxide and Lanthanum based perovskite catalysts. Perovskite based DOC performed superior compared to Co-Ce mixed oxide catalyst based DOC. Commercial noble metal based DOC was found to be the most effective in reducing unregulated hydrocarbon emissions in the engine exhaust, followed by the two in-house prepared non-noble metal based DOCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methane combustion over lanthanum-based perovskite mixed oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arandiyan, Hamidreza [New South Wales Univ., Sydney (Australia). School of Chemical Engineering

2015-11-01

This book presents current research into the catalytic combustion of methane using perovskite-type oxides (ABO{sub 3}). Catalytic combustion has been developed as a method of promoting efficient combustion with minimum pollutant formation as compared to conventional catalytic combustion. Recent theoretical and experimental studies have recommended that noble metals supported on (ABO{sub 3}) with well-ordered porous networks show promising redox properties. Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) materials with interpenetrated and regular mesoporous systems have recently triggered enormous research activity due to their high surface areas, large pore volumes, uniform pore sizes, low cost, environmental benignity, and good chemical stability. These are all highly relevant in terms of the utilization of natural gas in light of recent catalytic innovations and technological advances. The book is of interest to all researchers active in utilization of natural gas with novel catalysts. The research covered comes from the most important industries and research centers in the field. The book serves not only as a text for researcher into catalytic combustion of methane, 3DOM perovskite mixed oxide, but also explores the field of green technologies by experts in academia and industry. This book will appeal to those interested in research on the environmental impact of combustion, materials and catalysis.

Activity and stability trends of perovskite oxides for oxygen evolution catalysis at neutral pH

OpenAIRE

Ling, Chen; Jia, Hongfei; Han, Binghong; Risch, Marcel; Lee, Yueh Lin; Shao-Horn, Yang

2015-01-01

Perovskite oxides (ABO[subscript 3]) have been studied extensively to promote the kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes. However, developing highly active catalysts for OER at near-neutral pH is desirable for many photoelectrochemical/electrochemical devices. In this paper, we systematically studied the activity and stability of well-known perovskite oxides for OER at pH 7. Previous activity descriptors established for perovskite oxides at pH 13, such as hav...

Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of Sr-doped LaMnO3 perovskite as oxidation catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirano, T.; Purwanto, H.; Watanabe, T.; Akiyama, T.

2007-01-01

Sr-doped LaMnO 3 perovskite oxide has been focused on as one of the alternative catalysts to precious metals such as platinum that are used for cleaning automotive emission gas. The conventional Solid-state reaction method is a popular productive process for perovskite oxide, however, it is time and energy consuming process because it requires repeated prolonged heat treatment at high temperatures. Therefore, the purposes of this work are to produce Sr-doped LaMnO 3 perovskite by using Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) and experimentally examine the oxidation catalytic activity of the product for cleaning automotive emission gas. In the SHS, powders of La 2 O 3 , SrCO 3 , Mn and NaClO 4 were well mixed at the desired ratio and poured in a graphite crucible, where at one end it was ignited by using an electrically heated carbon foil. The wave of exothermic reaction due to oxidation of manganese propagated to the other end in a short time. The obtained products were characterized by means of XRD, FE-SEM, BET and particle size distribution analysis and then evaluated via catalytic oxidation tests by using propane in a fixed bed reactor at several temperatures. From the XRD analysis, the products had the desired composition of La 1-x Sr x MnO 3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4) perovskite, in which the replacing ratio x of La and Sr in the products was easily controlled by changing the mixing ratio of raw materials. The catalytic activity test showed that the samples exhibited good catalytic activity for propane oxidation over 200 deg. C , although the products had a relatively small surface area. SHS showed the potential for the production of a relatively inexpensive catalytic converter

Synthesis of LaNiO{sub 3} perovskite by the modified proteic gel method and study of catalytic properties in the syngas production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Jose C.; Mesquita, Maria E.; Pedrosa, Anne M. Garrido, E-mail: annemgp@ufs.br, E-mail: annemgp@yahoo.com [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil). Departamento de Quimica e Engenharia Quimica; Souza, Marcelo J.B. [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Quimica; Ruiz, Juan A.C. [Centro de Tecnologias do Gas e Energias Renovaveis (CTGAS-ER), Natal, RN (Brazil). Laboratorio de Processamento do Gas; Melo, Dulce M.A. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Exatas e da Terra. Depaertamento de Quimica

2012-10-15

This work describes a study on the synthesis of LaNiO{sub 3} perovskites via the modified proteic gel method, varying collagen content and on the catalytic activity of LaNiO{sub 3} and LaNiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the syngas (CO + H{sub 2}) production. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the formation of perovskite structure in all samples prepared by proteic gel synthesis method, varying collagen content and after calcination at 700 deg C for 2 h. LaNiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst prepared by the impregnation method showed diffraction peaks due to the perovskite structure and to the support (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}). This catalyst presented: specific surface of 46.1 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, two reduction peaks in the temperature programmed reduction (TPR) profile and 46% of methane conversion (by the partial oxidation of methane using oxygen) after 18 h of reaction. (author)

Catalyst for automotive emissions control in next generation. Relation of the intelligent property to its structure

CERN Document Server

Mizuki, J; Tanaka, H

2003-01-01

We use X-ray diffraction and absorption to show that the perovskite-based Pd catalyst retains its high metal dispersion owing to structural responses to the fluctuations in exhaust-gas composition that occur in state-of-the-art petrol engines. We find that as the catalyst is cycled between oxidative and reductive atmospheres typically encountered in exhaust gas, Pd reversibly moves into and out of the perovskite lattice. This movement appears to suppress the growth of metallic Pd particles, and hence explains the retention of high catalytic activity. (J.P.N.)

Paintable Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells with Engineered Perovskite/Carbon Interface Using Carbon Nanotubes Dripping Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Jaehoon; Lee, Kisu; Yun, Juyoung; Yu, Haejun; Lee, Jungsup; Jang, Jyongsik

2017-10-01

Paintable carbon electrode-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are of particular interest due to their material and fabrication process costs, as well as their moisture stability. However, printing the carbon paste on the perovskite layer limits the quality of the interface between the perovskite layer and carbon electrode. Herein, an attempt to enhance the performance of the paintable carbon-based PSCs is made using a modified solvent dripping method that involves dripping of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which is dispersed in chlorobenzene solution. This method allows CNTs to penetrate into both the perovskite film and carbon electrode, facilitating fast hole transport between the two layers. Furthermore, this method is results in increased open circuit voltage (V oc ) and fill factor (FF), providing better contact at the perovskite/carbon interfaces. The best devices made with CNT dripping show 13.57% power conversion efficiency and hysteresis-free performance. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ab initio study of perovskite type oxide materials for solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yueh-Lin

2011-12-01

Perovskite type oxides form a family of materials of significant interest for cathodes and electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). These perovskites not only are active catalysts for surface oxygen reduction (OR) reactions but also allow incorporating the spilt oxygen monomers into their bulk, an unusual and poorly understood catalytic mechanism that couples surface and bulk properties. The OR mechanisms can be influenced strongly by defects in perovskite oxides, composition, and surface defect structures. This thesis work initiates a first step in developing a general strategy based on first-principles calculations for detailed control of oxygen vacancy content, transport rates of surface and bulk oxygen species, and surface/interfacial reaction kinetics. Ab initio density functional theory methods are used to model properties relevant for the OR reactions on SOFC cathodes. Three main research thrusts, which focus on bulk defect chemistry, surface defect structures and surface energetics, and surface catalytic properties, are carried to investigate different level of material chemistry for improved understanding of key physics/factors that govern SOFC cathode OR activity. In the study of bulk defect chemistry, an ab initio based defect model is developed for modeling defect chemistry of LaMnO 3 under SOFC conditions. The model suggests an important role for defect interactions, which are typically excluded in previous defect models. In the study of surface defect structures and surface energetics, it is shown that defect energies change dramatically (1˜2 eV lower) from bulk values near surfaces. Based on the existing bulk defect model with the calculated ab initio surface defect energetics, we predict the (001) MnO 2 surface oxygen vacancy concentration of (La0.9Sr0.1 )MnO3 is about 5˜6 order magnitude higher than that of the bulk under typical SOFC conditions. Finally, for surface catalytic properties, we show that area specific resistance, oxygen

The synthesis of nanostructured, phase pure catalysts by hydrodynamic cavitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moser, W.R.; Sunstrom, J.E.; Marshik-Geurts, B.J. [Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA (United States)

1995-12-01

A new process for the synthesis of advanced catalytic materials based on performing the synthesis under hydrodynamic cavitation conditions has been discovered. This continuous process for catalyst synthesis resulted in the formation of both supported and unsupported catalysts. The advantage of the process over classical methods of synthesis is that it permits the formation of a wide variety of nanostructured catalysts in exceptionally high phase purities. The synthesis of platinum and palladium catalysts supported on alumina and other supports resulted in high dispersions of the noble metals. The synthesis of alpha, beta- and gamma-bismuth molybdates resulted in catalysts having superior phase purities as compared to several other classical methods of synthesis. The beta-bismuth molybdate was synthesized directly onto Cabosil. These studies showed that the particle size of the active component could be varied from a few manometers to much larger grains. The process enabled the synthesis of other complex metal oxides like perovskites as pure phases. The process uses a commercially available Microfluidizer.

Controlled reduction of LaFe xMn yMo zO3/Al2O3 composites to produce highly dispersed and stable Fe0 catalysts: a Mössbauer investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Cristina Tristão

2008-06-01

Full Text Available In this work, controlled reduction of perovskites supported on Al2O3 was used to prepare thermally stable nanodispersed iron catalysts based on Fe0/La2O3/Al2O3. The perovskites composites LaFe0.90Mn0.08Mo0.02O3(25, 33 and 50 wt (% /Al2O3 and LaFe0.90Mn0.1O3(25 wt (% /Al2O3 were prepared and characterized by XRD, BET, TPR, SEM and Mössbauer spectroscopy. XRD for unsupported perovskite showed the formation of a single phase perovskite structure. The Mössbauer spectra of the perovskites were fitted with hyperfine field distribution model for the perovskite. Supported perovskites on Al2O3 showed a decrease of the hyperfine field in respect to unsupported perovskite, due to decrease of particle size and dispersion of the Fe3+ specimens on the support. Also showed broaden lines and relaxation effects due to the small particle size. To produce the Fe0 catalyst, the composite perovskite(25%/Al2O3 was reduced with H2 at 900, 1000 and 1100 °C for 1 hour. XRD data indicated the formation of Fe0 catalyst with particles sizes of ca. 35 nm. The Mössbauer spectrum showed the formation of metallic iron and doublets corresponding to species of octahedric Fe2+ and Fe3+ sites dispersed on Al2O3. These catalysts showed improved stability towards sintering even upon treatment at 1000 and 1100 °C under H2.

Carbon-Coated Perovskite BaMnO3 Porous Nanorods with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Perporites for Oxygen Reduction and Oxygen Evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Yujiao; Tsou, Alvin; Fu, Yue; Wang, Jin; Tian, Jing-Hua; Yang, Ruizhi

2015-01-01

A thin carbon layer has been introduced to coat on the perovskite BaMnO 3 nanorods by a facile method, which exhibit significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for both the ORR and OER with excellent stability. - Highlights: • A non-rare-earth element based perovskite BaMnO 3 nanorods as an active electrocatalyst for the ORR and OER have been prepared and investigated for the first time. • A thin carbon-coating layer with thickness of approximately 10 nm has been successfully introduced to enhance the electrical conductivity and the electrocatalytic activities of the bare perovskite for both ORR and OER. • The stabilities of bare BaMnO 3 nanorods for both ORR and OER have also been improved dramatically with the help of carbon coating, especially for the OER process. - Abstract: Highly efficient, low-cost catalysts, especially with bifunctional electrocatalytic capabilities for both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are vital for the wide commercialization of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In this study, BaMnO 3 - a non-rare-earth element based perovskite nanorods have been prepared and investigated for the first time, and a thin carbon-coating with a thickness of approximately 10 nm has been successfully introduced to enhance the electrical conductivity of the bare perovskite. Electrochemical tests reveal that bare BaMnO 3 nanorods exhibit very good catalytic activity. More interestingly, a remarkably enhanced ORR activity for the perovskite BaMnO 3 nanorods was observed after coating with a thin layer of carbon, which dominated with a direct four-electron pathway. Meanwhile, the OER process has also been enhanced extraordinarily with the carbon-coating, reaching a maximum of 14.8 mA cm −2 at 1.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), which is far superior to both the bare BaMnO 3 nanorods and commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) catalysts. Furthermore, the stabilities of bare BaMnO 3 nanorods for both ORR and OER have also been improved

Influence of synthesis route in structural, thermal and morphological characteristics of perovskite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, I.A.; Araujo, E.M. de; Santos, T.L.; Viana, K.M.S.; Borges, M.M.; Ruiz, J.A.C.

2016-01-01

Oxides with perovskite structure are interesting objects of study because of their optical, magnetic, electrical properties and its possible application, for example, as automotive catalyst. Various methods have been proposed to synthesise materials with this structure in order to achieve better structural and morphological characteristics and therefore improved properties. In this study, the mixed oxide of the perovskite type La 0.8 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 was synthesized by three different routes: the polymeric precursors, also known as the Pechini, method of gelatin modified rout and combustion method. Ceramic materials were evaluated thermally morphologically and structurally through thermal gravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and diffraction X-ray (XRD). The catalytic tests has been released, the material synthesized by the Pechini method had the best performance in relation to conversion and stability, two important properties for catalysts. (author)

Self-regenerative function of the intelligent automotive catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Hirohisa; Nishihata, Yasuo

2007-01-01

Intelligent catalyst, in which noble metals are used as an active part of automotive catalyst, has been considered for keeping up their sufficient activity. The noble metals have a function of cleaning up the exhaust gas as well as that of self-regeneration. In 2002, a Pd system has been put to practical use, and continuously Rh and Pt systems have been commercialized. Now the catalyst has been used in more than three million vehicles. In this report, the atomic level mechanism of the catalyst and its self-regeneration function getting from analyses using synchrotron radiation are introduced. By the analysis using the Spring-8, the mechanism of keeping the active state of the Pd Perovskite Oxide without degradation was identified. The DXAFS (Dispersive X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) analysis in the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) made clear the self-regeneration mechanism of the Pd Perovskite Oxide. This knowledge could lead to the practical development of the Rh and Pt systems. The catalyst technology is counted on balancing resources of the noble metal and environmental sustainability. (A.H.)

Assessing the toxicity of Pb- and Sn-based perovskite solar cells in model organism Danio rerio

Science.gov (United States)

Babayigit, Aslihan; Duy Thanh, Dinh; Ethirajan, Anitha; Manca, Jean; Muller, Marc; Boyen, Hans-Gerd; Conings, Bert

2016-01-01

Intensive development of organometal halide perovskite solar cells has lead to a dramatic surge in power conversion efficiency up to 20%. Unfortunately, the most efficient perovskite solar cells all contain lead (Pb), which is an unsettling flaw that leads to severe environmental concerns and is therefore a stumbling block envisioning their large-scale application. Aiming for the retention of favorable electro-optical properties, tin (Sn) has been considered the most likely substitute. Preliminary studies have however shown that Sn-based perovskites are highly unstable and, moreover, Sn is also enlisted as a harmful chemical, with similar concerns regarding environment and health. To bring more clarity into the appropriateness of both metals in perovskite solar cells, we provide a case study with systematic comparison regarding the environmental impact of Pb- and Sn-based perovskites, using zebrafish (Danio Rerio) as model organism. Uncovering an unexpected route of intoxication in the form of acidification, it is shown that Sn based perovskite may not be the ideal Pb surrogate.

Assessing the toxicity of Pb- and Sn-based perovskite solar cells in model organism Danio rerio

Science.gov (United States)

Babayigit, Aslihan; Duy Thanh, Dinh; Ethirajan, Anitha; Manca, Jean; Muller, Marc; Boyen, Hans-Gerd; Conings, Bert

2016-01-01

Intensive development of organometal halide perovskite solar cells has lead to a dramatic surge in power conversion efficiency up to 20%. Unfortunately, the most efficient perovskite solar cells all contain lead (Pb), which is an unsettling flaw that leads to severe environmental concerns and is therefore a stumbling block envisioning their large-scale application. Aiming for the retention of favorable electro-optical properties, tin (Sn) has been considered the most likely substitute. Preliminary studies have however shown that Sn-based perovskites are highly unstable and, moreover, Sn is also enlisted as a harmful chemical, with similar concerns regarding environment and health. To bring more clarity into the appropriateness of both metals in perovskite solar cells, we provide a case study with systematic comparison regarding the environmental impact of Pb- and Sn-based perovskites, using zebrafish (Danio Rerio) as model organism. Uncovering an unexpected route of intoxication in the form of acidification, it is shown that Sn based perovskite may not be the ideal Pb surrogate. PMID:26759068

Physico-chemical characterisations and catalytic performance of Ni-based catalyst systems for dry reforming of methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vlach, K.; Hoang, D.L.; Schneider, M.; Pohl, M.M.; Armbruster, U.; Martin, A. [Rostock Univ. (Germany). Leibniz-Institut fuer Katalyse e.V.

2012-07-01

In this study, ternary perovskite type oxides LaNi{sub x}Cu{sub 1-x}O{sub 3} (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1) were synthesized using NaOH and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (H{sub 5}DTPA). The catalysts resulting from perovskite precursors exhibit catalytic activities for CO{sub 2} reforming of CH{sub 4} at 700 C that increase with a higher Ni content. Characterization methods showed that the activation led to formation of small metallic Ni/Cu particles. Methane and carbon dioxide conversions varied from 20 to 65% for CH{sub 4} and 3 to 58% for CO{sub 2}. Selectivities from 46 to 93% for CO and from 4 to 64% for H{sub 2} were obtained. (orig.)

Studies on mixed metal oxides solid solutions as heterogeneous catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. R. Arandiyan

2009-03-01

Full Text Available In this work, a series of perovskite-type mixed oxide LaMo xV1-xO3+δ powder catalysts (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, and 1.0, with 0.5 < δ < 1.5, prepared by the sol-gel process and calcined at 750ºC, provide an attractive and effective alternative means of synthesizing materials with better control of morphology. Structures of resins obtained during the gel formation process by FT-IR spectroscopy and XRD analysis showed that all the LaMo xV1-xO3+δ samples are single phase perovskite-type solid solutions. The surface area (BET between 2.5 - 5.0 m²/g (x = 0.1 and 1.0 respectively increases with increasing Mo ratio in the samples. They show high purity, good chemical homogeneity, and lower calcinations temperatures as compared with the solid-state chemistry route. SEM coupled to EDS and thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analyses (TGA/DTA have been carried out in order to evaluate the homogeneity of the catalyst. Finally, the experimental studies show that the calcination temperature and Mo content exhibited a significant influence on catalytic activity. Among the LaMo xV1-xO3+δ samples, LaMo0.7V0.3O4.2 showed the best catalytic activity for the topic reaction and the best activity and stability for ethane reforming at 850ºC under 8 bar.

Parameters influencing the deposition of methylammonium lead halide iodide in hole conductor free perovskite-based solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Bat-El; Gamliel, Shany; Etgar, Lioz

2014-08-01

Perovskite is a promising light harvester for use in photovoltaic solar cells. In recent years, the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells has been dramatically increased, making them a competitive source of renewable energy. An important parameter when designing high efficiency perovskite-based solar cells is the perovskite deposition, which must be performed to create complete coverage and optimal film thickness. This paper describes an in-depth study on two-step deposition, separating the perovskite deposition into two precursors. The effects of spin velocity, annealing temperature, dipping time, and methylammonium iodide concentration on the photovoltaic performance are studied. Observations include that current density is affected by changing the spin velocity, while the fill factor changes mainly due to the dipping time and methylammonium iodide concentration. Interestingly, the open circuit voltage is almost unaffected by these parameters. Hole conductor free perovskite solar cells are used in this work, in order to minimize other possible effects. This study provides better understanding and control over the perovskite deposition through highly efficient, low-cost perovskite-based solar cells.

Parameters influencing the deposition of methylammonium lead halide iodide in hole conductor free perovskite-based solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, Bat-El; Gamliel, Shany; Etgar, Lioz

2014-01-01

Perovskite is a promising light harvester for use in photovoltaic solar cells. In recent years, the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells has been dramatically increased, making them a competitive source of renewable energy. An important parameter when designing high efficiency perovskite-based solar cells is the perovskite deposition, which must be performed to create complete coverage and optimal film thickness. This paper describes an in-depth study on two-step deposition, separating the perovskite deposition into two precursors. The effects of spin velocity, annealing temperature, dipping time, and methylammonium iodide concentration on the photovoltaic performance are studied. Observations include that current density is affected by changing the spin velocity, while the fill factor changes mainly due to the dipping time and methylammonium iodide concentration. Interestingly, the open circuit voltage is almost unaffected by these parameters. Hole conductor free perovskite solar cells are used in this work, in order to minimize other possible effects. This study provides better understanding and control over the perovskite deposition through highly efficient, low-cost perovskite-based solar cells

Hybrid Perovskite/Perovskite Heterojunction Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yinghong; Schlipf, Johannes; Wussler, Michael; Petrus, Michiel L; Jaegermann, Wolfram; Bein, Thomas; Müller-Buschbaum, Peter; Docampo, Pablo

2016-06-28

Recently developed organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells combine low-cost fabrication and high power conversion efficiency. Advances in perovskite film optimization have led to an outstanding power conversion efficiency of more than 20%. Looking forward, shifting the focus toward new device architectures holds great potential to induce the next leap in device performance. Here, we demonstrate a perovskite/perovskite heterojunction solar cell. We developed a facile solution-based cation infiltration process to deposit layered perovskite (LPK) structures onto methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) films. Grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments were performed to gain insights into the crystallite orientation and the formation process of the perovskite bilayer. Our results show that the self-assembly of the LPK layer on top of an intact MAPI layer is accompanied by a reorganization of the perovskite interface. This leads to an enhancement of the open-circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency due to reduced recombination losses, as well as improved moisture stability in the resulting photovoltaic devices.

Surface strontium enrichment on highly active perovskites for oxygen electrocatalysis in solid oxide fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Crumlin, Ethan J.; Mutoro, Eva; Liu, Zhi; Grass, Michael E.; Biegalski, Michael D.; Lee, Yueh-Lin; Morgan, Dane; Christen, Hans M.; Bluhm, Hendrik; Shao-Horn, Yang

2012-01-01

Perovskite oxides have high catalytic activities for oxygen electrocatalysis competitive to platinum at elevated temperatures. However, little is known about the oxide surface chemistry that influences the activity near ambient oxygen partial pressures, which hampers the design of highly active catalysts for many clean-energy technologies such as solid oxide fuel cells. Using in situ synchrotron-based, ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the surface chemistry changes, we show that the coverage of surface secondary phases on a (001)-oriented La 0.8Sr 0.2CoO 3-δ (LSC) film becomes smaller than that on an LSC powder pellet at elevated temperatures. In addition, strontium (Sr) in the perovskite structure enriches towards the film surface in contrast to the pellet having no detectable changes with increasing temperature. We propose that the ability to reduce surface secondary phases and develop Sr-enriched perovskite surfaces of the LSC film contributes to its enhanced activity for O 2 electrocatalysis relative to LSC powder-based electrodes. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Perovskite-Based Solar Cells: Materials, Methods, and Future Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Di Zhou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A novel all-solid-state, hybrid solar cell based on organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite (CH3NH3PbX3 materials has attracted great attention from the researchers all over the world and is considered to be one of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs in 2013. The perovskite materials can be used not only as light-absorbing layer, but also as an electron/hole transport layer due to the advantages of its high extinction coefficient, high charge mobility, long carrier lifetime, and long carrier diffusion distance. The photoelectric power conversion efficiency of the perovskite solar cells has increased from 3.8% in 2009 to 22.1% in 2016, making perovskite solar cells the best potential candidate for the new generation of solar cells to replace traditional silicon solar cells in the future. In this paper, we introduce the development and mechanism of perovskite solar cells, describe the specific function of each layer, and focus on the improvement in the function of such layers and its influence on the cell performance. Next, the synthesis methods of the perovskite light-absorbing layer and the performance characteristics are discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the development of perovskite solar cells are also briefly presented.

(La1-xSrx)0.98MnO3 perovskite with A-site deficiencies toward oxygen reduction reaction in aluminum-air batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Yejian; Miao, He; Sun, Shanshan; Wang, Qin; Li, Shihua; Liu, Zhaoping

2017-02-01

The strontium doped Mn-based perovskites have been proposed as one of the best oxygen reduction reaction catalysts (ORRCs) to substitute the noble metal. However, few studies have investigated the catalytic activities of LSM with the A-site deficiencies. Here, the (La1-xSrx)0.98MnO3 (LSM) perovskites with A-site deficiencies are prepared by a modified solid-liquid method. The structure, morphology, valence state and oxygen adsorption behaviors of these LSM samples are characterized, and their catalytic activities toward ORR are studied by the rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) and aluminum-air battery technologies. The results show that the appropriate doping with Sr and introducing A-site stoichiometry can effectively tailor the Mn valence and increase the oxygen adsorption capacity of LSM. Among all the LSM samples in this work, the (La0.7Sr0.3)0.98MnO3 perovskite composited with 50% carbon (50%LSM30) exhibits the best ORR catalytic activity due to the excellent oxygen adsorption capacity. Also, this catalyst has much higher durability than that of commercial 20%Pt/C. Moreover, the maximum power density of the aluminum-air battery using 50%LSM30 as the ORRC can reach 191.3 mW cm-2. Our work indicates that the LSM/C composite catalysts with A-site deficiencies can be used as a promising ORRC in the metal-air batteries.

In Operando Self-Healing of Perovskite Electrocatalysts: A Case Study of SrCoO3 for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

KAUST Repository

Tahini, Hassan A.; Tan, Xin; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Smith, Sean C.

2017-01-01

Perovskites are promising catalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OER); among them, SrCoO3 is one of the best for these reactions. We study the O* intermediates and the role of surface oxygen vacancies of SrCoO3 during OER. A self-healing mechanism is proposed in which O* are incorporated into the surface to recover the redox capabilities of the material.

In Operando Self-Healing of Perovskite Electrocatalysts: A Case Study of SrCoO3 for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

KAUST Repository

Tahini, Hassan A.

2017-01-24

Perovskites are promising catalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OER); among them, SrCoO3 is one of the best for these reactions. We study the O* intermediates and the role of surface oxygen vacancies of SrCoO3 during OER. A self-healing mechanism is proposed in which O* are incorporated into the surface to recover the redox capabilities of the material.

Refurbished dry methane on catalysts Ni / BaTiO 1x In x o 3d

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Veronica; Caldes, Maria T; Joubert Olivier

2008-01-01

The effect of the support on the catalytic performance of Ni catalysts in carbon dioxide reforming of methane was studied using perovskite based supports BaTi 1x In x O 3d, known by their ionic and electronic conductivity properties. The results of the investigation showed that there is a close relationship between the catalytic activity and the reducibility of the support.

Resonant halide perovskite nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Tiguntseva, Ekaterina Y.; Ishteev, Arthur R.; Komissarenko, Filipp E.; Zuev, Dmitry A.; Ushakova, Elena V.; Milichko, Valentin A.; Nesterov-Mueller, Alexander; Makarov, Sergey V.; Zakhidov, Anvar A.

2017-09-01

The hybrid halide perovskites is a prospective material for fabrication of cost-effective optical devices. Unique perovskites properties are used for solar cells and different photonic applications. Recently, perovskite-based nanophotonics has emerged. Here, we consider perovskite like a high-refractive index dielectric material, which can be considered to be a basis for nanoparticles fabrication with Mie resonances. As a result, we fabricate and study resonant perovskite nanoparticles with different sizes. We reveal, that spherical nanoparticles show enhanced photoluminescence signal. The achieved results lay a cornerstone in the field of novel types of organic-inorganic nanophotonics devices with optical properties improved by Mie resonances.

Chlorine-Incorporation-Induced Formation of the Layered Phase for Antimony-Based Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Fangyuan; Yang, Dongwen; Jiang, Youyu; Liu, Tiefeng; Zhao, Xingang; Ming, Yue; Luo, Bangwu; Qin, Fei; Fan, Jiacheng; Han, Hongwei; Zhang, Lijun; Zhou, Yinhua

2018-01-24

The environmental toxicity of Pb in organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells remains an issue, which has triggered intense research on seeking alternative Pb-free perovskites for solar applications. Halide perovskites based on group-VA cations of Bi 3+ and Sb 3+ with the same lone-pair ns 2 state as Pb 2+ are promising candidates. Herein, through a joint experimental and theoretical study, we demonstrate that Cl-incorporated methylammonium Sb halide perovskites (CH 3 NH 3 ) 3 Sb 2 Cl X I 9-X show promise as efficient solar absorbers for Pb-free perovskite solar cells. Inclusion of methylammonium chloride into the precursor solutions suppresses the formation of the undesired zero-dimensional dimer phase and leads to the successful synthesis of high-quality perovskite films composed of the two-dimensional layered phase favored for photovoltaics. Solar cells based on the as-obtained (CH 3 NH 3 ) 3 Sb 2 Cl X I 9-X films reach a record-high power conversion efficiency over 2%. This finding offers a new perspective for the development of nontoxic and low-cost Sb-based perovskite solar cells.

Electronically conductive perovskite-based oxide nanoparticles and films for optical sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ohodnicki, Jr., Paul R; Schultz, Andrew M

2015-04-28

The disclosure relates to a method of detecting a change in a chemical composition by contacting a electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide material with a monitored stream, illuminating the electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide with incident light, collecting exiting light, monitoring an optical signal based on a comparison of the incident light and the exiting light, and detecting a shift in the optical signal. The electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide has a perovskite-based crystal structure and an electronic conductivity of at least 10.sup.-1 S/cm, where parameters are specified at the gas stream temperature. The electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide has an empirical formula A.sub.xB.sub.yO.sub.3-.delta., where A is at least a first element at the A-site, B is at least a second element at the B-site, and where 0.8perovskite-based oxides include but are not limited to La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xCoO.sub.3, La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xMnO.sub.3, LaCrO.sub.3, LaNiO.sub.3, La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xMn.sub.1-yCr.sub.yO.sub.3, SrFeO.sub.3, SrVO.sub.3, La-doped SrTiO.sub.3, Nb-doped SrTiO.sub.3, and SrTiO.sub.3-.delta..

Conducting tin halides with a layered organic-based perovskite structure

Science.gov (United States)

Mitzi, D. B.; Feild, C. A.; Harrison, W. T. A.; Guloy, A. M.

1994-06-01

THE discovery1 of high-temperature superconductivity in layered copper oxide perovskites has generated considerable fundamental and technological interest in this class of materials. Only a few other examples of conducting layered perovskites are known; these are also oxides such as (La1-xSrx)n+1 MnnO3n+1 (ref. 2), Lan+1NinO3n+1 (ref. 3) and Ban+1PbnO3n+1 (ref. 4), all of which exhibit a trend from semiconducting to metallic behaviour with increasing number of perovskite layers (n). We report here the synthesis of a family of organic-based layered halide perovskites, (C4H9NH3)2(CH3NH3)n-1Snnl3n+1 which show a similar transition from semiconducting to metallic behaviour with increasing n. The incorporation of an organic modulation layer between the conducting tin iodide sheets potentially provides greater flexibility for tuning the electrical properties of the perovskite sheets, and we suggest that such an approach will prove valuable for exploring the range of transport properties possible with layered perovskites.

Study on the mechanism of a manganese-based catalyst for catalytic NOX flue gas denitration

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Wen, Xin; Lei, Zhang; Gao, Long; Sha, Xiangling; Ma, Zhenhua; He, Huibin; Wang, Yusu; Jia, Yang; Li, Yonghui

2018-04-01

Manganese-based bimetallic catalysts were prepared with self-made pyrolysis coke as carrier and its denitration performance of low-temperature SCR (selective catalyst reduction) was studied. The effects of different metal species, calcination temperature, calcination time and the metal load quantity on the denitration performance of the catalyst were studied by orthogonal test. The denitration mechanism of the catalyst was analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscope), BET test and transient test. The experiments show that: * The denitration efficiency of Mn-based bimetallic catalysts mainly relates to the metal type, the metal load quantity and the catalyst adjuvant type. * The optimal catalyst preparation conditions are as follows: the load quantity of monometallic MnO2 is 10%, calcined at 300°C for 4h, and then loaded with 8% CeO2, calcined at 350°Cfor 3h. * The denitration mechanism of manganese-based bimetallic oxide catalysts is stated as: NH3 is firstly adsorbed by B acid center Mn-OH which nears Mn4+==O to form NH4+, NH4+ was then attacked by the gas phase NO to form N2, H2O and Mn3+-OH. Finally, Mn3+-OH was oxidized by O2 to regenerate Mn4+.

Study on the mechanism of a manganese-based catalyst for catalytic NOX flue gas denitration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Zhang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Manganese-based bimetallic catalysts were prepared with self-made pyrolysis coke as carrier and its denitration performance of low-temperature SCR (selective catalyst reduction was studied. The effects of different metal species, calcination temperature, calcination time and the metal load quantity on the denitration performance of the catalyst were studied by orthogonal test. The denitration mechanism of the catalyst was analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffraction, SEM (scanning electron microscope, BET test and transient test. The experiments show that: ① The denitration efficiency of Mn-based bimetallic catalysts mainly relates to the metal type, the metal load quantity and the catalyst adjuvant type. ② The optimal catalyst preparation conditions are as follows: the load quantity of monometallic MnO2 is 10%, calcined at 300°C for 4h, and then loaded with 8% CeO2, calcined at 350°Cfor 3h. ③ The denitration mechanism of manganese-based bimetallic oxide catalysts is stated as: NH3 is firstly adsorbed by B acid center Mn-OH which nears Mn4+==O to form NH4+, NH4+ was then attacked by the gas phase NO to form N2, H2O and Mn3+-OH. Finally, Mn3+-OH was oxidized by O2 to regenerate Mn4+.

Pt based PEMFC catalysts prepared from colloidal particle suspensions--a toolbox for model studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Speder, Jozsef; Altmann, Lena; Roefzaad, Melanie; Bäumer, Marcus; Kirkensgaard, Jacob J K; Mortensen, Kell; Arenz, Matthias

2013-03-14

A colloidal synthesis approach is presented that allows systematic studies of the properties of supported proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) catalysts. The applied synthesis route is based on the preparation of monodisperse nanoparticles in the absence of strong binding organic stabilizing agents. No temperature post-treatment of the catalyst is required rendering the synthesis route ideally suitable for comparative studies. We report work concerning a series of catalysts based on the same colloidal Pt nanoparticle (NP) suspension, but with different high surface area (HSA) carbon supports. It is shown that for the prepared catalysts the carbon support has no catalytic co-function, but carbon pre-treatment leads to enhanced sticking of the Pt NPs on the support. An unwanted side effect, however, is NP agglomeration during synthesis. By contrast, enhanced NP sticking without agglomeration can be accomplished by the addition of an ionomer to the NP suspension. The catalytic activity of the prepared catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction is comparable to industrial catalysts and no influence of the particle size is found in the range of 2-5 nm.

In- and Ga-based inorganic double perovskites with direct bandgaps for photovoltaic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Jun; Ma, Liang; Ju, Minggang; Huang, Jinsong; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

2017-08-16

Double perovskites in the form of A 2 B'B''X 6 (A = Cs, B' = Ag, B'' = Bi) have been reported as potential alternatives to lead-containing organometal trihalide perovskites. However, all double perovskites synthesized to date exhibit indirect bandgaps >1.95 eV, which are undesirable for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we report a comprehensive computer-aided screening of In- and Ga-based double perovskites for potential photovoltaic applications. To this end, several preconditions are implemented for the screening of optimal candidates, which include structural stability, electronic bandgaps, and optical absorption. Importantly, four In- and Ga-based double perovskites are identified to possess direct bandgaps within the desirable range of 0.9-1.6 eV for photovoltaic applications. Dominant optical absorption of the four double perovskites is found to be in the UV range. The structural and thermal stability of the four double perovskites are examined using both the empirical Goldschmidt ratio and convex-hull calculations. Only Cs 2 AgInBr 6 is predicted to be thermodynamically stable.

Ionic behavior of organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite based metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yucheng; Zhang, Yuming; Pang, Tiqiang; Xu, Jie; Hu, Ziyang; Zhu, Yuejin; Tang, Xiaoyan; Luan, Suzhen; Jia, Renxu

2017-05-24

Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites are promising semiconductors for optoelectronic applications. Despite the achievements in device performance, the electrical properties of perovskites have stagnated. Ion migration is speculated to be the main contributing factor for the many unusual electrical phenomena in perovskite-based devices. Here, to understand the intrinsic electrical behavior of perovskites, we constructed metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors based on perovskite films and performed capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements of the capacitors. The results provide direct evidence for the mixed ionic-electronic transport behavior within perovskite films. In the dark, there is electrical hysteresis in both the C-V and I-V curves because the mobile negative ions take part in charge transport despite frequency modulation. However, under illumination, the large amount of photoexcited free carriers screens the influence of the mobile ions with a low concentration, which is responsible for the normal C-V properties. Validation of ion migration for the gate-control ability of MOS capacitors is also helpful for the investigation of perovskite MOS transistors and other gate-control photovoltaic devices.

Multifunctional optoelectronic devices based on perovskites

KAUST Repository

Saidaminov, Makhsud I.; Bakr, Osman

2017-01-01

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods of growing halide films (e.g., single crystal halide perovskites or multi-crystal halide perovskites) on a structure, dual-mode photodetectors, methods of use, and the like.

Multifunctional optoelectronic devices based on perovskites

KAUST Repository

Saidaminov, Makhsud I.

2017-10-19

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods of growing halide films (e.g., single crystal halide perovskites or multi-crystal halide perovskites) on a structure, dual-mode photodetectors, methods of use, and the like.

High performance photodetector based on 2D CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite nanosheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Pengfei; Shivananju, B N; Li, Shaojuan; Bao, Qiaoliang; Zhang, Yupeng

2017-01-01

In this work, a high performance vertical-type photodetector based on two-dimensional (2D) CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite nanosheets was fabricated. The low trap density of the perovskite nanosheets and their short carrier diffusion distance result in a significant performance enhancement of the perovskite-based photodetector. The photoresponsivity of this vertical-type photodetector is as high as 36 mA W −1 at visible wavelength, which is much better than traditional perovskite photodetectors (0.34 mA W −1 ). Compared with traditional planar-type perovskite-based photodetectors, this vertical-type photodetector also shows the advantages of low-voltage operation and large responsivity. These results may pave the way for exploiting high performance perovskite-based photodetectors with an ingenious device design. (paper)

CaCu3Ti4O12: A Bifunctional Perovskite Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kushwaha, H.S.; Halder, Aditi; Thomas, P.; Vaish, Rahul

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A cost effective double perovskite CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 have been synthesized using oxalate precursor method. •CCTO electrocatalyst exhibit enhanced bifunctional electrocatalytic activities. •CCTO electrocatalyst have lower overpotential and higher mass activity as compared to noble metal oxide and well-known perovskite catalysts. •Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigations of oxygen reactions on perovskite surfaces. -- Abstract: Perovskite oxides are prominent materials as the bifunctional electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) for the electrochemical energy conversion and storage using regenerative fuel cells and rechargeable metal-air batteries. In this work, a quadruple perovskite CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 has been synthesized oxalate precursor route. X-ray diffraction pattern shows phase purity of the synthesized electrocatalyst. The synthesized CCTO electrocatalyst have crystallite size of 26 nm. Electrochemical investigations reveal that CCTO exhibit efficient catalytic activity. More interestingly, an extremely high OER activity is observed for CCTO electrocatalysts which is found superior than similar class of perovskites. Additionally, CCTO shows efficient ORR activity with an onset potential of 0.83 V which is better than that of Pt/C catalyst (≈0.94 V). These results demonstrate the significant potential of CCTO perovskite as a bifunctional electrode material for alkaline fuel cells and metal-air batteries.

Enhanced planar perovskite solar cell efficiency and stability using a perovskite/PCBM heterojunction formed in one step.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Long; Chang, Jingjing; Liu, Ziye; Sun, Xu; Lin, Zhenhua; Chen, Dazheng; Zhang, Chunfu; Zhang, Jincheng; Hao, Yue

2018-02-08

Perovskite/PCBM heterojunctions are efficient for fabricating perovskite solar cells with high performance and long-term stability. In this study, an efficient perovskite/PCBM heterojunction was formed via conventional sequential deposition and one-step formation processes. Compared with conventional deposition, the one-step process was more facile, and produced a perovskite thin film of substantially improved quality due to fullerene passivation. Moreover, the resulting perovskite/PCBM heterojunction exhibited more efficient carrier transfer and extraction, and reduced carrier recombination. The perovskite solar cell device based on one-step perovskite/PCBM heterojunction formation exhibited a higher maximum PCE of 17.8% compared with that from the conventional method (13.7%). The device also showed exceptional stability, retaining 83% of initial PCE after 60 days of storage under ambient conditions.

Perovskites in the comb roof base of hornets : Their possible function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ishay, JS; Joseph, Z; Galushko, D; Ermakov, N; Bergman, DJ; Barkay, Z; Stokroos, [No Value; Van der Want, J

2005-01-01

On the ceiling of the Oriental hornet comb cell, there are mineral granules of poly-crystalline material known to belong to the group of perovskites. In a comb cell intended to house a worker hornet, the roof base usually carries one or several such perovskite granules containing titanium (Ti),

Efficient Planar Structured Perovskite Solar Cells with Enhanced Open-Circuit Voltage and Suppressed Charge Recombination Based on a Slow Grown Perovskite Layer from Lead Acetate Precursor.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cong; Guo, Qiang; Wang, Zhibin; Bai, Yiming; Liu, Lin; Wang, Fuzhi; Zhou, Erjun; Hayat, Tasawar; Alsaedi, Ahmed; Tan, Zhan'ao

2017-12-06

For planar structured organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PerSCs) with the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:polystyrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hole transport layer, the open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of the device is limited to be about 1.0 V, resulting in inferior performance in comparison with TiO 2 -based planar counterparts. Therefore, increasing V oc of the PEDOT:PSS-based planar device is an important way to enhance the efficiency of the PerSCs. Herein, we demonstrate a novel approach for perovskite film formation and the film is formed by slow growth from lead acetate precursor via a one-step spin-coating process without the thermal annealing (TA) process. Because the perovskite layer grows slowly and naturally, high-quality perovskite film can be achieved with larger crystalline particles, less defects, and smoother surface morphology. Ultraviolet absorption, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy (photoluminescence), and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy are used to clarify the crystallinity, morphology, and internal defects of perovskite thin films. The power conversion efficiency of p-i-n PerSCs based on slow-grown film (16.33%) shows greatly enhanced performance compared to that of the control device based on traditional thermally annealed perovskite film (14.33%). Furthermore, the V oc of the slow-growing device reaches 1.12 V, which is 0.1 V higher than that of the TA device. These findings indicate that slow growth of the perovskite layer from lead acetate precursor is a promising approach to achieve high-quality perovskite film for high-performance PerSCs.

Effect of A-site deficiency in LaMn_0_._9Co_0_._1O_3 perovskites on their catalytic performance for soot combustion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinamarca, Robinson; Garcia, Ximena; Jimenez, Romel; Fierro, J.L.G.; Pecchi, Gina

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A-site defective perovskites increases the oxidation state of the B-cation. • Not always non-stoichiometric perovskites exhibit higher catalytic activity in soot combustion. • The highly symmetric cubic crystalline structure diminishes the redox properties of perovskites. - Abstract: The influence of lanthanum stoichiometry in Ag-doped (La_1_-_xAg_xMn_0_._9Co_0_._1O_3) and A-site deficient (La_1_-_xMn_0_._9Co_0_._1O_3_-_δ) perovskites with x equal to 10, 20 and 30 at.% has been investigated in catalysts for soot combustion. The catalysts were prepared by the amorphous citrate method and characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, XPS, O_2-TPD and TPR. The formation of a rhombohedral excess-oxygen perovskite for Ag-doped and a cubic perovskite structure for an A-site deficient series is confirmed. The efficient catalytic performance of the larger Ag-doped perovskite structure is attributed to the rhombohedral crystalline structure, Ag_2O segregated phases and the redox pair Mn"4"+/Mn"3"+. A poor catalytic activity for soot combustion was observed with A-site deficient perovskites, despite the increase in the redox pair Mn"4"+/Mn"3"+, which is attributed to the cubic crystalline structure.

High-Performance Red-Light Photodetector Based on Lead-Free Bismuth Halide Perovskite Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Xiao-Wei; Kong, Wei-Yu; Wang, You-Yi; Zhu, Jin-Miao; Luo, Lin-Bao; Wang, Zheng-Hua

2017-06-07

In this study, we developed a sensitive red-light photodetector (RLPD) based on CsBi 3 I 10 perovskite thin film. This inorganic, lead-free perovskite was fabricated by a simple spin-coating method. Device analysis reveals that the as-assembled RLPD was very sensitive to 650 nm light, with an on/off ratio as high as 10 5 . The responsivity and specific detectivity of the device were estimated to be 21.8 A/W and 1.93 × 10 13 Jones, respectively, which are much better than those of other lead halide perovskite devices. In addition, the device shows a fast response (rise time: 0.33 ms; fall time: 0.38 ms) and a high external quantum efficiency (4.13 × 10 3 %). It is also revealed that the RLPD has a very good device stability even after storage for 3 months under ambient conditions. In summary, we suggest that the CsBi 3 I 10 perovskite photodetector developed in this study may have potential applications in future optoelectronic systems.

Perovskite-based solar cells with inorganic inverted hybrid planar heterojunction structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Chih Lai

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We demonstrated the good performance of inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based solar cells (SCs with glass/ITO/NiOx/CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite/C60/ room temperature (RT-sputtered ZnO/Al structure. We adopted spin coating and RT sputtering for the deposition of NiOx and ZnO, respectively. The inorganic hole and electron transport layer of NiOx and RT-sputtered ZnO, respectively, could improve the open-circuit voltage (VOC, short-circuit current density (JSC, and power conversion efficiency (η% of the SCs. We obtained inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs with a JSC of 21.96 A/cm2, a VOC of 1.02 V, a fill factor (FF% of 68.2%, and an η% of 15.3% despite the sputtering damage of the RT-sputtered ZnO deposition. Moreover, the RT-sputtered ZnO could function as a diffusion barrier for Al, moisture, and O2. The inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs demonstrated improved storage reliability.

Perovskite-based solar cells with inorganic inverted hybrid planar heterojunction structure

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Wei-Chih; Lin, Kun-Wei; Guo, Tzung-Fang; Chen, Peter; Liao, Yuan-Yu

2018-01-01

We demonstrated the good performance of inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based solar cells (SCs) with glass/ITO/NiOx/CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite/C60/ room temperature (RT)-sputtered ZnO/Al structure. We adopted spin coating and RT sputtering for the deposition of NiOx and ZnO, respectively. The inorganic hole and electron transport layer of NiOx and RT-sputtered ZnO, respectively, could improve the open-circuit voltage (VOC), short-circuit current density (JSC), and power conversion efficiency (η%) of the SCs. We obtained inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs with a JSC of 21.96 A/cm2, a VOC of 1.02 V, a fill factor (FF%) of 68.2%, and an η% of 15.3% despite the sputtering damage of the RT-sputtered ZnO deposition. Moreover, the RT-sputtered ZnO could function as a diffusion barrier for Al, moisture, and O2. The inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs demonstrated improved storage reliability.

Highly Reproducible Sn-Based Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells with 9% Efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shao, Shuyan; Liu, Jian; Portale, Giuseppe; Fang, Hong-Hua; Blake, Graeme R.; ten Brink, Gert H.; Koster, L. Jan Anton; Loi, Maria Antonietta

2018-01-01

The low power conversion efficiency (PCE) of tin-based hybrid perovskite solar cells (HPSCs) is mainly attributed to the high background carrier density due to a high density of intrinsic defects such as Sn vacancies and oxidized species (Sn4+) that characterize Sn-based HPSCs. Herein, this study

Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Photodetectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Wei; Zhou, Huanping; Li, Liang

2017-11-01

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials garner enormous attention for a wide range of optoelectronic devices. Due to their attractive optical and electrical properties including high optical absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility, and long carrier diffusion length, perovskites have opened up a great opportunity for high performance photodetectors. This review aims to give a comprehensive summary of the significant results on perovskite-based photodetectors, focusing on the relationship among the perovskite structures, device configurations, and photodetecting performances. An introduction of recent progress in various perovskite structure-based photodetectors is provided. The emphasis is placed on the correlation between the perovskite structure and the device performance. Next, recent developments of bandgap-tunable perovskite and hybrid photodetectors built from perovskite heterostructures are highlighted. Then, effective approaches to enhance the stability of perovskite photodetector are presented, followed by the introduction of flexible and self-powered perovskite photodetectors. Finally, a summary of the previous results is given, and the major challenges that need to be addressed in the future are outlined. A comprehensive summary of the research status on perovskite photodetectors is hoped to push forward the development of this field. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Interface Engineering and Morphology Study of Thin Film Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskite Optoelectronic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Lei

Solar energy harvesting through photovoltaic conversion has gained great attention as a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to meet the rapidly increasing global energy demand. Currently, the high cost of solar-cell technology limits its widespread use. This situation has generated considerable interest in developing alternative solar-cell technologies that reduce cost through the use of less expensive materials and processes. Perovskite solar cells provide a promising low-cost technology for harnessing this energy source. In Chapter two, a moisture-assist method is introduced and studied to facilitate grain growth of solution processed perovskite films. As an approach to achieve high-quality perovskite films, I anneal the precursor film in a humid environment (ambient air) to dramatically increase grain size, carrier mobility, and charge carrier lifetime, thus improving electrical and optical properties and enhancing photovoltaic performance. It is revealed that mild moisture has a positive effect on perovskite film formation, demonstrating perovskite solar cells with 17.1% power conversion efficiency. Later on, in Chapter four, an ultrathin flexible device delivering a PCE of 14.0% is introduced. The device is based on silver-mesh substrates exhibiting superior durability against mechanical bending. Due to their low energy of formation, organic lead iodide perovskites are also susceptible to degradation in moisture and air. The charge transport layer therefore plays a key role in protecting the perovskite photoactive layer from exposure to such environments, thus achieving highly stable perovskite-based photovoltaic cells. Although incorporating organic charge transport layers can provide high efficiencies and reduced hysteresis, concerns remain regarding device stability and the cost of fabrication. In this work, perovskite solar cells that have all solution-processed metal oxide charge transport layers were demonstrated. Stability has been

Random lasing actions in self-assembled perovskite nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuai; Sun, Wenzhao; Li, Jiankai; Gu, Zhiyuan; Wang, Kaiyang; Xiao, Shumin; Song, Qinghai

2016-05-01

Solution-based perovskite nanoparticles have been intensively studied in the past few years due to their applications in both photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. Here, based on the common ground between solution-based perovskite and random lasers, we have studied the mirrorless lasing actions in self-assembled perovskite nanoparticles. After synthesis from a solution, discrete lasing peaks have been observed from optically pumped perovskites without any well-defined cavity boundaries. We have demonstrated that the origin of the random lasing emissions is the scattering between the nanostructures in the perovskite microplates. The obtained quality (Q) factors and thresholds of random lasers are around 500 and 60 μJ/cm2, respectively. Both values are comparable to the conventional perovskite microdisk lasers with polygon-shaped cavity boundaries. From the corresponding studies on laser spectra and fluorescence microscope images, the lasing actions are considered random lasers that are generated by strong multiple scattering in random gain media. In additional to conventional single-photon excitation, due to the strong nonlinear effects of perovskites, two-photon pumped random lasers have also been demonstrated for the first time. We believe this research will find its potential applications in low-cost coherent light sources and biomedical detection.

Elucidating the Key Role of a Lewis Base Solvent in the Formation of Perovskite Films Fabricated from the Lewis Adduct Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaobing; Zhi, Lili; Li, Yahui; Fang, Fei; Cui, Xian; Yao, Youwei; Ci, Lijie; Ding, Kongxian; Wei, Jinquan

2017-09-27

High-quality perovskite films can be fabricated from Lewis acid-base adducts through molecule exchange. Substantial work is needed to fully understand the formation mechanism of the perovskite films, which helps to further improve their quality. Here, we study the formation of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite films by introducing some dimethylacetamide into the PbI 2 /N,N-dimethylformamide solution. We reveal that there are three key processes during the formation of perovskite films through the Lewis acid-base adduct approach: molecule intercalation of solvent into the PbI 2 lattice, molecule exchange between the solvent and CH 3 NH 3 I, and dissolution-recrystallization of the perovskite grains during annealing. The Lewis base solvents play multiple functions in the above processes. The properties of the solvent, including Lewis basicity and boiling point, play key roles in forming smooth perovskite films with large grains. We also provide some rules for choosing Lewis base additives to prepare high-quality perovskite films through the Lewis adduct approach.

Preparation of manganese-based perovskite nanoparticles using a ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Preparation of manganese-based perovskite nanoparticles using a reverse microemulsion method: ... ted much attention in various fields of medicine and pharma- cology such as .... In addition, the SAR value of sample was calculated through ...

Catalytic Transformation of Ethylbenzene over Y-Zeolite-based Catalysts

KAUST Repository

Al-Khattaf, Sulaiman

2008-11-19

Catalytic transformation of ethylbenzene (EB) has been investigated over ultrastable Y (USY)-zeolite-based catalysts in a novel riser simulator at different operating conditions. The effect of reaction conditions on EB conversion is reported. The USY catalyst (FCC-Y) was modified by steaming to form a significantly lower acidity catalyst (FCC-SY). The current study shows that the FCC-SY catalyst favors EB disproportionation more than cracking. A comparison has been made between the results of EB conversion over the lowly acidic catalyst (FCC-SY) and the highly acidic catalyst (FCC-Y) under identical conditions. It was observed that increase in catalyst acidity favored cracking of EB at the expense of disproportionation. Kinetic parameters for EB disappearance during disproportionation reaction over the FCC-SY catalyst were calculated using the catalyst activity decay function based on time on stream (TOS). © 2008 American Chemical Society.

First Principles Study of Electronic and Magnetic Structures in Double Perovskites

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Molly

At present, electronic devices are reaching their storage and processing limit causing a major push to find materials that can be used in the next generation of devices. Double perovskites with A2BB'O 6 stoichiometry form one of the leading classes of materials currently being studied as a potential candidate because of their extremely wide range and tunability of functional properties, along with economic and highly scalable synthesis routes. Having a thorough understanding of their electronic and magnetic structure and their dependence on composition and local structure is the basis for targeted development of novel and optimized double perovskites. While the body of knowledge and rules within the field of materials chemistry has enabled many previous discoveries, recent developments within density functional theory (DFT) allow by now a rather realistic description of the electronic and magnetic properties of materials and especially identification of their origin from geometry and orbital structure. This thesis details computational work based on DFT within several collaborative studies to better understand the electronic and magnetic properties of double perovskites and related materials that show promise for future use in multifunctional devices. First, we will begin with a general introduction to the double perovskite structure, their properties, and the computational methods used to study them. In the next section, we will look at the case of the antiferromagnetic, insulating double perovskite Sr2CoOsO6, where measurements showed that the transition metal ions in the two sublattices undergo magnetic ordering independently of each other, indicating weak magnetic short-range coupling and a dominance of longer-range interactions, which has previously not been observed. Here, we performed DFT calculations to extract the exchange strengths between the ions and explain this unique dominance of the long-range interactions. Then, we will look at studies done on thin

Template-based electrophoretic deposition of perovskite PZT nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nourmohammadi, A. [Solid Surfaces Analysis and Electron Microscopy Group, Institute of Physics, Chemnitz University of Technology, D-09126 Chemnitz (Germany); Semiconductors Department, Materials and Energy Research Center (MERC), 31779-83634 Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Bahrevar, M.A. [Semiconductors Department, Materials and Energy Research Center (MERC), 31779-83634 Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: ma.bahrevar@yahoo.com; Hietschold, M. [Solid Surfaces Analysis and Electron Microscopy Group, Institute of Physics, Chemnitz University of Technology, D-09126 Chemnitz (Germany)

2009-04-03

Template-based electrophoretic deposition of perovskite lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanotubes was achieved using anodic alumina (AA) membranes and sols, containing lead, zirconium and titanium precursors. The effect of various anodizing voltages on the size of the channels in the anodic alumina template was investigated. The prepared sol was driven into the channels under the influence of various electric fields and subsequently sintered at about 700 deg. C. The effects of the initial heating rates and the burn-out temperature on the phase evolution of the samples were studied and a modified firing process was employed. The effects of the electrophoretic voltage and the deposition time on the average wall thickness of the tubes were investigated. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) revealed the efficiency of electrophoresis in the growth of lead zirconate titanate nanotubes in a close-packed array. The X-ray diffraction analyses indicated the presence of perovskite as the principal phase after a modified firing schedule.

A New Lead Iodide Perovskite based on Large Organic Cation for Solar Cell Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chunqing; Shen, Dong; Lo, Ming Fai; Lee, Chun-Sing

2018-06-06

Methylammonium (CH3NH3+) and formamidinium ((NH2)2CH+) based lead iodide perovskites are currently the two commonly used organic-inorganic lead iodide perovskites for solar cell application. Till now, there is still no alternative organic cations, which can produce perovskites with bandgaps spanning the visible spectrum (i.e. solar cell application. Here, a new perovskite using large propane-1,3-diammonium cation (n-Pr(NH3)22+) with a chemical structure of (n-Pr(NH3)2)0.5PbI3 is demonstrated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) result shows that the new perovskite exhibits a three-dimensional (3D), tetragonal phase. The bandgap of the new perovskite is ~ 1.6 eV, which is desirable for photovoltaic application. A (n-Pr(NH3)2)0.5PbI3 perovskite solar cell (PSC) yields a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.1%. More importantly, this new perovskite is composed of larger hydrophobic cation that provides a better moisture resistance compared to CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis and Evaluation of ABO3 Perovskites (A=La and B=Mn, Co with Stoichiometric and Over-stoichiometric Ratios of B/A for Catalytic Oxidation of Trichloroethylene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Razieh Alagheband

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this contribution, perovskite catalysts (ABO3 were probed that site A and site B were occupied by lanthanum and transition metals of manganese or cobalt, respectively, with stoichiometric ratios as well as 20 % over-stoichiometric ratios of B/A. The perovskite samples were synthesized using a gel-combustion method and characterized by BET, XRD, SEM and O2-TPD analyses. After mounting in a fixed bed reactor, the catalysts were examined in atmospheric pressure conditions at different temperatures for oxidation of 1000 ppm trichloroethylene in the air. Evaluation of over-stoichiometric catalysts activity showed that the increased ratio of B/A in the catalysts compared to the stoichiometric one led to BET surface area, oxygen mobility, and consequently catalytic performance improvement. The lanthanum manganite perovskite with 20 % excess manganese yielded the best catalytic performance among the probed perovskites. Copyright © 2018 BCREC Group. All rights reserved Received: 28th April 2017; Revised: 31st July 2017; Accepted: 4th August 2017; Available online: 22nd January 2018; Published regularly: 2nd April 2018 How to Cite: Alagheband, R., Maghsoodi, S., Kootenaei, A.S., Kianmanesh, H. (2018. Synthesis and Evaluation of ABO3 Perovskites (A=La and B=Mn, Co with Stoichiometric and Over-stoichiometric Ratios of B/A for Catalytic Oxidation of Trichloroethylene. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 13 (1: 47-56 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.13.1.1188.47-56

A combined ToF-SIMS and XPS study for the elucidation of the role of water in the performances of a Post-Plasma Process using LaMnO3+δ as catalyst in the total oxidation of trichloroethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuns, N.; Beaurain, A.; Dinh, M.T. Nguyen; Vandenbroucke, A.; De Geyter, N.; Morent, R.; Leys, C.; Giraudon, J.-M.; Lamonier, J.-F.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Water promotes the cleaning of the perovskite active sites. • Water is able to tune the degradation pathway of dichloroacetyl chloride. • Detection of CH 2 Cl + and CHCl 2 + by ToF-SIMS on the catalyst in dry air. - Abstract: LaMnO 3+δ which is an environment-friendly and inexpensive material has been previously used as catalyst in Post-Plasma Catalysis (PPC) in the total oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) which is a solvent widely used in dry cleaning and degreasing processes. It has been shown that the process efficiency increases in moist air (RH = 18%).The issue we want to address herein is the effect of water on the location of chlorine at the surface of the catalyst as chlorine is able to alter the catalyst structure, activity and stability. Therefore, a combined Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) study has been carried out on the fresh LaMnO 3+δ catalyst (LM) and used catalysts after performing PPC with TCE diluted in dry synthetic air (LM0) or with industrial air containing water (LM18; 18 stands for the Relative Humidity) and CO 2 (about 560 ppmv) at a temperature of 150 °C. XPS and ToF-SIMS results both show the presence of chlorine on the tested catalysts whose amount increases by exposure of the catalyst to the reactive mixture in dry synthetic air. XPS results reveal that chlorine is present as both chloride ion and covalent chlorine on LM0 while organic chlorinated residues are absent on LM18 catalyst. ToF-SIMS study indicates that lanthanum excess as oxide(hydroxide) partially covering the perovskite mainly transforms into LaOCl and to a minor extent into LaCl 3 . Extent of Mn chlorination seems to be favored over LM0 having a higher MnCl x ± /MnOCl ± ionic ratio compared to LM18. Furthermore ToF-SIMS clearly identifies C1 chlorinated organic ions, mainly CH 2 Cl + and CHCl 2 − , on LM0 which may contribute to the XPS Cl organic

Perovskite-Perovskite Homojunctions via Compositional Doping.

Science.gov (United States)

Dänekamp, Benedikt; Müller, Christian; Sendner, Michael; Boix, Pablo P; Sessolo, Michele; Lovrincic, Robert; Bolink, Henk J

2018-05-11

One of the most important properties of semiconductors is the possibility of controlling their electronic behavior via intentional doping. Despite the unprecedented progress in the understanding of hybrid metal halide perovskites, extrinsic doping of perovskite remains nearly unexplored and perovskite-perovskite homojunctions have not been reported. Here we present a perovskite-perovskite homojunction obtained by vacuum deposition of stoichiometrically tuned methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) films. Doping is realized by adjusting the relative deposition rates of MAI and PbI 2 , obtaining p-type (MAI excess) and n-type (MAI defect) MAPI. The successful stoichiometry change in the thin films is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, which allows us to determine the MA content in the films. We analyzed the resulting thin-film junction by cross-sectional scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) and found a contact potential difference (CPD) of 250 mV between the two differently doped perovskite layers. Planar diodes built with the perovskite-perovskite homojunction show the feasibility of our approach for implementation in devices.

Chromite/titanate based perovskites for application as anodes in solid oxide fuel cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pudmich, G.; Boukamp, Bernard A.; Gonzalez Cuenca, M.M.; Jungen, W.; Zipprich, W.M.; Tietz, F.

2000-01-01

Perovskites containing lanthanides, partially substituted by alkaline-earth elements and transition metals like Cr, Ti, Fe or Co show a very broad range of physical properties. Therefore several perovskite materials, based on lanthanum chromite and strontium titanate were synthesised and

Curtailing Perovskite Processing Limitations via Lamination at the Perovskite/Perovskite Interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Hest, Marinus F [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Moore, David [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Klein, Talysa [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Christians, Jeffrey A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Beard, Matthew C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Berry, Joseph J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dunfield, Sean P. [University of Colorado; Fabian, David M. [University of California Irvine; Dixon, Alex G. [University of Colorado; Dou, Benjia [University of Colorado; Ardo, Shane [University of California Irvine; Shaheen, Sean E. [University of Colorado

2018-04-24

Standard layer-by-layer solution processing methods constrain lead-halide perovskite device architectures. The layer below the perovskite must be robust to the strong organic solvents used to form the perovskite while the layer above has a limited thermal budget and must be processed in nonpolar solvents to prevent perovskite degradation. To circumvent these limitations, we developed a procedure where two transparent conductive oxide/transport material/perovskite half stacks are independently fabricated and then laminated together at the perovskite/perovskite interface. Using ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, external quantum efficiency, X-ray diffraction, and time-resolved photoluminesence spectroscopy, we show that this procedure improves photovoltaic properties of the perovskite layer. Applying this procedure, semitransparent devices employing two high-temperature oxide transport layers were fabricated, which realized an average efficiency of 9.6% (maximum: 10.6%) despite series resistance limitations from the substrate design. Overall, the developed lamination procedure curtails processing constraints, enables new device designs, and affords new opportunities for optimization.

Study of transport properties of bodies with a perovskite structure: application to the MgSiO3 perovskite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapusta, Benedicte

1990-01-01

After some recalls on transport in ionic solids (Nernst-Einstein relationship, variation of ionic conductivity, hybrid conduction, fast ionic conduction), this research thesis presents the physical properties of perovskites and more particularly the structure and stability of the MgSiO 3 perovskite: structure and elastic properties, electric conductivity and transport properties in compounds with a perovskite structure. Then, the author reports the experimental study of the KZnF 3 perovskite (a structural analogous of MgSiO 3 ): measurements of electric conductivity under pressure, measurements under atmospheric pressure, result discussion. The next part addresses the numerical simulation of MgSiO 3 : simulation techniques (generalities on molecular dynamics, model description), investigation of structural, elastic and thermodynamic properties, diffusion properties in quadratic phase [fr

Intrinsic Defect Physics in Indium-based Lead-free Halide Double Perovskites.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jian; Liu, Jian-Bo; Liu, Bai-Xin; Huang, Bing

2017-09-21

Lead-free halide double perovskites (HDPs) are expected to be promising photovoltaic (PV) materials beyond organic-inorganic halide perovskite, which is hindered by its structural instability and toxicity. The defect- and stability-related properties of HDPs are critical for the use of HDPs as important PV absorbers, yet their reliability is still unclear. Taking Cs 2 AgInBr 6 as a representative, we have systemically investigated the defect properties of HDPs by theoretical calculations. First, we have determined the stable chemical potential regions to grow stoichiometric Cs 2 AgInBr 6 without structural decomposition. Second, we reveal that Ag-rich and Br-poor are the ideal chemical potential conditions to grow n-type Cs 2 AgInBr 6 with shallow defect levels. Third, we find the conductivity of Cs 2 AgInBr 6 can change from good n-type, to poorer n-type, to intrinsic semiconducting depending on the growth conditions. Our studies provided important guidance for experiments to fabricate Pb-free perovskite-based solar cell devices with superior PV performances.

2D halide perovskite-based van der Waals heterostructures: contact evaluation and performance modulation

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yaguang; Saidi, Wissam A.; Wang, Qian

2017-09-01

Halide perovskites and van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are both of current interest owing to their novel properties and potential applications in nano-devices. Here, we show the great potential of 2D halide perovskite sheets (C4H9NH3)2PbX4 (X  =  Cl, Br and I) that were synthesized recently (Dou et al 2015 Science 349 1518-21) as the channel materials contacting with graphene and other 2D metallic sheets to form van der Waals heterostructures for field effect transistor (FET). Based on state-of-the-art theoretical simulations, we show that the intrinsic properties of the 2D halide perovskites are preserved in the heterojunction, which is different from the conventional contact with metal surfaces. The 2D halide perovskites form a p-type Schottky barrier (Φh) contact with graphene, where tunneling barrier exists, and a negative band bending occurs at the lateral interface. We demonstrate that the Schottky barrier can be turned from p-type to n-type by doping graphene with nitrogen atoms, and a low-Φh or an Ohmic contact can be realized by doping graphene with boron atoms or replacing graphene with other high-work-function 2D metallic sheets such as ZT-MoS2, ZT-MoSe2 and H-NbS2. This study not only predicts a 2D halide perovskite-based FETs, but also enhances the understanding of tuning Schottky barrier height in device applications.

Development of Non-Noble Metal Ni-Based Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Methylcyclohexane

KAUST Repository

Al-ShaikhAli, Anaam H.

2016-11-30

Liquid organic chemical hydride is a promising candidate for hydrogen storage and transport. Methylcyclohexane (MCH) to toluene (TOL) cycle has been considered as one of the feasible hydrogen carrier systems, but selective dehydrogenation of MCH to TOL has only been achieved using the noble Pt-based catalysts. The aim of this study is to develop non-noble, cost-effective metal catalysts that can show excellent catalytic performance, mainly maintaining high TOL selectivity achievable by Pt based catalysts. Mono-metallic Ni based catalyst is a well-known dehydrogenation catalyst, but the major drawback with Ni is its hydrogenolysis activity to cleave C-C bonds, which leads to inferior selectivity towards dehydrogenation of MCH to TOL. This study elucidate addition of the second metal to Ni based catalyst to improve the TOL selectivity. Herein, ubiquitous bi-metallic nanoparticles catalysts were investigated including (Ni–M, M: Ag, Zn, Sn or In) based catalysts. Among the catalysts investigated, the high TOL selectivity (> 99%) at low conversions was achieved effectively using the supported NiZn catalyst under flow of excess H2. In this work, a combined study of experimental and computational approaches was conducted to determine the main role of Zn over Ni based catalyst in promoting the TOL selectivity. A kinetic study using mono- and bimetallic Ni based catalysts was conducted to elucidate reaction mechanism and site requirement for MCH dehydrogenation reaction. The impact of different reaction conditions (feed compositions, temperature, space velocity and stability) and catalyst properties were evaluated. This study elucidates a distinctive mechanism of MCH dehydrogenation to TOL reaction over the Ni-based catalysts. Distinctive from Pt catalyst, a nearly positive half order with respect to H2 pressure was obtained for mono- and bi-metallic Ni based catalysts. This kinetic data was consistent with rate determining step as (somewhat paradoxically) hydrogenation

Evaluation of physics-based numerical modelling for diverse design architecture of perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, A. K.; Catalan, Jorge; Camacho, Diana; Martinez, Miguel; Hodges, D.

2017-08-01

Solution processed organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite based solar cells are emerging as a new cost effective photovoltaic technology. In the context of increasing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and sustainability of perovskite solar cells (PSC) devices, we comprehensively analyzed a physics-based numerical modelling for doped and un-doped PSC devices. Our analytics emphasized the role of different charge carrier layers from the view point of interfacial adhesion and its influence on charge extraction rate and charge recombination mechanism. Morphological and charge transport properties of perovskite thin film as a function of device architecture are also considered to investigate the photovoltaic properties of PSC. We observed that photocurrent is dominantly influenced by interfacial recombination process and photovoltage has functional relationship with defect density of perovskite absorption layer. A novel contour mapping method to understand the characteristics of current density-voltage (J-V) curves for each device as a function of perovskite layer thickness provide an important insight about the distribution spectrum of photovoltaic properties. Functional relationship of device efficiency and fill factor with absorption layer thickness are also discussed.

Effect of A-site deficiency in LaMn{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.1}O{sub 3} perovskites on their catalytic performance for soot combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dinamarca, Robinson [Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Concepción, Concepción (Chile); Garcia, Ximena; Jimenez, Romel [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Concepción, Concepción (Chile); Fierro, J.L.G. [Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Pecchi, Gina, E-mail: gpecchi@udec.cl [Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Concepción, Concepción (Chile)

2016-09-15

Highlights: • A-site defective perovskites increases the oxidation state of the B-cation. • Not always non-stoichiometric perovskites exhibit higher catalytic activity in soot combustion. • The highly symmetric cubic crystalline structure diminishes the redox properties of perovskites. - Abstract: The influence of lanthanum stoichiometry in Ag-doped (La{sub 1-x}Ag{sub x}Mn{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.1}O{sub 3}) and A-site deficient (La{sub 1-x}Mn{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.1}O{sub 3-δ}) perovskites with x equal to 10, 20 and 30 at.% has been investigated in catalysts for soot combustion. The catalysts were prepared by the amorphous citrate method and characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, XPS, O{sub 2}-TPD and TPR. The formation of a rhombohedral excess-oxygen perovskite for Ag-doped and a cubic perovskite structure for an A-site deficient series is confirmed. The efficient catalytic performance of the larger Ag-doped perovskite structure is attributed to the rhombohedral crystalline structure, Ag{sub 2}O segregated phases and the redox pair Mn{sup 4+}/Mn{sup 3+}. A poor catalytic activity for soot combustion was observed with A-site deficient perovskites, despite the increase in the redox pair Mn{sup 4+}/Mn{sup 3+}, which is attributed to the cubic crystalline structure.

Perovskite Thin Film Solar Cells Based on Inorganic Hole Conducting Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pan-Pan Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites have recently shown great potential for application, due to their advantages of low-cost, excellent photoelectric properties and high power conversion efficiency. Perovskite-based thin film solar cells have achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE of up to 20%. Hole transport materials (HTMs are one of the most important components of perovskite solar cells (PSCs, having functions of optimizing interface, adjusting the energy match, and helping to obtain higher PCE. Inorganic p-type semiconductors are alternative HTMs due to their chemical stability, higher mobility, high transparency in the visible region, and applicable valence band (VB energy level. This review analyzed the advantages, disadvantages, and development prospects of several popular inorganic HTMs in PSCs.

Chemical Origin of the Stability Difference between Copper(I)- and Silver(I)-Based Halide Double Perovskites.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zewen; Du, Ke-Zhao; Meng, Weiwei; Mitzi, David B; Yan, Yanfa

2017-09-25

Recently, Cu I - and Ag I -based halide double perovskites have been proposed as promising candidates for overcoming the toxicity and instability issues inherent within the emerging Pb-based halide perovskite absorbers. However, up to date, only Ag I -based halide double perovskites have been experimentally synthesized; there are no reports on successful synthesis of Cu I -based analogues. Here we show that, owing to the much higher energy level for the Cu 3d 10 orbitals than for the Ag 4d 10 orbitals, Cu I atoms energetically favor 4-fold coordination, forming [CuX 4 ] tetrahedra (X=halogen), but not 6-fold coordination as required for [CuX 6 ] octahedra. In contrast, Ag I atoms can have both 6- and 4-fold coordinations. Our density functional theory calculations reveal that the synthesis of Cu I halide double perovskites may instead lead to non-perovskites containing [CuX 4 ] tetrahedra, as confirmed by our material synthesis efforts. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Distributed Feedback Laser Based on Single Crystal Perovskite

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shang; Xiao, Shumin; Song, Qinghai

2017-06-01

We demonstrate a single crystal perovskite based, with grating-structured photoresist on top, highly polarized distributed feedback laser. A lower laser threshold than the Fabry-Perot mode lasers from the same single crystal CH3NH3PbBr3 microplate was obtained. Single crystal CH3NH3PbBr3 microplates was synthesized with one-step solution processed precipitation method. Once the photoresist on top of the microplate was patterned with electron beam, the device was realized. This one-step fabrication process utilized the advantage of single crystal to the greatest extend. The ultra-low defect density in single crystalline microplate offer an opportunity for lower threshold lasing action compare with poly-crystal perovskite films. In the experiment, the lasing action based on the distributed feedback grating design was found with lower threshold and higher intensity than the Fabry-Perot mode lasers supported by the flat facets of the same microplate.

A combined ToF-SIMS and XPS study for the elucidation of the role of water in the performances of a Post-Plasma Process using LaMnO{sub 3+δ} as catalyst in the total oxidation of trichloroethylene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nuns, N. [Université Lille1 Sciences et Technologies, Lille (France); IMMCL Chevreul, Institut des Molécules et de la Matière Condensée, Lille (France); Beaurain, A. [Université Lille1 Sciences et Technologies, Lille (France); Dinh, M.T. Nguyen [Université Lille1 Sciences et Technologies, Lille (France); Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, UMR CNRS 8181, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq (France); Vandenbroucke, A.; De Geyter, N.; Morent, R.; Leys, C. [Research Unit Plasma Technology, Departement of Applied Physics, Ghent University (Belgium); Giraudon, J.-M., E-mail: jean-marc.giraudon@univ-lille1.fr [Université Lille1 Sciences et Technologies, Lille (France); Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, UMR CNRS 8181, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq (France); Lamonier, J.-F. [Université Lille1 Sciences et Technologies, Lille (France); Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, UMR CNRS 8181, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq (France)

2014-11-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Water promotes the cleaning of the perovskite active sites. • Water is able to tune the degradation pathway of dichloroacetyl chloride. • Detection of CH{sub 2}Cl{sup +} and CHCl{sub 2}{sup +} by ToF-SIMS on the catalyst in dry air. - Abstract: LaMnO{sub 3+δ} which is an environment-friendly and inexpensive material has been previously used as catalyst in Post-Plasma Catalysis (PPC) in the total oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) which is a solvent widely used in dry cleaning and degreasing processes. It has been shown that the process efficiency increases in moist air (RH = 18%).The issue we want to address herein is the effect of water on the location of chlorine at the surface of the catalyst as chlorine is able to alter the catalyst structure, activity and stability. Therefore, a combined Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) study has been carried out on the fresh LaMnO{sub 3+δ} catalyst (LM) and used catalysts after performing PPC with TCE diluted in dry synthetic air (LM0) or with industrial air containing water (LM18; 18 stands for the Relative Humidity) and CO{sub 2} (about 560 ppmv) at a temperature of 150 °C. XPS and ToF-SIMS results both show the presence of chlorine on the tested catalysts whose amount increases by exposure of the catalyst to the reactive mixture in dry synthetic air. XPS results reveal that chlorine is present as both chloride ion and covalent chlorine on LM0 while organic chlorinated residues are absent on LM18 catalyst. ToF-SIMS study indicates that lanthanum excess as oxide(hydroxide) partially covering the perovskite mainly transforms into LaOCl and to a minor extent into LaCl{sub 3}. Extent of Mn chlorination seems to be favored over LM0 having a higher MnCl{sub x}{sup ±}/MnOCl{sup ±} ionic ratio compared to LM18. Furthermore ToF-SIMS clearly identifies C1 chlorinated organic ions, mainly CH{sub 2}Cl{sup +} and CHCl

Hybrid perovskites: Approaches towards light-emitting devices

KAUST Repository

Alias, Mohd Sharizal

2016-10-06

The high optical gain and absorption of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have attracted extensive research for photonic device applications. Using the bromide halide as an example, we present key approaches of our work towards realizing efficient perovskites based light-emitters. The approaches involved determination of optical constants for the hybrid perovskites thin films, fabrication of photonic nanostructures in the form of subwavelength grating reflector patterned directly on the hybrid perovskites as light manipulation layer, and enhancing the emission property of the hybrid perovskites by using microcavity structure. Our results provide a platform for realization of hybrid perovskites based light-emitting devices for solid-state lighting and display applications. © 2016 IEEE.

Hybrid perovskites: Approaches towards light-emitting devices

KAUST Repository

Alias, Mohd Sharizal; Dursun, Ibrahim; Priante, Davide; Saidaminov, Makhsud I.; Ng, Tien Khee; Bakr, Osman; Ooi, Boon S.

2016-01-01

The high optical gain and absorption of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have attracted extensive research for photonic device applications. Using the bromide halide as an example, we present key approaches of our work towards realizing efficient perovskites based light-emitters. The approaches involved determination of optical constants for the hybrid perovskites thin films, fabrication of photonic nanostructures in the form of subwavelength grating reflector patterned directly on the hybrid perovskites as light manipulation layer, and enhancing the emission property of the hybrid perovskites by using microcavity structure. Our results provide a platform for realization of hybrid perovskites based light-emitting devices for solid-state lighting and display applications. © 2016 IEEE.

Dynamic surface self-reconstruction is the key of highly active perovskite nano-electrocatalysts for water splitting

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbri, Emiliana; Nachtegaal, Maarten; Binninger, Tobias; Cheng, Xi; Kim, Bae-Jung; Durst, Julien; Bozza, Francesco; Graule, Thomas; Schäublin, Robin; Wiles, Luke; Pertoso, Morgan; Danilovic, Nemanja; Ayers, Katherine E.; Schmidt, Thomas J.

2017-09-01

The growing need to store increasing amounts of renewable energy has recently triggered substantial R&D efforts towards efficient and stable water electrolysis technologies. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) occurring at the electrolyser anode is central to the development of a clean, reliable and emission-free hydrogen economy. The development of robust and highly active anode materials for OER is therefore a great challenge and has been the main focus of research. Among potential candidates, perovskites have emerged as promising OER electrocatalysts. In this study, by combining a scalable cutting-edge synthesis method with time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements, we were able to capture the dynamic local electronic and geometric structure during realistic operando conditions for highly active OER perovskite nanocatalysts. Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ as nano-powder displays unique features that allow a dynamic self-reconstruction of the material’s surface during OER, that is, the growth of a self-assembled metal oxy(hydroxide) active layer. Therefore, besides showing outstanding performance at both the laboratory and industrial scale, we provide a fundamental understanding of the operando OER mechanism for highly active perovskite catalysts. This understanding significantly differs from design principles based on ex situ characterization techniques.

Methane partial oxidation over a LaCr0.85Ru0.15O3 catalyst : Characterization, activity tests and kinetic modeling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Melchiori, T.; Di Felice, L.; Mota, N.; Navarro, R.M.; Fierro, J.L.G.; Sint Annaland, van M.; Gallucci, F.

2014-01-01

A new LaCr0.85Ru0.15O3 perovskite-type catalyst for CH4 partial oxidation with a high activity and selectivity for syngas with good thermal stability and resistance against coking has been developed. In this paper, the catalyst preparation method, catalyst characterization, results of catalytic

Copper-Substituted Lead Perovskite Materials Constructed with Different Halides for Working (CH3NH3)2CuX4-Based Perovskite Solar Cells from Experimental and Theoretical View.

Science.gov (United States)

Elseman, Ahmed Mourtada; Shalan, Ahmed Esmail; Sajid, Sajid; Rashad, Mohamed Mohamed; Hassan, Ali Mostafa; Li, Meicheng

2018-04-11

Toxicity and chemical instability issues of halide perovskites based on organic-inorganic lead-containing materials still remain as the main drawbacks for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we discuss the preparation of copper (Cu)-based hybrid materials, where we replace lead (Pb) with nontoxic Cu metal for lead-free PSCs, and investigate their potential toward solar cell applications based on experimental and theoretical studies. The formation of (CH 3 NH 3 ) 2 CuX 4 [(CH 3 NH 3 ) 2 CuCl 4 , (CH 3 NH 3 ) 2 CuCl 2 I 2 , and (CH 3 NH 3 ) 2 CuCl 2 Br 2 ] was discussed in details. Furthermore, it was found that chlorine (Cl - ) in the structure is critical for the stabilization of the formed compounds. Cu-based perovskite-like materials showed attractive absorbance features extended to the near-infrared range, with appropriate band gaps. Green photoluminescence of these materials was obtained because of Cu + ions. The power conversion efficiency was measured experimentally and estimated theoretically for different architectures of solar cell devices.

Solar cells with perovskite-based light sensitization layers

Science.gov (United States)

Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Chang, Robert P.H.; Stoumpos, Konstantinos; Lee, Byunghong

2018-05-08

Solar cells are provided which comprise an electron transporting layer and a light sensitizing layer of perovskite disposed over the surface of the electron transporting layer. The perovskite may have a formula selected from the group consisting of A2MX6, Z2MX6 or YMX6, wherein A is an alkali metal, M is a metal or a metalloid, X is a halide, Z is selected from the group consisting of a primary ammonium, an iminium, a secondary ammonium, a tertiary ammonium, and a quaternary ammonium, and Y has formula Mb(L)3, wherein Mb is a transition metal in the 2+ oxidation state L is an N--N neutral chelating ligand. Methods of making the solar cells are also provided, including methods based on electrospray deposition.

DEVELOPMENT OF ATTRITION RESISTANT IRON-BASED FISCHER-TROPSCH CATALYSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adeyinka A. Adeyiga

2001-01-01

catalysts synthesized at Hampton University, (ii) seek improvements in the catalyst performance through variations in process conditions, pretreatment procedures and/or modifications in catalyst preparation steps and (iii) investigate the performance in a slurry reactor. The effort during the reporting period has been devoted to attrition study of the iron-based catalysts. Precipitated silica appeared to decrease attrition resistance of spray-dried iron FT catalysts. It was found that the catalyst with precipitated silica content at around 12wt% showed the lowest attrition resistance. The results of net change in volume moment and catalyst morphology showed supporting evidences to the attrition results. Catalysts with low attrition resistance generated more fines loss, had higher net change in volume moment and showed more breakage of particles. BET surface area and pore volume of this catalyst series fluctuated; therefore no conclusion can be drawn from the data obtained. However, catalyst with no precipitated silica showed the lowest in BET surface area and pore volume, as expected. Addition of precipitated silica to the catalysts had no effect to the phase changes of iron that could have significant influence to catalyst attrition. The presence of precipitated silica is needed for enhancing catalyst surface area; however, the amount of silica added should be compromising with attrition resistance of catalysts

Moessbauer study on the formation process of Fe-K composition in iron-based catalyst for dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Keyu; Zhao Zhenjie; Yang Xielong

2001-01-01

Fe-K spinel structure is the predecessor of active phase of potassium promoted iron-based catalyst for dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Moessbauer spectroscopy has been used to study the formation process of Fe-K spinel structure which depends on the catalyst composition and preparing condition. The results may prove useful for production of industrial catalyst

The activation mechanism of Fe-based olefin metathesis catalysts

KAUST Repository

Poater, Albert; Pump, Eva; Vummaleti, Sai V. C.; Cavallo, Luigi

2014-01-01

Density functional theory calculations have been used to describe the first turnover for olefin metathesis reaction of a homogenous Fe-based catalyst bearing a N-heterocyclic carbene ligand with methoxyethene as a substrate. Equal to conventional Ru-based catalysts, the activation of its Fe congener occurs through a dissociative mechanism, however with a more exothermic reaction energy profile. Predicted upper energy barriers were calculated to be on average ∼2 kcal/mol more beneficial for Fe catalyzed metathesis. Overall, this present computational study emphasises on advantages of Fe-based metathesis and gives a potential recipe for the design of an efficient Fe-based olefin metathesis catalysts. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

The activation mechanism of Fe-based olefin metathesis catalysts

KAUST Repository

Poater, Albert

2014-08-01

Density functional theory calculations have been used to describe the first turnover for olefin metathesis reaction of a homogenous Fe-based catalyst bearing a N-heterocyclic carbene ligand with methoxyethene as a substrate. Equal to conventional Ru-based catalysts, the activation of its Fe congener occurs through a dissociative mechanism, however with a more exothermic reaction energy profile. Predicted upper energy barriers were calculated to be on average ∼2 kcal/mol more beneficial for Fe catalyzed metathesis. Overall, this present computational study emphasises on advantages of Fe-based metathesis and gives a potential recipe for the design of an efficient Fe-based olefin metathesis catalysts. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Computational study on oxynitride perovskites for CO_2 photoreduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafez, Ahmed M.; Zedan, Abdallah F.; AlQaradawi, Siham Y.; Salem, Noha M.; Allam, Nageh K.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Oxynitride perovskites are investigated for photoelectrochemical CO_2 reduction. • They have small electron and hole effective masses, rendering higher mobility. • The effect of cation size on the band gap is investigated and discussed. • W-doping allowed the selection of specific CO_2 reduction products. - Abstract: The photocatalytic conversion of CO_2 into chemical fuels is an attractive route for recycling this greenhouse gas. However, the large scale application of such approach is limited by the low selectivity and activity of the currently used photocatalysts. Using first principles calculations, we report on the selection of optimum oxynitride perovskites as photocatalysts for photoelectrochemical CO_2 reduction. The results revealed six perovskites that perfectly straddle the carbon dioxide redox potential; namely, BaTaO_2N, SrTaO_2N, CaTaO_2N, LaTiO_2N, BaNbO_2N, and SrNbO_2N. The electronic structure and the effective mass of the selected candidates are discussed in details, the partial and total density of states illustrated the orbital hybridization and the contribution of each element in the valence and conduction band minima. The effect of cation size in the ABO_2N perovskites on the band gap is investigated and discussed. The optical properties of the selected perovskites are calculated to account for their photoactivity. Moreover, the effect of W doping on improving the selectivity of perovskites toward specific hydrocarbon product (methane) is discussed in details. This study reveals the promising optical and structural properties of oxynitride perovskite candidates for CO_2 photoreduction.

Efficient Regular Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Pristine [70]Fullerene as Electron-Selective Contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Collavini, Silvia; Kosta, Ivet; Völker, Sebastian F; Cabanero, German; Grande, Hans J; Tena-Zaera, Ramón; Delgado, Juan Luis

2016-06-08

[70]Fullerene is presented as an efficient alternative electron-selective contact (ESC) for regular-architecture perovskite solar cells (PSCs). A smart and simple, well-described solution processing protocol for the preparation of [70]- and [60]fullerene-based solar cells, namely the fullerene saturation approach (FSA), allowed us to obtain similar power conversion efficiencies for both fullerene materials (i.e., 10.4 and 11.4 % for [70]- and [60]fullerene-based devices, respectively). Importantly, despite the low electron mobility and significant visible-light absorption of [70]fullerene, the presented protocol allows the employment of [70]fullerene as an efficient ESC. The [70]fullerene film thickness and its solubility in the perovskite processing solutions are crucial parameters, which can be controlled by the use of this simple solution processing protocol. The damage to the [70]fullerene film through dissolution during the perovskite deposition is avoided through the saturation of the perovskite processing solution with [70]fullerene. Additionally, this fullerene-saturation strategy improves the performance of the perovskite film significantly and enhances the power conversion efficiency of solar cells based on different ESCs (i.e., [60]fullerene, [70]fullerene, and TiO2 ). Therefore, this universal solution processing protocol widens the opportunities for the further development of PSCs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multicolor fluorescent light-emitting diodes based on cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Peng [State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Bai, Xue, E-mail: baix@jlu.edu.cn, E-mail: yuzhang@jlu.edu.cn; Sun, Chun; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Yu, E-mail: baix@jlu.edu.cn, E-mail: yuzhang@jlu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Zhang, Tieqiang [State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China)

2016-08-08

High quantum yield, narrow full width at half-maximum and tunable emission color of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) make this kind of material good prospects for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the relatively poor stability under high temperature and air condition limits the device performance. To overcome this issue, the liquid-type packaging structure in combination with blue LED chip was employed to fabricate the fluorescent perovskite quantum dot-based LEDs. A variety of monochromatic LEDs with green, yellow, reddish-orange, and red emission were fabricated by utilizing the inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots as the color-conversion layer, which exhibited the narrow full width at half-maximum (<35 nm), the relatively high luminous efficiency (reaching 75.5 lm/W), and the relatively high external quantum efficiency (14.6%), making it the best-performing perovskite LEDs so far. Compared to the solid state LED device, the liquid-type LED devices exhibited excellent color stability against the various working currents. Furthermore, we demonstrated the potential prospects of all-inorganic perovskite QDs for the liquid-type warm white LEDs.

Multicolor fluorescent light-emitting diodes based on cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Peng; Bai, Xue; Sun, Chun; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Yu; Zhang, Tieqiang

2016-01-01

High quantum yield, narrow full width at half-maximum and tunable emission color of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) make this kind of material good prospects for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the relatively poor stability under high temperature and air condition limits the device performance. To overcome this issue, the liquid-type packaging structure in combination with blue LED chip was employed to fabricate the fluorescent perovskite quantum dot-based LEDs. A variety of monochromatic LEDs with green, yellow, reddish-orange, and red emission were fabricated by utilizing the inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots as the color-conversion layer, which exhibited the narrow full width at half-maximum (<35 nm), the relatively high luminous efficiency (reaching 75.5 lm/W), and the relatively high external quantum efficiency (14.6%), making it the best-performing perovskite LEDs so far. Compared to the solid state LED device, the liquid-type LED devices exhibited excellent color stability against the various working currents. Furthermore, we demonstrated the potential prospects of all-inorganic perovskite QDs for the liquid-type warm white LEDs.

In operando Detection of Three-Way Catalyst Aging by a Microwave-Based Method: Initial Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregor Beulertz

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Initial studies on aging detection of three way catalysts with a microwave cavity perturbation method were conducted. Two physico-chemical effects correlate with the aging state. At high temperatures, the resonance frequencies for oxidized catalysts (λ = 1.02 are not influenced by aging, but are significantly affected by aging in the reduced case (λ = 0.98. The catalyst aging state can therefore potentially be inferred from the resonance frequency differences between reduced and oxidized states or from the resonance frequency amplitudes during lambda oscillations. Secondly, adsorbed water at low temperatures strongly affects the resonance frequencies. Light-off experiment studies showed that the resonance frequency depends on the aging state at temperatures below the oxygen storage light-off. These differences were attributed to different water sorption capabilities of differently aged samples due to a surface area decrease with proceeding aging. In addition to the aging state, the water content in the feed gas and the temperature affect the amount of adsorbed water, leading to different integral electrical material properties of the catalyst and changing the resonance properties of the catalyst-filled canning. The classical aging-related properties of the catalyst (oxygen storage capacity, oxygen storage light-off, surface area, agreed very well with data obtained by the microwave-based method.

Study of the reduction of sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur by carbon monoxide on a La/sub 0/ /sub 5/ Sr/sub 0/ /sub 5/ CoO/sub 3/ catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hibbert, D B; Tseung, A C.C.

1979-12-01

A study of the reduction of sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur by carbon monoxide on a La/sub 0/ /sub 5/ Sr/sub 0/ /sub 5/ CoO/sub 3/ catalyst a perovskite oxide, to determine the effects of oxygen and water on SO2 reduction showed that in the presence of 5 to 16% oxygen, the reaction between sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide still occurred if there was sufficient carbon monoxide in the gas to react with all the oxygen. At 600C, all the sulfur dioxide was removed at 5 to 16% oxygen levels. Water vapor at 2% did not adversely affect the reaction. The unwanted by-products, hydrogen disulfide and carbonyl sulfide, were reduced at contact times below 0.25 sec. During the reaction, the catalyst itself reacted with sulfur to give metal sulfides. When reagent grade CO/sub 2/O/sub 3/ was substituted for perovskite oxide, the maximum conversion of 98% of sulfur dioxide was attained at 550C, but an unacceptably high concentration of carbonyl sulfide was formed; within 1 hr, the sulfur dioxide conversion fell to 60%. The perovskite oxide reaction may be useful in removing sulfur dioxide from fosill fuel stack gases.

Facile Synthesis and High performance of a New Carbazole-Based Hole Transporting Material for Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hong

2015-06-26

Perovskite solar cells are very promising for practical applications owing to their rapidly rising power conversion efficiency and low cost of solution-based processing. 2,2’,7,7’-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine) 9,9’-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) is most widely used as hole transporting material (HTM) in perovskite solar cells. However, the tedious synthesis and high cost of Spiro-OMeTAD inhibit its commercial-scale application in the photovoltaic industry. In this article, we report a carbazole-based compound (R01) as a new HTM in efficient perovskite solar cells. R01 is synthesized via a facile route consisting of only two steps from inexpensive commercially available materials. Furthermore, R01 exhibits higher hole mobility and conductivity than the state-of-the-art Spiro-OMeTAD. Perovskite solar cells fabricated with R01 produce a power conversion efficiency of 12.03%, comparable to that obtained in devices using Spiro-OMeTAD in this study. Our findings underscore R01 as a highly promising HTM with high performance, and its facile synthesis and low cost may facilitate the large-scale applications of perovskite solar cells.

Facile Synthesis and High performance of a New Carbazole-Based Hole Transporting Material for Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hong; Sheikh, Arif D.; Feng, Quanyou; Li, Feng; Chen, Yin; Yu, Weili; Alarousu, Erkki; Ma, Chun; Haque, Mohammed; Shi, Dong; Wang, Zhong-Sheng; Mohammed, Omar F.; Bakr, Osman; Wu, Tao

2015-01-01

Perovskite solar cells are very promising for practical applications owing to their rapidly rising power conversion efficiency and low cost of solution-based processing. 2,2’,7,7’-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine) 9,9’-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) is most widely used as hole transporting material (HTM) in perovskite solar cells. However, the tedious synthesis and high cost of Spiro-OMeTAD inhibit its commercial-scale application in the photovoltaic industry. In this article, we report a carbazole-based compound (R01) as a new HTM in efficient perovskite solar cells. R01 is synthesized via a facile route consisting of only two steps from inexpensive commercially available materials. Furthermore, R01 exhibits higher hole mobility and conductivity than the state-of-the-art Spiro-OMeTAD. Perovskite solar cells fabricated with R01 produce a power conversion efficiency of 12.03%, comparable to that obtained in devices using Spiro-OMeTAD in this study. Our findings underscore R01 as a highly promising HTM with high performance, and its facile synthesis and low cost may facilitate the large-scale applications of perovskite solar cells.

A combined ToF-SIMS and XPS study for the elucidation of the role of water in the performances of a Post-Plasma Process using LaMnO3+δ as catalyst in the total oxidation of trichloroethylene

Science.gov (United States)

Nuns, N.; Beaurain, A.; Dinh, M. T. Nguyen; Vandenbroucke, A.; De Geyter, N.; Morent, R.; Leys, C.; Giraudon, J.-M.; Lamonier, J.-F.

2014-11-01

LaMnO3+δ which is an environment-friendly and inexpensive material has been previously used as catalyst in Post-Plasma Catalysis (PPC) in the total oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) which is a solvent widely used in dry cleaning and degreasing processes. It has been shown that the process efficiency increases in moist air (RH = 18%).The issue we want to address herein is the effect of water on the location of chlorine at the surface of the catalyst as chlorine is able to alter the catalyst structure, activity and stability. Therefore, a combined Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) study has been carried out on the fresh LaMnO3+δ catalyst (LM) and used catalysts after performing PPC with TCE diluted in dry synthetic air (LM0) or with industrial air containing water (LM18; 18 stands for the Relative Humidity) and CO2 (about 560 ppmv) at a temperature of 150 °C. XPS and ToF-SIMS results both show the presence of chlorine on the tested catalysts whose amount increases by exposure of the catalyst to the reactive mixture in dry synthetic air. XPS results reveal that chlorine is present as both chloride ion and covalent chlorine on LM0 while organic chlorinated residues are absent on LM18 catalyst. ToF-SIMS study indicates that lanthanum excess as oxide(hydroxide) partially covering the perovskite mainly transforms into LaOCl and to a minor extent into LaCl3. Extent of Mn chlorination seems to be favored over LM0 having a higher MnClx±/MnOCl± ionic ratio compared to LM18. Furthermore ToF-SIMS clearly identifies C1 chlorinated organic ions, mainly CH2Cl+ and CHCl2-, on LM0 which may contribute to the XPS Cl organic component. From the combined ToF-SIMS and XPS results it is found that water delays the surface degradation extent of the perovskite into related (oxy)(hydroxy)chlorinated inorganic phases by less molecular chlorine and related chlorine species on the catalyst surface. A reaction scheme of

Structure and acidity of individual Fluid Catalytic Cracking catalyst particles studied by synchrotron-based infrared micro-spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buurmans, I.L.C.; Soulimani, F.; Ruiz Martinez, J.; van der Bij, H.E.; Weckhuysen, B.M.

2013-01-01

A synchrotron-based infrared micro-spectroscopy study has been conducted to investigate the structure as well as the Brønsted and Lewis acidity of Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalyst particles at the individual particle level. Both fresh and laboratory-deactivated catalyst particles have been

Parameters Influencing the Growth of ZnO Nanowires as Efficient Low Temperature Flexible Perovskite-Based Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Dymshits

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite has proved to be a superior material for photovoltaic solar cells. In this work we investigate the parameters influencing the growth of ZnO nanowires (NWs for use as an efficient low temperature photoanode in perovskite-based solar cells. The structure of the solar cell is FTO (SnO2:F-glass (or PET-ITO (In2O3·(SnO2 (ITO on, polyethylene terephthalate (PET/ZnAc seed layer/ZnO NWs/CH3NH3PbI3/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au. The influence of the growth rate and the diameter of the ZnO NWs on the photovoltaic performance were carefully studied. The ZnO NWs perovskite-based solar cell demonstrates impressive power conversion efficiency of 9.06% on a rigid substrate with current density over 21 mA/cm2. In addition, we successfully fabricated flexible perovskite solar cells while maintaining all fabrication processes at low temperature, achieving power conversion efficiency of 6.4% with excellent stability for over 75 bending cycles.

Transparent and flexible photodetectors based on CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Young Pyo; Woo, Sung Jun; Kim, Tae Whan

2018-03-01

Transparent and flexible photodetectors (PDs) based on CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by using co-evaporation of methyl ammonium iodide and lead iodide. X-ray diffraction patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images demonstrated the formation of perovskite NPs. The optical transmittance of the perovskite NPs/glass was above 80% over the entire range of visible wavelengths, indicative of high transparency. The PDs based on CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite NPs were sensitive to a broad range of visible light from 450 to 650 nm. The currents in the PDs under exposure to red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes were enhanced to 5, 10, and 20 times that of the PD in the dark, respectively. The rise and the decay times of the PDs were 50 and 120 μs. The current in the perovskite NP PD on a polyethylene terephthalate substrate was enhanced by approximately 69% when the NP PD was exposed to a blue LED emitting at a wavelength of 459 nm. Despite multiple bending, the transparent and flexible PDs based on methyl ammonium iodide and lead iodide NPs showed reproducibility and high stability in performance.

Discovery of technical methanation catalysts based on computational screening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sehested, Jens; Larsen, Kasper Emil; Kustov, Arkadii

2007-01-01

Methanation is a classical reaction in heterogeneous catalysis and significant effort has been put into improving the industrially preferred nickel-based catalysts. Recently, a computational screening study showed that nickel-iron alloys should be more active than the pure nickel catalyst and at ...

Ambipolar solution-processed hybrid perovskite phototransistors

KAUST Repository

Li, Feng

2015-09-08

Organolead halide perovskites have attracted substantial attention because of their excellent physical properties, which enable them to serve as the active material in emerging hybrid solid-state solar cells. Here we investigate the phototransistors based on hybrid perovskite films and provide direct evidence for their superior carrier transport property with ambipolar characteristics. The field-effect mobilities for triiodide perovskites at room temperature are measured as 0.18 (0.17) cm2 V−1 s−1 for holes (electrons), which increase to 1.24 (1.01) cm2 V−1 s−1 for mixed-halide perovskites. The photoresponsivity of our hybrid perovskite devices reaches 320 A W−1, which is among the largest values reported for phototransistors. Importantly, the phototransistors exhibit an ultrafast photoresponse speed of less than 10 μs. The solution-based process and excellent device performance strongly underscore hybrid perovskites as promising material candidates for photoelectronic applications.

High-performance and environmentally stable planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells based on a solution-processed copper-doped nickel oxide hole-transporting layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jong H; Liang, Po-Wei; Williams, Spencer T; Cho, Namchul; Chueh, Chu-Chen; Glaz, Micah S; Ginger, David S; Jen, Alex K-Y

2015-01-27

An effective approach to significantly increase the electrical conductivity of a NiOx hole-transporting layer (HTL) to achieve high-efficiency planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells is demonstrated. Perovskite solar cells based on using Cu-doped NiOx HTL show a remarkably improved power conversion efficiency up to 15.40% due to the improved electrical conductivity and enhanced perovskite film quality. General applicability of Cu-doped NiOx to larger bandgap perovskites is also demonstrated in this study. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Halide-Dependent Electronic Structure of Organolead Perovskite Materials

KAUST Repository

Buin, Andrei; Comin, Riccardo; Xu, Jixian; Ip, Alexander H.; Sargent, Edward H.

2015-01-01

-based perovskites, in line with recent experimental data. As a result, the optimal growth conditions are also different for the distinct halide perovskites: growth should be halide-rich for Br and Cl, and halide-poor for I-based perovskites. We discuss stability

Efficient Lead-Free Solar Cells Based on Hollow {en}MASnI3 Perovskites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Weijun; Stoumpos, Constantinos C; Spanopoulos, Ioannis; Mao, Lingling; Chen, Michelle; Wasielewski, Michael R; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G

2017-10-18

Tin-based perovskites have very comparable electronic properties to lead-based perovskites and are regarded as possible lower toxicity alternates for solar cell applications. However, the efficiency of tin-based perovskite solar cells is still low and they exhibit poor air stability. Here, we report lead-free tin-based solar cells with greatly enhanced performance and stability using so-called "hollow" ethylenediammonium and methylammonium tin iodide ({en}MASnI 3 ) perovskite as absorbers. Our results show that en can improve the film morphology and most importantly can serve as a new cation to be incorporated into the 3D MASnI 3 lattice. When the cation of en becomes part of the 3D structure, a high density of SnI 2 vacancies is created resulting in larger band gap, larger unit cell volume, lower trap-state density, and much longer carrier lifetime compared to classical MASnI 3 . The best-performing {en}MASnI 3 solar cell has achieved a high efficiency of 6.63% with an open circuit voltage of 428.67 mV, a short-circuit current density of 24.28 mA cm -2 , and a fill factor of 63.72%. Moreover, the {en}MASnI 3 device shows much better air stability than the neat MASnI 3 device. Comparable performance is also achieved for cesium tin iodide solar cells with en loading, demonstrating the broad scope of this approach.

Halide-Dependent Electronic Structure of Organolead Perovskite Materials

KAUST Repository

Buin, Andrei

2015-06-23

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Organometal halide perovskites have recently attracted tremendous attention both at the experimental and theoretical levels. These materials, in particular methylammonium triiodide, are still limited by poor chemical and structural stability under ambient conditions. Today this represents one of the major challenges for polycrystalline perovskite-based photovoltaic technology. In addition to this, the performance of perovskite-based devices is degraded by deep localized states, or traps. To achieve better-performing devices, it is necessary to understand the nature of these states and the mechanisms that lead to their formation. Here we show that the major sources of deep traps in the different halide systems have different origin and character. Halide vacancies are shallow donors in I-based perovskites, whereas they evolve into a major source of traps in Cl-based perovskites. Lead interstitials, which can form lead dimers, are the dominant source of defects in Br-based perovskites, in line with recent experimental data. As a result, the optimal growth conditions are also different for the distinct halide perovskites: growth should be halide-rich for Br and Cl, and halide-poor for I-based perovskites. We discuss stability in relation to the reaction enthalpies of mixtures of bulk precursors with respect to final perovskite product. Methylammonium lead triiodide is characterized by the lowest reaction enthalpy, explaining its low stability. At the opposite end, the highest stability was found for the methylammonium lead trichloride, also consistent with our experimental findings which show no observable structural variations over an extended period of time.

Laser deposition of resonant silicon nanoparticles on perovskite for photoluminescence enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Tiguntseva, E. Y.; Zalogina, A. S.; Milichko, V. A.; Zuev, D. A.; Omelyanovich, M. M.; Ishteev, A.; Cerdan Pasaran, A.; Haroldson, R.; Makarov, S. V.; Zakhidov, A. A.

2017-11-01

Hybrid lead halide perovskite based optoelectronics is a promising area of modern technologies yielding excellent characteristics of light emitting diodes and lasers as well as high efficiencies of photovoltaic devices. However, the efficiency of perovskite based devices hold a potential of further improvement. Here we demonstrate high photoluminescence efficiency of perovskites thin films via deposition of resonant silicon nanoparticles on their surface. The deposited nanoparticles have a number of advances over their plasmonic counterparts, which were applied in previous studies. We show experimentally the increase of photoluminescence of perovskite film with the silicon nanoparticles by 150 % as compared to the film without the nanoparticles. The results are supported by numerical calculations. Our results pave the way to high throughput implementation of low loss resonant nanoparticles in order to create highly effective perovskite based optoelectronic devices.

Wavelength-tunable waveguides based on polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ziyu; Liu, Jingying; Xu, Zai-Quan; Xue, Yunzhou; Jiang, Liangcong; Song, Jingchao; Huang, Fuzhi; Wang, Yusheng; Zhong, Yu Lin; Zhang, Yupeng; Cheng, Yi-Bing; Bao, Qiaoliang

2016-03-01

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have emerged as new photovoltaic materials with impressively high power conversion efficiency due to their high optical absorption coefficient and long charge carrier diffusion length. In addition to high photoluminescence quantum efficiency and chemical tunability, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites also show intriguing potential for diverse photonic applications. In this work, we demonstrate that polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires can function as active optical waveguides with small propagation loss. The successful production of high quality perovskite microwires with different halogen elements enables the guiding of light with different colours. Furthermore, it is interesting to find that out-coupled light intensity from the microwire can be effectively modulated by an external electric field, which behaves as an electro-optical modulator. This finding suggests the promising applications of perovskite microwires as effective building blocks in micro/nano scale photonic circuits.

Reformado auto-térmico de metano con CO2, vapor y O2 a gas de síntesis, sobre catalizadores estructurados basados en perovskitas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ini Ojeda

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Methane autothermal reforming with CO2, steam and O2 to synthesis gas over structured catalysts based on perovskites. The auto-thermal methane reformation over perovskite oxide supported on metallic structures has been studied. Catalytic tests with perovskite oxide synthesized by sol-gel method and supported on metallic structures by washcoating were carried out in a system reaction. Through characterization techniques confirmed the obtaining of perovskite and the homogeneity in the covering of structures. The best reactions conditions obtained were 750 ºC and molar ratio feed CH4/CO2/O2/H2O of 1/1/0.5/0.83. Under these conditions the performance of catalyst in powder was compared with the structured catalyst, a higher catalytic activity was observed with the structured catalyst.

Stability Issues on Perovskite Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xing Zhao

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Organo lead halide perovskite materials like methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3 and formamidinium lead iodide (HC(NH22PbI3 show superb opto-electronic properties. Based on these perovskite light absorbers, power conversion efficiencies of the perovskite solar cells employing hole transporting layers have increased from 9.7% to 20.1% within just three years. Thus, it is apparent that perovskite solar cell is a promising next generation photovoltaic technology. However, the unstable nature of perovskite was observed when exposing it to continuous illumination, moisture and high temperature, impeding the commercial development in the long run and thus becoming the main issue that needs to be solved urgently. Here, we discuss the factors affecting instability of perovskite and give some perspectives about further enhancement of stability of perovskite solar cell.

New perovskite-based manganite Pb2Mn2O5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadermann, Joke; Abakumov, Artem M.; Perkisas, Tyche; D'Hondt, Hans; Tan Haiyan; Verbeeck, Johan; Filonenko, Vladimir P.; Antipov, Evgeny V.; Van Tendeloo, Gustaaf

2010-01-01

A new perovskite based compound Pb 2 Mn 2 O 5 has been synthesized using a high pressure high temperature technique. The structure model of Pb 2 Mn 2 O 5 is proposed based on electron diffraction, high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The compound crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell with parameters a=5.736(1) A∼√2a p , b=3.800(1) A∼a p , c=21.562(6) A∼4√2a p (a p -the parameter of the perovskite subcell) and space group Pnma. The Pb 2 Mn 2 O 5 structure consists of quasi two-dimensional perovskite blocks separated by 1/2[110] p (101) p crystallographic shear planes. The blocks are connected to each other by chains of edge-sharing MnO 5 distorted tetragonal pyramids. The chains of MnO 5 pyramids and the MnO 6 octahedra of the perovskite blocks delimit six-sided tunnels accommodating double chains of Pb atoms. The tunnels and pyramidal chains adopt two mirror-related configurations ('left' L and 'right' R) and layers consisting of chains and tunnels of the same configuration alternate in the structure according to an -L-R-L-R-sequence. The sequence is sometimes locally violated by the appearance of -L-L- or -R-R-fragments. A scheme is proposed with a Jahn-Teller distortion of the MnO 6 octahedra with two long and two short bonds lying in the a-c plane, along two perpendicular orientations within this plane, forming a d-type pattern. - Graphical abstract: Order of the Jahn-Teller distorted MnO 6 octahedra in Pb 2 Mn 2 O 5 . Two long and two short bonds lie in the a-c plane, along two perpendicular orientations within this plane, forming a d-type pattern.

Recent Development of Catalysts for Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds in Flue Gas by Combustion: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Tomatis

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Volatile organic compounds (VOCs emitted from anthropogenic sources pose direct and indirect hazards to both atmospheric environment and human health due to their contribution to the formation of photochemical smog and potential toxicity including carcinogenicity. Therefore, to abate VOCs emission, the catalytic oxidation process has been extensively studied in laboratories and widely applied in various industries. This report is mainly focused on the benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX with additional discussion about chlorinated VOCs. This review covers the recent developments in catalytic combustion of VOCs over noble metal catalysts, nonnoble metal catalysts, perovskite catalysts, spinel catalysts, and dual functional adsorbent-catalysts. In addition, the effects of supports, coke formation, and water effects have also been discussed. To develop efficient and cost-effective catalysts for VOCs removal, further research in catalytic oxidation might need to be carried out to strengthen the understanding of catalytic mechanisms involved.

Fabrication of Semiconducting Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskite Particles by Spray Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadian-Yazdi, Mohammad-Reza; Eslamian, Morteza

2018-01-01

In this "nano idea" paper, three concepts for the preparation of methylammonium lead halide perovskite particles are proposed, discussed, and tested. The first idea is based on the wet chemistry preparation of the perovskite particles, through the addition of the perovskite precursor solution to an anti-solvent to facilitate the precipitation of the perovskite particles in the solution. The second idea is based on the milling of a blend of the perovskite precursors in the dry form, in order to allow for the conversion of the precursors to the perovskite particles. The third idea is based on the atomization of the perovskite solution by a spray nozzle, introducing the spray droplets into a hot wall reactor, so as to prepare perovskite particles, using the droplet-to-particle spray approach (spray pyrolysis). Preliminary results show that the spray technology is the most successful method for the preparation of impurity-free perovskite particles and perovskite paste to deposit perovskite thin films. As a proof of concept, a perovskite solar cell with the paste prepared by the sprayed perovskite powder was successfully fabricated.

Fabrication of Semiconducting Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskite Particles by Spray Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadian-Yazdi, Mohammad-Reza; Eslamian, Morteza

2018-01-10

In this "nano idea" paper, three concepts for the preparation of methylammonium lead halide perovskite particles are proposed, discussed, and tested. The first idea is based on the wet chemistry preparation of the perovskite particles, through the addition of the perovskite precursor solution to an anti-solvent to facilitate the precipitation of the perovskite particles in the solution. The second idea is based on the milling of a blend of the perovskite precursors in the dry form, in order to allow for the conversion of the precursors to the perovskite particles. The third idea is based on the atomization of the perovskite solution by a spray nozzle, introducing the spray droplets into a hot wall reactor, so as to prepare perovskite particles, using the droplet-to-particle spray approach (spray pyrolysis). Preliminary results show that the spray technology is the most successful method for the preparation of impurity-free perovskite particles and perovskite paste to deposit perovskite thin films. As a proof of concept, a perovskite solar cell with the paste prepared by the sprayed perovskite powder was successfully fabricated.

The lanthanum gallate-based mixed conducting perovskite ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Politova, E. D.; Stefanovich, S. Yu.; Aleksandrovskii, V. V.; Kaleva, G. M.; Mosunov, A. V.; Avetisov, A. K.; Sung, J. S.; Choo, K. Y.; Kim, T. H.

2005-01-01

The structure, microstructure, dielectric, and transport properties of the anion deficient perovskite solid solutions (La,Sr)(Ga,Mg,M)O3- with M=Fe, Ni have been studied. Substitution of iron and nickel for gallium up to about 20 and 40 at.% respectively, leads to the perovskite lattice contraction due to the cation substitutions by the transition elements. The transition from pure ionic to mixed ionic-electronic conductivity was observed for both the systems studied. Both the enhancement of total conductivity and increasing in the thermal expansion coefficient values has been proved to correlate with the increasing amount of weakly bounded oxygen species in the Fe or Ni-doped ceramics. The oxygen ionic conductivity has been estimated from the kinetic experiments using the dc-conductivity and dilatometry methods under the condition of the stepwise change of the atmosphere from nitrogen to oxygen.

CaTiO.sub.3 Interfacial template structure on semiconductor-based material and the growth of electroceramic thin-films in the perovskite class

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Rodney Allen; Walker, Frederick Joseph

1998-01-01

A structure including a film of a desired perovskite oxide which overlies and is fully commensurate with the material surface of a semiconductor-based substrate and an associated process for constructing the structure involves the build up of an interfacial template film of perovskite between the material surface and the desired perovskite film. The lattice parameters of the material surface and the perovskite of the template film are taken into account so that during the growth of the perovskite template film upon the material surface, the orientation of the perovskite of the template is rotated 45.degree. with respect to the orientation of the underlying material surface and thereby effects a transition in the lattice structure from fcc (of the semiconductor-based material) to the simple cubic lattice structure of perovskite while the fully commensurate periodicity between the perovskite template film and the underlying material surface is maintained. The film-growth techniques of the invention can be used to fabricate solid state electrical components wherein a perovskite film is built up upon a semiconductor-based material and the perovskite film is adapted to exhibit ferroelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, electro-optic or large dielectric properties during use of the component.

Industrial wastewater advanced treatment via catalytic ozonation with an Fe-based catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xufang; Chen, Weiyu; Ma, Luming; Wang, Hongwu; Fan, Jinhong

2018-03-01

An Fe-based catalyst was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the ozonation of industrial wastewater, and key operational parameters (pH and catalyst dosage) were studied. The results indicated that the Fe-based catalyst significantly improved the mineralization of organic pollutants in wastewater. TOC (total organic carbon) removal was high, at 78.7%, with a catalyst concentration of 200 g/L, but only 31.6% with ozonation alone. The Fe-based catalyst significantly promoted ozone decomposition by 70% in aqueous solution. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) were confirmed to be existed directly via EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) experiments, and ·OH were verified to account for about 34.4% of TOC removal with NaHCO 3 as a radical scavenger. Through characterization by SEM-EDS (field emission scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive spectrometer), XRD (X-ray powder diffraction) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), it was deduced that FeOOH on the surface of the catalyst was the dominant contributor to the catalytic efficiency. The catalyst was certified as having good stability and excellent reusability based on 50 successive operations and could be used as a filler simultaneously. Thereby, it is a promising catalyst for practical industrial wastewater advanced treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of iridium on the reactivity of LaFeO3 base perovskites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kindermann, L.; Das, D.; Bahadur, D.

1998-01-01

The influence of iridium on the reactivity of powder mixtures made of perovskites and 8 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (8 YSZ) is reported. Iridium is added to the perovskites of the composition (La0.6M0.4)(z)Fe0.8TM0.2O3-delta (M = Sr, Ca; TM = Mn, Co; z = 0.90, 1.00) via the gaseous phase....... Iridium is present in the perovskite lattice as Ir4+ replacing iron as is evident from XRD and TEM/EDX results. Compatibility studies carried out at 1000 degrees C demonstrate that iridium has considerable influence on the reactivity. The results are discussed with respect to the stability...... of the perovskites, thermodynamic activities, Ir(IV)-O bonding, tolerance factor and oxygen migration....

Highly efficient perovskite solar cells based on a nanostructured WO3-TiO2 core-shell electron transporting material

KAUST Repository

Mahmood, Khalid; Swain, Bhabani Sankar; Kirmani, Ahmad R.; Amassian, Aram

2015-01-01

Until recently, only mesoporous TiO2 and ZnO were successfully demonstrated as electron transport layers (ETL) alongside the reports of ZrO2 and Al2O3 as scaffold materials in organometal halide perovskite solar cells, largely owing to ease of processing and to high power conversion efficiency. In this article, we explore tungsten trioxide (WO3)-based nanostructured and porous ETL materials directly grown hydrothermally with different morphologies such as nanoparticles, nanorods and nanosheet arrays. The nanostructure morphology strongly influences the photocurrent and efficiency in organometal halide perovskite solar cells. We find that the perovskite solar cells based on WO3 nanosheet arrays yield significantly enhanced photovoltaic performance as compared to nanoparticles and nanorod arrays due to good perovskite absorber infiltration in the porous scaffold and more rapid carrier transport. We further demonstrate that treating the WO3 nanostructures with an aqueous solution of TiCl4 reduces charge recombination at the perovskite/WO3 interface, resulting in the highest power conversion efficiency of 11.24% for devices based on WO3 nanosheet arrays. The successful demonstration of alternative ETL materials and nanostructures based on WO3 will open up new opportunities in the development of highly efficient perovskite solar cells. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.

Moessbauer Study of the Ni/Ca0.8Sr0.2Ti1-xFexO3-α Catalyst System for Partial Oxidation of Methane to Synthesis Gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homonnay, Z.; Nomura, K.; Hamakawa, S.; Hayakawa, T.; Juhasz, G.; Kuzmann, E.; Vertes, A.

2002-01-01

The Ni/Ca 0.8 Sr 0.2 TiO 3 catalyst system prepared by the citrate method shows high activity in partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas. It is assumed that the interaction of Ni with the perovskite lattice may be responsible for the increased catalytic activity. 1% 57 Fe dopant substituted for Ti was used in order to see if the presence of Ni has any perturbation effect on the structure of the perovskite. One may expect systematic changes in the Moessbauer parameters of the substitutional Fe impurity as a function of the NiO content if the bulk properties of the perovskite are affected. Samples with different Ni/Ca 0.8 Sr 0.2 Ti 0.99 57 Fe 0.01 O 3-α ratios from 0:1 to 1:1, and others having Fe substitutions for Ti up to 30%, all prepared by the citrate method, have been investigated. The Moessbauer spectra contained doublets of paramagnetic Fe 3+ and Fe 4+ species as well as paramagnetically relaxed Fe 3+ . These species were assigned to the bulk perovskite, the perovskite surface and the NiO/perovskite interface. The perturbation of the perovskite structure by Ni could not be verified.

Radio-Frequency-Based NH₃-Selective Catalytic Reduction Catalyst Control: Studies on Temperature Dependency and Humidity Influences.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Markus; Hagen, Gunter; Reitmeier, Willibald; Burger, Katharina; Hien, Markus; Grass, Philippe; Kubinski, David; Visser, Jaco; Moos, Ralf

2017-07-12

The upcoming more stringent automotive emission legislations and current developments have promoted new technologies for more precise and reliable catalyst control. For this purpose, radio-frequency-based (RF) catalyst state determination offers the only approach for directly measuring the NH₃ loading on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts and the state of other catalysts and filter systems. Recently, the ability of this technique to directly control the urea dosing on a current NH₃ storing zeolite catalyst has been demonstrated on an engine dynamometer for the first time and this paper continues that work. Therefore, a well-known serial-type and zeolite-based SCR catalyst (Cu-SSZ-13) was investigated under deliberately chosen high space velocities. At first, the full functionality of the RF system with Cu-SSZ-13 as sample was tested successfully. By direct RF-based NH₃ storage control, the influence of the storage degree on the catalyst performance, i.e., on NO x conversion and NH₃ slip, was investigated in a temperature range between 250 and 400 °C. For each operation point, an ideal and a critical NH₃ storage degree was found and analyzed in the whole temperature range. Based on the data of all experimental runs, temperature dependent calibration functions were developed as a basis for upcoming tests under transient conditions. Additionally, the influence of exhaust humidity was observed with special focus on cold start water and its effects to the RF signals.

Perovskites in the comb roof base of hornets: their possible function.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishay, J S; Joseph, Z; Galushko, D; Ermakov, N; Bergman, D J; Barkay, Z; Stokroos, I; van der Want, J

2005-04-01

On the ceiling of the Oriental hornet comb cell, there are mineral granules of polycrystalline material known to belong to the group of perovskites. In a comb cell intended to house a worker hornet, the roof base usually carries one or several such perovskite granules containing titanium (Ti), whereas in the roof base of a cell housing a developing queen, there are usually several granules containing a high percentage of silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), and iron (Fe), but very little if any Ti. In worker comb cells, Ti usually appears as ilmenite (FeTiO3). Besides documenting the above-mentioned facts, this report discusses possible reasons for the appearance of ilmenite crystals in worker cells only and not in queen cells. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Non-collinear magnetism in multiferroic perovskites.

Science.gov (United States)

Bousquet, Eric; Cano, Andrés

2016-03-31

We present an overview of the current interest in non-collinear magnetism in multiferroic perovskite crystals. We first describe the different microscopic mechanisms giving rise to the non-collinearity of spins in this class of materials. We discuss, in particular, the interplay between non-collinear magnetism and ferroelectric and antiferrodistortive distortions of the perovskite structure, and how this can promote magnetoelectric responses. We then provide a literature survey on non-collinear multiferroic perovskites. We discuss numerous examples of spin cantings driving weak ferromagnetism in transition metal perovskites, and of spin-induced ferroelectricity as observed in the rare-earth based perovskites. These examples are chosen to best illustrate the fundamental role of non-collinear magnetism in the design of multiferroicity.

Planar-integrated single-crystalline perovskite photodetectors

KAUST Repository

Saidaminov, Makhsud I.

2015-11-09

Hybrid perovskites are promising semiconductors for optoelectronic applications. However, they suffer from morphological disorder that limits their optoelectronic properties and, ultimately, device performance. Recently, perovskite single crystals have been shown to overcome this problem and exhibit impressive improvements: low trap density, low intrinsic carrier concentration, high mobility, and long diffusion length that outperform perovskite-based thin films. These characteristics make the material ideal for realizing photodetection that is simultaneously fast and sensitive; unfortunately, these macroscopic single crystals cannot be grown on a planar substrate, curtailing their potential for optoelectronic integration. Here we produce large-area planar-integrated films made up of large perovskite single crystals. These crystalline films exhibit mobility and diffusion length comparable with those of single crystals. Using this technique, we produced a high-performance light detector showing high gain (above 104 electrons per photon) and high gain-bandwidth product (above 108 Hz) relative to other perovskite-based optical sensors.

A New Generation of Luminescent Materials Based on Low-Dimensional Perovskites

KAUST Repository

Pan, Jun

2017-06-02

Low-dimensional perovskites with high luminescence properties are promising materials for optoelectronic applications. In this article, properties of two emerging types of low-dimensional perovskites are discussed, including perovskite quantum dots CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br or I) and zero-dimensional perovskite Cs4PbBr6. Moreover, their application for light down conversion in LCD backlighting systems and in visible light communication are also presented. With their superior optical properties, we believe that further development of these materials will potentially open more prospective applications, especially for optoelectronics devices.

Sn2+—Stabilization in MASnI3 perovskites by superhalide incorporation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Junxiang; Wang, Kan; Xiang, Bin; Cui, Xudong

2018-03-01

Sn-based hybrid halide perovskites are a potential solution to replace Pb and thereby reduce Pb toxicity in MAPbI3 perovskite-based solar cells. However, the instability of Sn2+ in air atmosphere causes a poor reproducibility of MASnI3, hindering steps towards this goal. In this paper, we propose a new type of organic metal-superhalide perovskite of MASnI2BH4 and MASnI2AlH4. Through first-principles calculations, our results reveal that the incorporation of BH4 and AlH4 superhalides can realize an impressive enhancement of oxidation resistance of Sn2+ in MASnI3 perovskites because of the large electron transfer between Sn2+ and [BH4]-/[AlH4]-. Meanwhile, the high carrier mobility is preserved in these superhalide perovskites and only a slight decrease is observed in the optical absorption strength. Our studies provide a new path to attain highly stable performance and reproducibility of Sn-based perovskite solar cells.

Amine-Based Passivating Materials for Enhanced Optical Properties and Performance of Organic-Inorganic Perovskites in Light-Emitting Diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seungjin; Park, Jong Hyun; Lee, Bo Ram; Jung, Eui Dae; Yu, Jae Choul; Di Nuzzo, Daniele; Friend, Richard H; Song, Myoung Hoon

2017-04-20

The use of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites in optoelectronic applications are attracting an interest because of their outstanding characteristics, which enable a remarkable enhancement of device efficiency. However, solution-processed perovskite crystals unavoidably contain defect sites that cause hysteresis in perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) and blinking in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). Here, we report significant beneficial effects using a new treatment based on amine-based passivating materials (APMs) to passivate the defect sites of methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr 3 ) through coordinate bonding between the nitrogen atoms and undercoordinated lead ions. This treatment greatly enhanced the PeLED's efficiency, with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 6.2%, enhanced photoluminescence (PL), a lower threshold for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE), a longer PL lifetime, and enhanced device stability. Using confocal microscopy, we observed the cessation of PL blinking in perovskite films treated with ethylenediamine (EDA) due to passivation of the defect sites in the MAPbBr 3 .

Inorganic hole conductor-based lead halide perovskite solar cells with 12.4% conversion efficiency

KAUST Repository

Qin, Peng

2014-05-12

Organo-lead halide perovskites have attracted much attention for solar cell applications due to their unique optical and electrical properties. With either low-temperature solution processing or vacuum evaporation, the overall conversion efficiencies of perovskite solar cells with organic hole-transporting material were quickly improved to over 15% during the last 2 years. However, the organic hole-transporting materials used are normally quite expensive due to complicated synthetic procedure or high-purity requirement. Here, we demonstrate the application of an effective and cheap inorganic p-type hole-transporting material, copper thiocyanate, on lead halide perovskite-based devices. With low-temperature solution-process deposition method, a power conversion efficiency of 12.4% was achieved under full sun illumination. This work represents a well-defined cell configuration with optimized perovskite morphology by two times of lead iodide deposition, and opens the door for integration of a class of abundant and inexpensive material for photovoltaic application. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Inorganic hole conductor-based lead halide perovskite solar cells with 12.4% conversion efficiency

KAUST Repository

Qin, Peng; Tanaka, Soichiro; Ito, Seigo; Tetreault, Nicolas; Manabe, Kyohei; Nishino, Hitoshi; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja; Grä tzel, Michael

2014-01-01

Organo-lead halide perovskites have attracted much attention for solar cell applications due to their unique optical and electrical properties. With either low-temperature solution processing or vacuum evaporation, the overall conversion efficiencies of perovskite solar cells with organic hole-transporting material were quickly improved to over 15% during the last 2 years. However, the organic hole-transporting materials used are normally quite expensive due to complicated synthetic procedure or high-purity requirement. Here, we demonstrate the application of an effective and cheap inorganic p-type hole-transporting material, copper thiocyanate, on lead halide perovskite-based devices. With low-temperature solution-process deposition method, a power conversion efficiency of 12.4% was achieved under full sun illumination. This work represents a well-defined cell configuration with optimized perovskite morphology by two times of lead iodide deposition, and opens the door for integration of a class of abundant and inexpensive material for photovoltaic application. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Perovskites as electrodes of solid cells in sensitive elements of oxygen ion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandurska, J.; Sniezynska, I.; Marek, A.; Szwagierczak, D.; Kulawik, J.

1997-01-01

The perovskite family comprises many compounds used in electronic applications. In this work perovskite materials based on LaCrO 3 were investigated, destined for electrodes of solid electrolyte oxygen sensors. lanthanum chromite powders modified by calcium, strontium and aluminium were prepared by the coprecipitation-calcination technique. The powders were examined using thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Introductory studies of electromotive force of oxygen cells with yttria stabilized zirconia as solid electrolyte and perovskite-based electrodes proved that it is possible to replace expensive Pt electrodes by much cheaper perovskite ones. (author)

Development of Non-Noble Metal Ni-Based Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Methylcyclohexane

KAUST Repository

Shaikh Ali, Anaam

2016-01-01

to TOL has only been achieved using the noble Pt-based catalysts. The aim of this study is to develop non-noble, cost-effective metal catalysts that can show excellent catalytic performance, mainly maintaining high TOL selectivity achievable by Pt based

Comparison of sodium borohydride hydrolysis kinetics on Co-based nanocomposite catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hristov, Georgi; Chorbadzhiyska, Elitsa; Mitov, Mario; Rashkov, Rashko; Hubenova, Yolina

2011-01-01

In this study, we compared the results, obtained with several Co-based nanocomposites (CoMnB, CoNiMnB and CoNiMoW) produced by electrodeposition on Ni-foam, as catalysts for the sodium borohydride hydrolysis reaction. Based on the comparative analyses, we propose CoNiMnB electrodeposits as most suitable catalysts for development of Hydrogen-on-Demand (HOD) system, while CoNiMoW ones as potential anodes for Direct Borohydride Fuel Cells (DBFCs). Keywords: Hydrogen-on-Demand (HOD), Nanocomposites, Hydrolysis, Catalyst, Kinetic

Strontium cobaltite oxygen sponge catalyst and methods of use

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ho Nyung; Jeen, Hyoungjeen; Choi, Woo Seok; Biegalski, Michael; Folkman, Chad M.; Tung, I-Cheng; Fong, Dillon D.; Freeland, John W.; Shin, Dongwon; Ohta, Hiromichi; Chisholm, Matthew F.

2017-01-24

Rapid, reversible redox activity may be accomplished at significantly reduced temperatures, as low as about 200.degree. C., from epitaxially stabilized, oxygen vacancy ordered SrCoO.sub.2.5 and thermodynamically unfavorable perovskite SrCoO.sub.3-.delta.. The fast, low temperature redox activity in SrCoO.sub.3-.delta. may be attributed to a small Gibbs free energy difference between the two topotactic phases. Epitaxially stabilized thin films of strontium cobaltite provide a catalyst adapted to rapidly transition between oxidation states at substantially low temperatures. Methods of transitioning a strontium cobaltite catalyst from a first oxidation state to a second oxidation state are described.

The lanthanum gallate-based mixed conducting perovskite ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Politova, E.D.; Stefanovich, S.Yu.; Aleksandrovskii, V.V.; Kaleva, G.M.; Mosunov, A.V.; Avetisov, A.K.; Sung, J.S.; Choo, K.Y.; Kim, T.H.

2005-01-01

The structure, microstructure, dielectric, and transport properties of the anion deficient perovskite solid solutions (La,Sr)(Ga,Mg,M)O 3-δ with M=Fe, Ni have been studied. Substitution of iron and nickel for gallium up to about 20 and 40 at.% respectively, leads to the perovskite lattice contraction due to the cation substitutions by the transition elements. The transition from pure ionic to mixed ionic-electronic conductivity was observed for both the systems studied. Both the enhancement of total conductivity and increasing in the thermal expansion coefficient values has been proved to correlate with the increasing amount of weakly bounded oxygen species in the Fe or Ni-doped ceramics. The oxygen ionic conductivity has been estimated from the kinetic experiments using the dc-conductivity and dilatometry methods under the condition of the stepwise change of the atmosphere from nitrogen to oxygen. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

The lanthanum gallate-based mixed conducting perovskite ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Politova, E.D.; Stefanovich, S.Yu.; Aleksandrovskii, V.V.; Kaleva, G.M.; Mosunov, A.V.; Avetisov, A.K. [L.Ya. Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, Vorontsovo pole 10, 105064 Moscow (Russian Federation); Sung, J.S.; Choo, K.Y.; Kim, T.H. [Korea Institute of Energy Research, 71-2 Jang-dong Yooseong, Daejeon (Korea)

2005-01-01

The structure, microstructure, dielectric, and transport properties of the anion deficient perovskite solid solutions (La,Sr)(Ga,Mg,M)O{sub 3-{delta}} with M=Fe, Ni have been studied. Substitution of iron and nickel for gallium up to about 20 and 40 at.% respectively, leads to the perovskite lattice contraction due to the cation substitutions by the transition elements. The transition from pure ionic to mixed ionic-electronic conductivity was observed for both the systems studied. Both the enhancement of total conductivity and increasing in the thermal expansion coefficient values has been proved to correlate with the increasing amount of weakly bounded oxygen species in the Fe or Ni-doped ceramics. The oxygen ionic conductivity has been estimated from the kinetic experiments using the dc-conductivity and dilatometry methods under the condition of the stepwise change of the atmosphere from nitrogen to oxygen. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Influence of synthesis route in structural, thermal and morphological characteristics of perovskite materials; Influencia da rota de sintese nas caracteristicas estruturais, termicas e morfologicas de materiais ceramicos do tipo perovskita

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandes, I.A.; Araujo, E.M. de; Santos, T.L.; Viana, K.M.S.; Borges, M.M., E-mail: indianara.alves@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), RN (Brazil); Ruiz, J.A.C. [Centro de Tecnologia do Gas e Energias Renovaveis (CTGAS-ER), RN (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Oxides with perovskite structure are interesting objects of study because of their optical, magnetic, electrical properties and its possible application, for example, as automotive catalyst. Various methods have been proposed to synthesise materials with this structure in order to achieve better structural and morphological characteristics and therefore improved properties. In this study, the mixed oxide of the perovskite type La{sub 0.8}Ca{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3} was synthesized by three different routes: the polymeric precursors, also known as the Pechini, method of gelatin modified rout and combustion method. Ceramic materials were evaluated thermally morphologically and structurally through thermal gravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and diffraction X-ray (XRD). The catalytic tests has been released, the material synthesized by the Pechini method had the best performance in relation to conversion and stability, two important properties for catalysts. (author)

Structures and Phase Transitions in Ordered Double Perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, Brendan; Zhou, Qingdi; Cheah, Melina

2005-01-01

Full text: The basic perovskite structure is ubiquitous in the study of metal oxides, yet very few oxides actually adopt the archetypal cubic structure. The perovskite structure is based on corner sharing octahedra and in most cases cooperative rotations of successive octahedra lower the symmetry of the perovskite structure. Solid State Chemists have been fascinated by these distortions for many years, not only for their intrinsic interest but also to understand how these distortions control the electronic and magnetic properties of perovskite oxides. In this presentation we will describe the use of high-resolution powder diffraction methods to unravel the temperature and composition dependence of the structures in two series of double perovskites, Sr 1-x A x NiWO 6 (A = Ba, Ca) where there is essentially complete ordering of Ni and W cations and in Sr 1-x Ca x CrNbO 6 where there is extensive disorder of the Cr and Nb cations. (authors)

Development and reactivity tests of Ce-Zr-based Claus catalysts for coal gas cleanup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No-Kuk Park; Dong Cheul Han; Gi Bo Han; Si Ok Ryu; Tae Jin Lee; Ki Jun Yoon [Yeungnam University, Gyeongbuk (Republic of Korea). National Research Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology

2007-09-15

Claus reaction (2H{sub 2}S + SO{sub 2} {leftrightarrow} 3/nS{sub n} + 2H{sub 2}O) was used to clean the gasified coal gas and the reactivity of several metal oxide-based catalysts on Claus reaction was investigated at various operating conditions. In order to convert H{sub 2}S contained in the gasified coal gas to elemental sulfur during Claus reaction, the catalysts having the high activity under the highly reducing condition with the moisture should be developed. CeO{sub 2}, ZrO{sub 2}, and Ce{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x}O{sub 2} catalysts were prepared for Claus reaction and their reactivity changes due to the existence of the reducing gases and H{sub 2}O in the fuel gas was investigated in this study. The Ce-based catalysts shows that their activity was deteriorated by the reduction of the catalyst due to the reducing gases at higher than 220{sup o}C. Meanwhile, the effect of the reducing gases on the catalytic activity was not considerable at low temperature. The activities of all three catalysts were degraded on the condition that the moisture existed in the test gas. Specifically, the Ce-based catalysts were remarkably deactivated by their sulfation. The Ce-Zr-based catalyst had a high catalytic activity when the reducing gases and the moisture co-existed in the simulated fuel gas. The deactivation of the Ce-Zr-based catalyst was not observed in this study. The lattice oxygen of the Ce-based catalyst was used for the oxidation of H{sub 2}S and the lattice oxygen vacancy on the catalyst was contributed to the reduction of SO{sub 2}. ZrO{sub 2} added to the Ce-Zr-based catalyst improved the redox properties of the catalyst in Claus reaction by increasing the mobility of the lattice oxygen of CeO{sub 2}. 21 refs., 14 figs.

Calcium and lanthanum solid base catalysts for transesterification

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, K. Y. Simon; Yan, Shuli; Salley, Steven O.

2015-07-28

In one aspect, a heterogeneous catalyst comprises calcium hydroxide and lanthanum hydroxide, wherein the catalyst has a specific surface area of more than about 10 m.sup.2/g. In another aspect, a heterogeneous catalyst comprises a calcium compound and a lanthanum compound, wherein the catalyst has a specific surface area of more than about 10 m.sup.2/g, and a total basicity of about 13.6 mmol/g. In further another aspect, a heterogeneous catalyst comprises calcium oxide and lanthanum oxide, wherein the catalyst has a specific surface area of more than about 10 m.sup.2/g. In still another aspect, a process for preparing a catalyst comprises introducing a base precipitant, a neutral precipitant, and an acid precipitant to a solution comprising a first metal ion and a second metal ion to form a precipitate. The process further comprises calcining the precipitate to provide the catalyst.

Synthesis of Hydrocarbons from H2-Deficient Syngas in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis over Co-Based Catalyst Coupled with Fe-Based Catalyst as Water-Gas Shift Reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Ma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of metal species in an Fe-based catalyst on structural properties were investigated through the synthesis of Fe-based catalysts containing various metal species such, as Mn, Zr, and Ce. The addition of the metal species to the Fe-based catalyst resulted in high dispersions of the Fe species and high surface areas due to the formation of mesoporous voids about 2–4 nm surrounded by the catalyst particles. The metal-added Fe-based catalysts were employed together with Co-loaded beta zeolite for the synthesis of hydrocarbons from syngas with a lower H2/CO ratio of 1 than the stoichiometric H2/CO ratio of 2 for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS. Among the catalysts, the Mn-added Fe-based catalyst exhibited a high activity for the water-gas shift (WGS reaction with a comparative durability, leading to the enhancement of the CO hydrogenation in the FTS in comparison with Co-loaded beta zeolite alone. Furthermore, the loading of Pd on the Mn-added Fe-based catalyst enhanced the catalytic durability due to the hydrogenation of carbonaceous species by the hydrogen activated over Pd.

Photovoltaic Effect of 2D Homologous Perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Mi-Hee

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The mixed perovskite was prepared by exposure of MAI gas on the BAPbI_4 film. • The increased dimensional perovskite shows a smaller band gap than 2D perovskite. • The mixed perovskite system shows the vertical crystal orientation. • The mixed perovskite cell exhibits the higher Jsc and FF than 2D perovskite cell. - Abstract: The controlled growth of mixed dimensional perovskite structures, (C_6H_5CH_2NH_2)(CH_3NH_3)_n_-_1Pb_nI_3_n_+_1, through the introduction of CH_3NH_3I molecule vapor into the two-dimensional perovskite C_6H_5CH_2NH_3PbI_4 structure and its application in photovoltaic devices is reported. The dimensionality of (C_6H_5CH_2NH_2)(CH_3NH_3)_n_-_1Pb_nI_3_n_+_1 is controlled using the exposure time to the CH_3NH_3I vapor on the C_6H_5CH_2NH_3PbI_4 perovskite film. As the stacking of the lead iodide lattice increases, the crystallographic planes of the inorganic perovskite compound exhibit vertical growth in order to facilitate efficient charge transport. Furthermore, the devices have a smaller band gap, which offers broader absorption and the potential to increase the photocurrent density in the solar cell. As a result, the photovoltaic device based on the (C_6H_5CH_2NH_2)(CH_3NH_3)_n_-_1Pb_nI_3_n_+_1 perovskite exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 5.43% with a short circuit current density of 14.49 mA cm"−"2, an open circuit voltage of 0.85 V, and a fill factor of 44.30 for the best power conversion efficiency under AM 1.5G solar irradiation (100 mW cm"−"2), which is significantly higher than the 0.34% of the pure two-dimensional BAPbI_4 perovskite-based solar cell.

Perovskite-based Photovoltaics: A New Pathway to Ultra- Low-Cost Space Power

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We will determine if the lifetime performance of new perovskite-based solar cells can be engineered for long-term performance for space applications. We will utilize...

Temperature-independent sensors based on perovskite-type oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaza, F.; Frangini, S.; Masci, A.; Leoncini, J.; Pasquali, M.; Luisetto, I.; Tuti, S.

2013-01-01

The need of energy security and environment sustainability drives toward the development of energy technology in order to enhance the performance of internal combustion engines. Gas sensors play a key role for controlling the fuel oxygen ratio and monitoring the pollution emissions. The perovskite-type oxides can be synthesized for an extremely wide variety of combinations of chemical elements, allowing to design materials with suitable properties for sensing application. Lanthanum strontium ferrites, such as La 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3 , are suitable oxygen sensing materials with temperature-independence conductivity, but they have low chemical stability under reducing conditions. The addition of aluminum into the perovskite structure improves the material properties in order to develop suitable oxygen sensing probes for lean burn engine control systems. Perovskite-type oxides with formula (La 0.7 Sr 0.3 )(Al x Fe 1−x )O 3 was synthesized by the citrate-nitrate combustion synthesis method. XRD analyses, show that it was synthesized a phase-pure powder belonging to the perovskite structure. Aluminum affects both the unit cell parameters, by shrinking the unit cell, and the powder morphology, by promoting the synthesis of particles with small crystallite size and large specific surface area. The partial substitution of iron with aluminum improves the chemical stability under reducing gas conditions and modulates the oxygen sensitivity by affecting the relative amount of Fe 4+ and Fe 3+ , as confirmed from TPR profiles. In the same time, the addition of aluminum does not affects the temperature-independent properties of lanthanum strontium ferrites. Indeed, the electrical measurements show that (La 0.7 Sr 0.3 )(Al x Fe 1−x )O 3 perovskites have temperature-independence conductivity from 900 K

Temperature-independent sensors based on perovskite-type oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaza, F.; Frangini, S.; Masci, A. [ENEA-Casaccia R.C., Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 S.Maria di Galeria, Rome (Italy); Leoncini, J.; Pasquali, M. [University La Sapienza, Piazza Via del Castro Laurenziano 7, 00161 Rome (Italy); Luisetto, I.; Tuti, S. [University RomaTre, Rome 00146 (Italy)

2014-06-19

The need of energy security and environment sustainability drives toward the development of energy technology in order to enhance the performance of internal combustion engines. Gas sensors play a key role for controlling the fuel oxygen ratio and monitoring the pollution emissions. The perovskite-type oxides can be synthesized for an extremely wide variety of combinations of chemical elements, allowing to design materials with suitable properties for sensing application. Lanthanum strontium ferrites, such as La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}FeO{sub 3}, are suitable oxygen sensing materials with temperature-independence conductivity, but they have low chemical stability under reducing conditions. The addition of aluminum into the perovskite structure improves the material properties in order to develop suitable oxygen sensing probes for lean burn engine control systems. Perovskite-type oxides with formula (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3})(Al{sub x}Fe{sub 1−x})O{sub 3} was synthesized by the citrate-nitrate combustion synthesis method. XRD analyses, show that it was synthesized a phase-pure powder belonging to the perovskite structure. Aluminum affects both the unit cell parameters, by shrinking the unit cell, and the powder morphology, by promoting the synthesis of particles with small crystallite size and large specific surface area. The partial substitution of iron with aluminum improves the chemical stability under reducing gas conditions and modulates the oxygen sensitivity by affecting the relative amount of Fe{sup 4+} and Fe{sup 3+}, as confirmed from TPR profiles. In the same time, the addition of aluminum does not affects the temperature-independent properties of lanthanum strontium ferrites. Indeed, the electrical measurements show that (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3})(Al{sub x}Fe{sub 1−x})O{sub 3} perovskites have temperature-independence conductivity from 900 K.

Investigating the Effect of Pyridine Vapor Treatment on Perovskite Solar Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ong, Alison [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

2015-08-20

Perovskite photovoltaics have recently come to prominence as a viable alternative to crystalline silicon based solar cells. In an effort to create consistent and high-quality films, we studied the effect of various annealing conditions as well as the effect of pyridine vapor treatment on mixed halide methylammonium lead perovskite films. Of six conditions tested, we found that annealing at 100°C for 90 minutes followed by 120°C for 15 minutes resulted in the purest perovskite. Perovskite films made using that condition were treated with pyridine for various amounts of time, and the effects on perovskite microstructure were studied using x-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and time-resolved photoluminescence lifetime analysis (TRPL). A previous study found that pyridine vapor caused perovskite films to have higher photoluminescence intensity and become more homogenous. In this study we found that the effects of pyridine are more complex: while films appeared to become more homogenous, a decrease in bulk photoluminescence lifetime was observed. In addition, the perovskite bandgap appeared to decrease with increased pyridine treatment time. Finally, X-ray diffraction showed that pyridine vapor treatment increased the perovskite (110) peak intensity but also often gave rise to new unidentified peaks, suggesting the formation of a foreign species. It was observed that the intensity of this unknown species had an inverse correlation with the increase in perovskite peak intensity, and also seemed to be correlated with the decrease in TRPL lifetime.

Elucidation of reaction mechanism for m -cresol hydrodeoxygenation over Fe based catalysts: A kinetic study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Yongchun; Wang, Yong

2017-09-01

Fe based catalysts are promising for hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin derived phenolics due to their high selectivity for aromatics. In this work, the reaction mechanism of m-cresol HDO on Fe catalysts and the kinetic consequence with Pd addition were elucidated by examining the effect of H2, H2O and m-cresol pressures on toluene formation rate on Fe and PdFe catalysts. A direct CO bond cleavage mechanism is proposed for HDO catalysis on both Fe and PdFe catalysts, while Pd provides a facilitated reaction pathway at the PdFe interface and therefore promotes the catalysis on Fe without changing the high selectivity towards aromatics.

Group theoretical analysis of octahedral tilting in perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, C.J.; Stokes, H.T.

1998-01-01

Full text: Structures of the perovskite family, ABX 3 , have interested crystallographers over many years, and continue to attract attention on account of their fascinating electrical and magnetic properties, for example the giant magnetoresistive effects exhibited by certain perovskite materials. The ideal perovskite (cubic, space group Pm -/3 m) is a particularly simple structure, but also a demanding one, since aside from the lattice parameter there are no variable parameters in the structure. Consequently, the majority of perovskite structures are distorted perovskites (hettotypes), the most common distortion being the corner-linked tilting of the practically rigid BX 6 octahedral units. In this work, group theoretical methods have been applied to the study of octahedral tilting in perovskites. The only irreducible representations of the parent group (Pm -/3 m) which produce octahedral tilting subject to corner-linking constraints are M + / 3 and R 4 ' + . A six-dimensional order parameter in the reducible representation space of M + / 3 + R + / 4 describes the different possible tilting patterns. The space groups for the different perovskites are then simply the isotropy subgroups, comprising those operations which leave the order parameter invariant. The isotropy subgroups are obtained from a computer program or tabulations. The analysis yields a list of fifteen possible space groups for perovskites derived through octahedral tilting. A connection is made to the (twenty-three) tilt systems given previously by Glazer. The group-subgroup relationships have been derived and displayed. It is interesting to note that all known perovskites based on octahedral tilting conform with the fifteen space groups on our list, with the exception of one perovskite at high temperature, the structure of which seems poorly determined

Radio-Frequency-Based NH3-Selective Catalytic Reduction Catalyst Control: Studies on Temperature Dependency and Humidity Influences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Dietrich

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The upcoming more stringent automotive emission legislations and current developments have promoted new technologies for more precise and reliable catalyst control. For this purpose, radio-frequency-based (RF catalyst state determination offers the only approach for directly measuring the NH3 loading on selective catalytic reduction (SCR catalysts and the state of other catalysts and filter systems. Recently, the ability of this technique to directly control the urea dosing on a current NH3 storing zeolite catalyst has been demonstrated on an engine dynamometer for the first time and this paper continues that work. Therefore, a well-known serial-type and zeolite-based SCR catalyst (Cu-SSZ-13 was investigated under deliberately chosen high space velocities. At first, the full functionality of the RF system with Cu-SSZ-13 as sample was tested successfully. By direct RF-based NH3 storage control, the influence of the storage degree on the catalyst performance, i.e., on NOx conversion and NH3 slip, was investigated in a temperature range between 250 and 400 °C. For each operation point, an ideal and a critical NH3 storage degree was found and analyzed in the whole temperature range. Based on the data of all experimental runs, temperature dependent calibration functions were developed as a basis for upcoming tests under transient conditions. Additionally, the influence of exhaust humidity was observed with special focus on cold start water and its effects to the RF signals.

Radio-Frequency-Based NH3-Selective Catalytic Reduction Catalyst Control: Studies on Temperature Dependency and Humidity Influences

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Markus; Hagen, Gunter; Reitmeier, Willibald; Burger, Katharina; Hien, Markus; Grass, Philippe; Kubinski, David; Visser, Jaco; Moos, Ralf

2017-01-01

The upcoming more stringent automotive emission legislations and current developments have promoted new technologies for more precise and reliable catalyst control. For this purpose, radio-frequency-based (RF) catalyst state determination offers the only approach for directly measuring the NH3 loading on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts and the state of other catalysts and filter systems. Recently, the ability of this technique to directly control the urea dosing on a current NH3 storing zeolite catalyst has been demonstrated on an engine dynamometer for the first time and this paper continues that work. Therefore, a well-known serial-type and zeolite-based SCR catalyst (Cu-SSZ-13) was investigated under deliberately chosen high space velocities. At first, the full functionality of the RF system with Cu-SSZ-13 as sample was tested successfully. By direct RF-based NH3 storage control, the influence of the storage degree on the catalyst performance, i.e., on NOx conversion and NH3 slip, was investigated in a temperature range between 250 and 400 °C. For each operation point, an ideal and a critical NH3 storage degree was found and analyzed in the whole temperature range. Based on the data of all experimental runs, temperature dependent calibration functions were developed as a basis for upcoming tests under transient conditions. Additionally, the influence of exhaust humidity was observed with special focus on cold start water and its effects to the RF signals. PMID:28704929

Studies on perovskite film ablation and scribing with ns-, ps- and fs-laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Bayer, Lukas; Ye, Xinyuan; Lorenz, Pierre; Zimmer, Klaus

2017-10-01

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites attract much attention due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties, in particular for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The accurate, high-speed and reliable patterning of the PV films is required for perovskite solar modules fabrication. Laser scribing provides these characteristics needed for industrial fabrication processes. In this work, the laser ablation and scribing of perovskite layers (CH3NH3PbI3: MAPbI3) with different laser sources (ns-, ps-, fs-laser pulses with wavelengths of 248 nm to 2.5 µm) were systematically investigated. The perovskite material was irradiated from both the film side and the substrate (rear side) side to study and compare the particular processes. The patterning results of the perovskite film can be classified into (1) regular laser ablation, (2) thin-film delamination lift-off process, and (3) lift-off with thermal modifications. A particular process, the localised lift-off of single grains from the perovskite film, has been observed and is discussed in relation to the thin-film lift-off process. Ablation and ablation-related mechanisms provide good conditions for laser scribing of the perovskite layer required for module interconnection via P2.

Activities of Heterogeneous Acid-Base Catalysts for Fragrances Synthesis: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hartati Hartati

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews various types of heterogeneous acid-base catalysts for fragrances preparation. Catalytic activities of various types of heterogeneous acid and base catalysts in fragrances preparation, i.e. non-zeolitic, zeolitic, and mesoporous molecular sieves have been reported. Generally, heterogeneous acid catalysts are commonly used in fragrance synthesis as compared to heterogeneous base catalysts. Heteropoly acids and hydrotalcites type catalysts are widely used as heterogeneous acid and base catalysts, respectively. © 2013 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 20th January 2013; Revised: 31st March 2013; Accepted: 1st April 2013[How to Cite: Hartati, H., Santoso, M., Triwahyono, S., Prasetyoko, D. (2013. Activities of Heterogeneous Acid-Base Catalysts for Fragrances Synthesis: A Review. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 8 (1: 14-33. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.8.1.4394.14-33][Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.8.1.4394.14-33] | View in  |

Syngas production by reforming of methane on perovskite catalysts ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

T V Sagar

C, the sol–gel catalysts reached their maximum activity in terms of both CH4 and ... the attention of researchers recently.5,6 Reforming of methane with carbon ..... bands can be divided into four zones, with 2–3 peaks in each zone. In the first ...

High-Performance Single-Crystalline Perovskite Thin-Film Photodetector

KAUST Repository

Yang, Zhenqian

2018-01-10

The best performing modern optoelectronic devices rely on single-crystalline thin-film (SC-TF) semiconductors grown epitaxially. The emerging halide perovskites, which can be synthesized via low-cost solution-based methods, have achieved substantial success in various optoelectronic devices including solar cells, lasers, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. However, to date, the performance of these perovskite devices based on polycrystalline thin-film active layers lags behind the epitaxially grown semiconductor devices. Here, a photodetector based on SC-TF perovskite active layer is reported with a record performance of a 50 million gain, 70 GHz gain-bandwidth product, and a 100-photon level detection limit at 180 Hz modulation bandwidth, which as far as we know are the highest values among all the reported perovskite photodetectors. The superior performance of the device originates from replacing polycrystalline thin film by a thickness-optimized SC-TF with much higher mobility and longer recombination time. The results indicate that high-performance perovskite devices based on SC-TF may become competitive in modern optoelectronics.

Novel Integration of Perovskite Solar Cell and Supercapacitor Based on Carbon Electrode for Hybridizing Energy Conversion and Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhiyong; Zhong, Yan; Sun, Bo; Liu, Xingyue; Han, Jinghui; Shi, Tielin; Tang, Zirong; Liao, Guanglan

2017-07-12

Power packs integrating both photovoltaic parts and energy storage parts have gained great scientific and technological attention due to the increasing demand for green energy and the tendency for miniaturization and multifunctionalization in electronics industry. In this study, we demonstrate novel integration of perovskite solar cell and solid-state supercapacitor for power packs. The perovskite solar cell is integrated with the supercapacitor based on common carbon electrodes to hybridize photoelectric conversion and energy storage. The power pack achieves a voltage of 0.84 V when the supercapacitor is charged by the perovskite solar cell under the AM 1.5G white light illumination with a 0.071 cm 2 active area, reaching an energy storage proportion of 76% and an overall conversion efficiency of 5.26%. When the supercapacitor is precharged at 1.0 V, an instant overall output efficiency of 22.9% can be achieved if the perovskite solar cell and supercapacitor are connected in series, exhibiting great potential in the applications of solar energy storage and flexible electronics such as portable and wearable devices.

Improved perovskite phototransistor prepared using multi-step annealing method

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Mingxuan; Zhang, Yating; Yu, Yu; Yao, Jianquan

2018-02-01

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites with good intrinsic physical properties have received substantial interest for solar cell and optoelectronic applications. However, perovskite film always suffers from a low carrier mobility due to its structural imperfection including sharp grain boundaries and pinholes, restricting their device performance and application potential. Here we demonstrate a straightforward strategy based on multi-step annealing process to improve the performance of perovskite photodetector. Annealing temperature and duration greatly affects the surface morphology and optoelectrical properties of perovskites which determines the device property of phototransistor. The perovskite films treated with multi-step annealing method tend to form highly uniform, well-crystallized and high surface coverage perovskite film, which exhibit stronger ultraviolet-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectrum compare to the perovskites prepared by conventional one-step annealing process. The field-effect mobilities of perovskite photodetector treated by one-step direct annealing method shows mobility as 0.121 (0.062) cm2V-1s-1 for holes (electrons), which increases to 1.01 (0.54) cm2V-1s-1 for that treated with muti-step slow annealing method. Moreover, the perovskite phototransistors exhibit a fast photoresponse speed of 78 μs. In general, this work focuses on the influence of annealing methods on perovskite phototransistor, instead of obtains best parameters of it. These findings prove that Multi-step annealing methods is feasible to prepared high performance based photodetector.

Ethanolysis conversion of spent frying oils over aluminium, calcium-phosphate based bi-functional formulated catalysts. Catalytic activity assessment study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Zaini, Essam O.; Chesterfield, Dean; Adesina, Adesoji A. [The Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia). Reactor Engineering and Technology Group; Olsen, John [The Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia). School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

2013-06-01

The current study compares the catalytic performance of two bi-functional solid catalysts for the transesterification of waste cooking vegetable oil in presence of bio-ethanol acyl-acceptor. The two catalysts were aluminum oxide and seashell-derived calcium oxide supported K{sub 3}PO{sub 4}. The catalytic activity of the produced catalyst samples were assessed and evaluated in terms of their textural and surface chemical properties. Evaluative runs showed that increased amounts of K{sub 3}PO{sub 4} have differently controlled the textural and surface chemical property of the finally synthesised catalyst samples. The behaviour revealed a strong correlation between the percentage yield of ethyl esters EEY% and acid-base site density and strength between the two types of catalysts. Possible leaching test of the catalysts was also used as a measure of performance and as a result, the optimum catalyst, on the basis of both ester yield and resistance to leaching was identified as the sample containing between 10 and 15wt% of K{sub 3}PO{sub 4} on AlO{sub 3} and CaO respectively. (orig.)

Constructing Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells via Interconnecting Perovskite Grains.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Xian; Huang, Sumei; Ou-Yang, Wei; Pan, Likun; Sun, Zhuo; Chen, Xiaohong

2017-10-11

A high-quality perovskite film with interconnected perovskite grains was obtained by incorporating terephthalic acid (TPA) additive into the perovskite precursor solution. The presence of TPA changed the crystallization kinetics of the perovskite film and promoted lateral growth of grains in the vicinity of crystal boundaries. As a result, sheet-shaped perovskite was formed and covered onto the bottom grains, which made some adjacent grains partly merge together to form grains-interconnected perovskite film. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with TPA additive exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.51% with less hysteresis, which is obviously higher than that of pristine cells (15.53%). PSCs without and with TPA additive retain 18 and 51% of the initial PCE value, respectively, aging for 35 days exposed to relative humidity 30% in air without encapsulation. Furthermore, MAPbI 3 film with TPA additive shows superior thermal stability to the pristine one under 100 °C baking. The results indicate that the presence of TPA in perovskite film can greatly improve the performance of PSCs as well as their moisture resistance and thermal stability.

Single Vs Mixed Organic Cation for Low Temperature Processed Perovskite Solar Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmud, Md Arafat; Elumalai, Naveen Kumar; Upama, Mushfika Baishakhi; Wang, Dian; Wright, Matthew; Chan, Kah Howe; Xu, Cheng; Haque, Faiazul; Uddin, Ashraf

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Low temperature processed ZnO based single & mixed organic cation perovskite device. • 37% higher PCE in mixed cation perovskite solar cells (PSCs) than single cation ones. • Mixed cation PSCs exhibit significantly reduced photocurrent hysteresis. • Mixed cation PSCs demonstrate three fold higher device stability than single cation PSCs. • Electronic properties are analyzed using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. - Abstract: The present work reports a comparative study between single and mixed organic cation based MAPbI 3 and MA 0.6 FA 0.4 PbI 3 perovskite devices fabricated in conjunction with low temperature processed (<150 °C) ZnO electron transport layers. MA 0.6 FA 0.4 PbI 3 perovskite devices demonstrate 37% higher power conversion efficiency compared to MAPbI 3 perovskite devices developed on the ZnO ETL. In addition, MA 0.6 FA 0.4 PbI 3 devices exhibit very low photocurrent hysteresis and they are three-fold more stable than conventional MAPbI 3 PSCs (perovskite solar cells). An in-depth analysis on the charge transport properties in both fresh and aged devices has been carried out using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis to comprehend the enhanced device stability of the mixed perovskite devices developed on the ZnO ETL. The study also investigates into the interfacial charge transfer characteristics associated with the ZnO/mixed organic cation perovskite interface and concomitant influence on the inherent electronic properties.

Deactivation of molybdate catalysts by nitrogen bases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furimsky, E.

1982-10-01

Nitrogen bases present in petroleum deactivate the surface of molybdate catalysts. The detrimental effect is attributed either to interactions of the bases with Lewis sites via unpaired electrons on nitrogen or to their ability to remove proton from the surface. The later effect results in a decrease of concentration of Bronsted sites known to be active in catalytic reactions. This enhances rate of coke forming reactions. Resistence of molybdate catalysts to coke formation depends on the form and redistribution of active ingredients on the surface. This can be effected by conditions applied during preparation and pretreatment of the catalysts. Processing parameters used during catalytic hydrotreatment are also important; i.e., the coke formation is slow under conditions ensuring high rate of removal of basic nitrogen containing compounds.

Oxygen storage capacity and structural properties of Ni-doped LaMnO3 perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ran, Rui; Wu, Xiaodong; Weng, Duan; Fan, Jun

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Dynamic OSC of (a) fresh and (b) aged LaMn 1−x Ni x O 3 perovskites (0.1 Hz). Aged condition: 1050 °C, 5 h, 7% steam in air. The LaMn 1−x Ni x O 3 perovskites exhibit considerable dynamic OSC in comparison to CeO 2 –ZrO 2 (CZ), even after 1050 °C hydrothermal ageing for 5 h. Highlights: •Ni-doped LaMnO 3 perovskites exhibit very large dynamic OSC and high oxygen storage rate. •Mn 4+ is favourable to the releasable oxygen. •Doping of Ni ions increase the Mn 4+ content and the oxygen vacancies. •Doping of Ni ions reduce the BO 6 distortion in the LaMnO 3 perovskites. -- Abstract: A series of Ni doped LaMnO 3 perovskites were prepared by a sol–gel method as oxygen storage materials. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray adsorption fine structure (XAFS), oxygen storage capacity (OSC) and H 2 -temperature program reduction (TPR) measurements were performed to investigate the OSC of the perovskites as well as the effects of Ni on the structural properties. The results showed that the Ni-doped LaMnO 3 perovskite exhibited very large dynamic OSC and high oxygen release rate, which provided a possibility to serve as an oxygen storage material candidate in three-way catalysts. The available oxygen species below 500 °C primarily originated from the redox reaction between Mn 4+ and Mn 3+ , and the more Mn 4+ were favourable to the releasable oxygen. The doping of appropriate Ni ions promoted the OSC of the LaMnO 3 perovskites by increasing the Mn 4+ content and adjusting the structural defects. On the other hand, the doped Ni ions could make the BO 6 distortion disappearing in the LaMnO 3 perovskites to reduce the lattice oxygen activity

Perovskite Superlattices as Tunable Microwave Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Christen, H. M.; Harshavardhan, K. S.

2003-01-01

Experiments have shown that superlattices that comprise alternating epitaxial layers of dissimilar paraelectric perovskites can exhibit large changes in permittivity with the application of electric fields. The superlattices are potentially useful as electrically tunable dielectric components of such microwave devices as filters and phase shifters. The present superlattice approach differs fundamentally from the prior use of homogeneous, isotropic mixtures of base materials and dopants. A superlattice can comprise layers of two or more perovskites in any suitable sequence (e.g., ABAB..., ABCDABCD..., ABACABACA...). Even though a single layer of one of the perovskites by itself is not tunable, the compositions and sequence of the layers can be chosen so that (1) the superlattice exhibits low microwave loss and (2) the interfacial interaction between at least two of the perovskites in the superlattice renders either the entire superlattice or else at least one of the perovskites tunable.

Design of Pd-Based Bimetallic Catalysts for ORR: A DFT Calculation Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihui Ou

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Developing Pd-lean catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR is the key for large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs. In the present paper, we have proposed a multiple-descriptor strategy for designing efficient and durable ORR Pd-based alloy catalysts. We demonstrated that an ideal Pd-based bimetallic alloy catalyst for ORR should possess simultaneously negative alloy formation energy, negative surface segregation energy of Pd, and a lower oxygen binding ability than pure Pt. By performing detailed DFT calculations on the thermodynamics, surface chemistry and electronic properties of Pd-M alloys, Pd-V, Pd-Fe, Pd-Zn, Pd-Nb, and Pd-Ta, are identified theoretically to have stable Pd segregated surface and improved ORR activity. Factors affecting these properties are analyzed. The alloy formation energy of Pd with transition metals M can be mainly determined by their electron interaction. This may be the origin of the negative alloy formation energy for Pd-M alloys. The surface segregation energy of Pd is primarily determined by the surface energy and the atomic radius of M. The metals M which have smaller atomic radius and higher surface energy would tend to favor the surface segregation of Pd in corresponding Pd-M alloys.

Ligand-Stabilized Reduced-Dimensionality Perovskites

KAUST Repository

Quan, Li Na; Yuan, Mingjian; Comin, Riccardo; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Beauregard, Eric M.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Buin, Andrei; Kirmani, Ahmad R.; Zhao, Kui; Amassian, Aram; Kim, Dong Ha; Sargent, Edward H.

2016-01-01

Metal halide perovskites have rapidly advanced thin film photovoltaic performance; as a result, the materials’ observed instabilities urgently require a solution. Using density functional theory (DFT), we show that a low energy of formation, exacerbated in the presence of humidity, explains the propensity of perovskites to decompose back into their precursors. We find, also using DFT, that intercalation of phenylethylammonium between perovskite layers introduces quantitatively appreciable van der Waals interactions; and these drive an increased formation energy and should therefore improve material stability. Here we report the reduced-dimensionality (quasi-2D) perovskite films that exhibit improved stability while retaining the high performance of conventional three-dimensional perovskites. Continuous tuning of the dimensionality, as assessed using photophysical studies, is achieved by the choice of stoichiometry in materials synthesis. We achieved the first certified hysteresis-free solar power conversion in a planar perovskite solar cell, obtaining a 15.3% certified PCE, and observe greatly improved performance longevity.

Ligand-Stabilized Reduced-Dimensionality Perovskites

KAUST Repository

Quan, Li Na

2016-02-03

Metal halide perovskites have rapidly advanced thin film photovoltaic performance; as a result, the materials’ observed instabilities urgently require a solution. Using density functional theory (DFT), we show that a low energy of formation, exacerbated in the presence of humidity, explains the propensity of perovskites to decompose back into their precursors. We find, also using DFT, that intercalation of phenylethylammonium between perovskite layers introduces quantitatively appreciable van der Waals interactions; and these drive an increased formation energy and should therefore improve material stability. Here we report the reduced-dimensionality (quasi-2D) perovskite films that exhibit improved stability while retaining the high performance of conventional three-dimensional perovskites. Continuous tuning of the dimensionality, as assessed using photophysical studies, is achieved by the choice of stoichiometry in materials synthesis. We achieved the first certified hysteresis-free solar power conversion in a planar perovskite solar cell, obtaining a 15.3% certified PCE, and observe greatly improved performance longevity.

A Study of CO2 Methanation over Ni-Based Catalysts Supported by CNTs with Various Textural Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanyan Feng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This work studied the influence of textural characteristics of CNTs on catalytic performance of Ni/CNTs for CO2 methanation. The CNTs supports were prepared by chemical vapor deposition method using Ni/MgO catalysts, and acetonitrile and ethanol were used as carbon sources, respectively. The Ni/CNTs catalysts were prepared via impregnation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, N2 adsorption/desorption, and temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR techniques. The results indicated that the textural characteristics of CNTs supports significantly impacted on the catalytic performance of Ni/CNTs. The catalyst Ni/CNTs-E (CNTs using ethanol as carbon source had good reducibility, high specific surface area, and moderate defects, resulting in higher CO2 conversion and CH4 yield, followed by Ni/CNTs-C (commercial CNTs and Ni/CNTs-A (CNTs using acetonitrile as carbon source. Based on Arrhenius formula, activation energies of the catalysts were calculated and were found decreased for Ni/CNTs-A and Ni/CNTs-E.

Intrinsic Instability of Cs2In(I)M(III)X6 (M = Bi, Sb; X = Halogen) Double Perovskites: A Combined Density Functional Theory and Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zewen; Du, Ke-Zhao; Meng, Weiwei; Wang, Jianbo; Mitzi, David B; Yan, Yanfa

2017-05-03

Recently, there has been substantial interest in developing double-B-cation halide perovskites, which hold the potential to overcome the toxicity and instability issues inherent within emerging lead halide-based solar absorber materials. Among all double perovskites investigated, In(I)-based Cs 2 InBiCl 6 and Cs 2 InSbCl 6 have been proposed as promising thin-film photovoltaic absorber candidates, with computational examination predicting suitable materials properties, including direct bandgap and small effective masses for both electrons and holes. In this study, we report the intrinsic instability of Cs 2 In(I)M(III)X 6 (M = Bi, Sb; X = halogen) double perovskites by a combination of density functional theory and experimental study. Our results suggest that the In(I)-based double perovskites are unstable against oxidation into In(III)-based compounds. Further, the results show the need to consider reduction-oxidation (redox) chemistry when predicting stability of new prospective electronic materials, especially when less common oxidation states are involved.

High-efficiency perovskite solar cells based on anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Yan, E-mail: huangyan@ecust.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); Wu, Jiamin; Gao, Di [Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States)

2016-01-01

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on one-dimensional anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays were prepared by using a two-step deposition method to fill the arrays of TiO{sub 2} nanotubes in different lengths with perovskite. The photovoltaic performance of PSCs was found to be significantly dependent on the length of the TiO{sub 2} nanotubes, and the power conversion efficiency decreased as the length of the TiO{sub 2} nanotubes increased from ~ 0.40 μm to ~ 0.65 and then to ~ 0.93 μm. The PSC fabricated with ~ 0.40 μm-long anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays yielded a power conversion efficiency of 11.3% and a fill factor of 0.68 under illumination of 100 mW/cm{sup 2} AM 1.5G simulated sunlight, which is significantly higher than previously reported solar cells based on 1-D TiO{sub 2} nanostructures. Incident photon-to-current efficiency and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements indicated that longer TiO{sub 2} nanotubes led to higher recombination losses of charge carriers, possibly due to poor filling of the nanotube arrays with perovskite. - Highlights: • 1D anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotubes were used to fabricate perovskite solar cells. • The best efficiency of 11.3% was achieved with ~ 0.40 μm-long TiO{sub 2} nanotubes. • The efficiency of the devices decreased with increasing TiO{sub 2} nanotube lengths.

Perovskite solar cells for roll-to-roll fabrication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uddin Ashraf

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Perovskite solar cell (PSCs is considered as the game changer in emerging photovoltaics technology. The highest certified efficiency is 22% with high temperature processed (∼500 °C TiO2 based electron transport layer (ETL. High temperature process is a rudimentary hindrance towards roll-to-roll processing of PSCs on flexible substrates. Low temperature solution process (<150 °C ZnO based ETL is one of the most promising candidate for large scale roll-to-roll fabrication of cells as it has nearly identical electron affinity (4.2 eV of TiO2. The mixed organic perovskite (MA0.6FA0.4PbI3 devices with Al doped ZnO (AZO ETL demonstrate average cell efficiency over 16%, which is the highest ever reported efficiency for this device configuration. The energy level alignment and related interfacial charge transport dynamics at the interface of ZnO and perovskite films and the adjacent charge transport layers are investigated. Significantly improved device stability, hysteresis free device photocurrent have been observed in MA0.6FA0.4PbI3 cells. A systematic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, frequency dependent capacitance spectra, surface morphology and topography characterization have been conducted to understand the role of interfacial electronic properties between perovskite and neighbouring layers in perovskite device. A standardized degradation study, interfacial electronic property and capacitive spectra analysis of aged device, have been measured to understand the enhanced device stability in mixed MA0.6FA0.4PbI3 cells. Slow perovskite material decomposition rate and augmented device lifetime with AZO based devices have been found to be correlated with the more hydrophobic and acidic nature of AZO surface compared to pristine ZnO film.

The Application of Moessbauer Emission Spectroscopy to Industrial Cobalt Based Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loosdrecht, J. van de; Berge, P. J. van; Craje, M. W. J.; Kraan, A. M. van der

2002-01-01

The application of Moessbauer emission spectroscopy to study cobalt based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts for the gas-to-liquids process was investigated. It was shown that Moessbauer emission spectroscopy could be used to study the oxidation of cobalt as a deactivation mechanism of high loading cobalt based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts. Oxidation was observed under conditions that are in contradiction with the bulk cobalt phase thermodynamics. This can be explained by oxidation of small cobalt crystallites or by surface oxidation. The formation of re-reducible Co 3+ species was observed as well as the formation of irreducible Co 3+ and Co 2+ species that interact strongly with the alumina support. The formation of the different cobalt species depends on the oxidation conditions. Iron was used as a probe nuclide to investigate the cobalt catalyst preparation procedure. A high-pressure Moessbauer emission spectroscopy cell was designed and constructed, which creates the opportunity to study cobalt based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts under realistic synthesis conditions.

Model study on transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel with methanol using solid base catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xuejun; Piao, Xianglan; Wang, Yujun; Zhu, Shenlin

2010-03-25

Modeling of the transesterification of vegetable oils to biodiesel using a solid base as a catalyst is very important because the mutual solubilities of oil and methanol will increase with the increasing biodiesel yield. The heterogeneous liquid-liquid-solid reaction system would become a liquid-solid system when the biodiesel reaches a certain content. In this work, we adopted a two-film theory and a steady state approximation assumption, then established a heterogeneous liquid-liquid-solid model in the first stage. After the diffusion coefficients on the liquid-liquid interface and the liquid-solid interface were calculated on the basis of the properties of the system, the theoretical value of biodiesel productivity changing with time was obtained. The predicted values were very near the experimental data, which indicated that the proposed models were suitable for the transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel when solid bases were used as catalysts. Meanwhile, the model indicated that the transesterification reaction was controlled by both mass transfer and reaction. The total resistance will decrease with the increase in biodiesel yield in the liquid-liquid-solid stage. The solid base catalyst exhibited an activation energy range of 9-20 kcal/mol, which was consistent with the reported activation energy range of homogeneous catalysts.

Ethane dehydrogenation over nano-Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} anode catalyst in proton ceramic fuel cell reactors to co-produce ethylene and electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Xian-Zhu; Luo, Xiao-Xiong; Luo, Jing-Li; Chuang, Karl T.; Sanger, Alan R. [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G2G6 (Canada); Krzywicki, Andrzej [NOVA Chemicals Corp., Calgary, Alberta T2P5C6 (Canada)

2011-02-01

Ethane and electrical power are co-generated in proton ceramic fuel cell reactors having Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles as anode catalyst, BaCe{sub 0.8}Y{sub 0.15}Nd{sub 0.05}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BCYN) perovskite oxide as proton conducting ceramic electrolyte, and Pt as cathode catalyst. Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles are synthesized by a combustion method. BaCe{sub 0.8}Y{sub 0.15}Nd{sub 0.05}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BCYN) perovskite oxides are obtained using a solid state reaction. The power density increases from 51 mW cm{sup -2} to 118 mW cm{sup -2} and the ethylene yield increases from about 8% to 31% when the operating temperature of the solid oxide fuel cell reactor increases from 650 C to 750 C. The fuel cell reactor and process are stable at 700 C for at least 48 h. Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} anode catalyst exhibits much better coke resistance than Pt and Ni catalysts in ethane fuel atmosphere at 700 C. (author)

Preparation and characterization of perovskite structure lanthanum gallate and lanthanum aluminate based oxides

OpenAIRE

Li, Shuai

2009-01-01

The present work was initiated to study the synthesis and properties of lanthanum gallate based oxides as intermediate temperature electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells. The wet chemical method, polymer complexing route, was used to prepare the precursor powders. To further investigate the polymer complexing method, it was also applied to the preparation of lanthanum aluminate based oxides.   Single perovskite phase La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O2.815 can be prepared by the polymer complexing meth...

First-principles study of structural stability and elastic property of pre-perovskite PbTiO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yong; Ni Li-Hong; Ren Zhao-Hui; Xu Gang; Li Xiang; Song Chen-Lu; Han Gao-Rong

2012-01-01

The structural stability and the elastic properties of a novel structure of lead titanate, which is named pre- perovskite PbTiO 3 (PP-PTO) and is constructed with TiO 6 octahedral columns arranged in a one-dimensional manner, are investigated by using first-principles calculations. PP-PTO is energetically unstable compared with conventional perovskite phases, however it is mechanically stable. The equilibrium transition pressures for changing from pre- perovskite to cubic and tetragonal phases are −0.5 GPa and −1.4 GPa, respectively, with first-order characteristics. Further, the differences in elastic properties between pre-perovskite and conventional perovskite phases are discussed for the covalent bonding network, which shows a highly anisotropic character in PP-PTO. This study provides a crucial insight into the structural stabilities of PP-PTO and conventional perovskite. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Encapsulated heterogeneous base catalysts onto SBA-15 nanoporous material as highly active catalysts in the transesterification of sunflower oil to biodiesel

Science.gov (United States)

Albayati, Talib M.; Doyle, Aidan M.

2015-02-01

Alkali metals and their hydroxides, Na, NaOH, Li, and LiOH, were encapsulated onto SBA-15 nanoporous material as highly active catalysts for the production of biodiesel fuel from sunflower oil. The incipient wetness impregnation method was adopted for the prepared catalysts. The characterization properties of the catalysts and unmodified SBA-15 were determined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, EDAX, nitrogen adsorption-desorption porosimetry (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Transesterification was conducted in a batch reactor at atmospheric pressure and 65 °C. The catalysts were highly active with yields of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in the range 96-99 %. Na/SBA-15 catalyst was reused for seven consecutive cycles under the same reaction conditions; the yield to FAME on the final cycle was 96 %. This study shows that the alkali metals and their hydroxides supported on SBA-15-based catalyst are excellent catalysts for the biodiesel reaction.

Encapsulated heterogeneous base catalysts onto SBA-15 nanoporous material as highly active catalysts in the transesterification of sunflower oil to biodiesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albayati, Talib M., E-mail: talib-albyati@yahoo.com [University of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering (Iraq); Doyle, Aidan M., E-mail: a.m.doyle@mmu.ac.uk [Manchester Metropolitan University, Division of Chemistry and Environmental Science (United Kingdom)

2015-02-15

Alkali metals and their hydroxides, Na, NaOH, Li, and LiOH, were encapsulated onto SBA-15 nanoporous material as highly active catalysts for the production of biodiesel fuel from sunflower oil. The incipient wetness impregnation method was adopted for the prepared catalysts. The characterization properties of the catalysts and unmodified SBA-15 were determined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, EDAX, nitrogen adsorption–desorption porosimetry (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Transesterification was conducted in a batch reactor at atmospheric pressure and 65 °C. The catalysts were highly active with yields of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in the range 96–99 %. Na/SBA-15 catalyst was reused for seven consecutive cycles under the same reaction conditions; the yield to FAME on the final cycle was 96 %. This study shows that the alkali metals and their hydroxides supported on SBA-15-based catalyst are excellent catalysts for the biodiesel reaction.

Encapsulated heterogeneous base catalysts onto SBA-15 nanoporous material as highly active catalysts in the transesterification of sunflower oil to biodiesel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albayati, Talib M.; Doyle, Aidan M.

2015-01-01

Alkali metals and their hydroxides, Na, NaOH, Li, and LiOH, were encapsulated onto SBA-15 nanoporous material as highly active catalysts for the production of biodiesel fuel from sunflower oil. The incipient wetness impregnation method was adopted for the prepared catalysts. The characterization properties of the catalysts and unmodified SBA-15 were determined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, EDAX, nitrogen adsorption–desorption porosimetry (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Transesterification was conducted in a batch reactor at atmospheric pressure and 65 °C. The catalysts were highly active with yields of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in the range 96–99 %. Na/SBA-15 catalyst was reused for seven consecutive cycles under the same reaction conditions; the yield to FAME on the final cycle was 96 %. This study shows that the alkali metals and their hydroxides supported on SBA-15-based catalyst are excellent catalysts for the biodiesel reaction

Studies on recycling and utilization of spent catalysts. Preparation of active hydrodemetallization catalyst compositions from spent residue hydroprocessing catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marafi, Meena; Stanislaus, Antony [Petroleum Refining Department, Petroleum Research and Studies Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat (Kuwait)

2007-02-15

Spent catalysts form a major source of solid wastes in the petroleum refining industries. Due to environmental concerns, increasing emphasis has been placed on the development of recycling processes for the waste catalyst materials as much as possible. In the present study the potential reuse of spent catalysts in the preparation of active new catalysts for residual oil hydrotreating was examined. A series of catalysts were prepared by mixing and extruding spent residue hydroprocessing catalysts that contained C, V, Mo, Ni and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} with boehmite in different proportions. All prepared catalysts were characterized by chemical analysis and by surface area, pore volume, pore size and crushing strength measurements. The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodemetallization (HDM) activities of the catalysts were evaluated by testing in a high pressure fixed-bed microreactor unit using Kuwait atmospheric residue as feed. A commercial HDM catalyst was also tested under similar operating conditions and their HDS and HDM activities were compared with that of the prepared catalysts. The results revealed that catalyst prepared with addition of up to 40 wt% spent catalyst to boehmite had fairly high surface area and pore volume together with large pores. The catalyst prepared by mixing and extruding about 40 wt% spent catalyst with boehmite was relatively more active for promoting HDM and HDS reactions than a reference commercial HDM catalyst. The formation of some kind of new active sites from the metals (V, Mo and Ni) present in the spent catalyst is suggested to be responsible for the high HDM activity of the prepared catalyst. (author)

Study of the performance of vanadium based catalysts prepared by grafting in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santacesaria, E.; Carotenuto, G.; Tesser, R.; Di Serio, M. [Naples Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Chemistry

2011-07-01

The oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane has been investigated by using many different vanadia based catalysts, prepared by grafting technique and containing variable amounts of active phase supported on SiO{sub 2} previously coated, by grafting in three different steps, with multilayer of TiO{sub 2}. A depth catalytic screening, conducted in a temperature range of 400-600 C, at atmospheric pressure and in a range of residence time W/F=0.08-0.33 ghmol{sub -1}, has shown that the vanadium oxide catalysts on TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} support, prepared by grafting have good performances in the ODH of propane. In particular, a preliminary study has demonstrated that higher selectivities can be obtained employing catalysts having a well dispersed active phase that can be achieved with a V{sub 2}O{sub 5} content lower than 10%{sub w}t. It is well known that, in the case of redox catalysts, an increase of the selectivity can be achieved not only by using an adequate catalytic system but also via engineering routes like decoupling catalytic steps of reduction and re-oxidation. In fact it has been observed that by operating in dehydrogenating mode, on the same catalysts, a higher selectivity is obtained although the catalyst is poisoned by the formation of coke on the surface. As consequence of the results obtained in dehydrogenation, in this work has been explored the possibility to feed low amounts of oxygen, below the stoichiometric level with the aim to keep clean the surface from coke but maintaining high the selectivity, because, dehydrogenation reaction prevails. In this work, the behavior of catalysts containing different amounts of V2O5 has been studied in the propane-propene reaction by using different ratios C{sub 3}H{sub 8}/O{sub 2} included in the range 0-2. (orig.)

Attrition Resistant Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts Based on FCC Supports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adeyiga, Adeyinka

2010-02-05

Commercial spent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts provided by Engelhard and Albemarle were used as supports for Fe-based catalysts with the goal of improving the attrition resistance of typical F-T catalysts. Catalysts with the Ruhrchemie composition (100 Fe/5 Cu/4.2 K/25 spent FCC on mass basis) were prepared by wet impregnation. XRD and XANES analysis showed the presence of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} in calcined catalysts. FeC{sub x} and Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} were present in the activated catalysts. The metal composition of the catalysts was analyzed by ICP-MS. F-T activity of the catalysts activated in situ in CO at the same conditions as used prior to the attrition tests was measured using a fixed bed reactor at T = 573 K, P = 1.38 MPa and H{sub 2}:CO ratio of 0.67. Cu and K promoted Fe supported over Engelhard provided spent FCC catalyst shows relatively good attrition resistance (8.2 wt% fines lost), high CO conversion (81%) and C{sub 5}+ hydrocarbons selectivity (18.3%).

Self-Assembled PbSe Nanowire:Perovskite Hybrids

KAUST Repository

Yang, Zhenyu

2015-12-02

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Inorganic semiconductor nanowires are of interest in nano- and microscale photonic and electronic applications. Here we report the formation of PbSe nanowires based on directional quantum dot alignment and fusion regulated by hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite surface ligands. All material synthesis is carried out at mild temperatures. Passivation of PbSe quantum dots was achieved via a new perovskite ligand exchange. Subsequent in situ ammonium/amine substitution by butylamine enables quantum dots to be capped by butylammonium lead iodide, and this further drives the formation of a PbSe nanowire superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) perovskite matrix. The average spacing between two adjacent nanowires agrees well with the thickness of single atomic layer of 2D perovskite, consistent with the formation of a new self-assembled semiconductor nanowire:perovskite heterocrystal hybrid.

Self-Assembled PbSe Nanowire:Perovskite Hybrids

KAUST Repository

Yang, Zhenyu; Yassitepe, Emre; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Janmohamed, Alyf; Lan, Xinzheng; Levina, Larissa; Comin, Riccardo; Sargent, Edward H.

2015-01-01

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Inorganic semiconductor nanowires are of interest in nano- and microscale photonic and electronic applications. Here we report the formation of PbSe nanowires based on directional quantum dot alignment and fusion regulated by hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite surface ligands. All material synthesis is carried out at mild temperatures. Passivation of PbSe quantum dots was achieved via a new perovskite ligand exchange. Subsequent in situ ammonium/amine substitution by butylamine enables quantum dots to be capped by butylammonium lead iodide, and this further drives the formation of a PbSe nanowire superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) perovskite matrix. The average spacing between two adjacent nanowires agrees well with the thickness of single atomic layer of 2D perovskite, consistent with the formation of a new self-assembled semiconductor nanowire:perovskite heterocrystal hybrid.

Lead Acetate Based Hybrid Perovskite Through Hot Casting for Planar Heterojunction Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Gwang Su; Choi, Won-Gyu; Na, Sungjae; Gökdemir, Fatma Pinar; Moon, Taeho

2018-03-01

Flawless coverage of a perovskite layer is essential in order to achieve realistic high-performance planar heterojunction solar cells. We present that high-quality perovskite layers can be efficiently formed by a novel hot casting route combined with MAI (CH3NH3I) and non-halide lead acetate (PbAc2) precursors under ambient atmosphere. Casting temperature is controlled to produce various perovskite microstructures and the resulted crystalline layers are found to be comprised of closely packed islands with a smooth surface structure. Lead acetate employed perovskite solar cells are fabricated using PEDOT:PSS and PCBM charge transporting layers, in p- i- n type planar architecture. Especially, the outstanding open-circuit voltage demonstrates the high crystallinity and dense coverage of the produced perovskite layers by this facile route.

Pressure-Induced Bandgap Optimization in Lead-Based Perovskites with Prolonged Carrier Lifetime and Ambient Retainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Gang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Kong, Lingping [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Gong, Jue [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA; Yang, Wenge [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Mao, Ho-kwang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Hu, Qingyang [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Liu, Zhenxian [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Schaller, Richard D. [Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA; Zhang, Dongzhou [Hawai' i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu HI 96822 USA; Xu, Tao [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA

2016-12-05

Bond length and bond angle exhibited by valence electrons is essential to the core of chemistry. Using lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite compounds as an exploratory platform, it is demonstrated that the modulation of valence electrons by compression can lead to discovery of new properties of known compounds. Yet, despite its unprecedented progress, further efficiency boost of lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells is hampered by their wider bandgap than the optimum value according to the Shockley–Queisser limit. By modulating the valence electron wavefunction with modest hydraulic pressure up to 2.1 GPa, the optimized bandgap for single-junction solar cells in lead-based perovskites, for the first time, is achieved by narrowing the bandgap of formamidinium lead triiodide (HC(NH2)2PbI3) from 1.489 to 1.337 eV. Strikingly, such bandgap narrowing is partially retained after the release of pressure to ambient, and the bandgap narrowing is also accompanied with double-prolonged carrier lifetime. With First-principles simulation, this work opens a new dimension in basic chemical understanding of structural photonics and electronics and paves an alternative pathway toward better photovoltaic materials-by-design.

Pressure-Induced Bandgap Optimization in Lead-Based Perovskites with Prolonged Carrier Lifetime and Ambient Retainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Gang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Kong, Lingping [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Gong, Jue [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA; Yang, Wenge [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Mao, Ho-kwang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Hu, Qingyang [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Liu, Zhenxian [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Schaller, Richard D. [Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA; Zhang, Dongzhou [Hawai' i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu HI 96822 USA; Xu, Tao [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA

2016-12-05

Bond length and bond angle exhibited by valence electrons is essential to the core of chemistry. Using lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite compounds as an exploratory platform, it is demonstrated that the modulation of valence electrons by compression can lead to discovery of new properties of known compounds. Yet, despite its unprecedented progress, further efficiency boost of lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells is hampered by their wider bandgap than the optimum value according to the Shockley–Queisser limit. By modulating the valence electron wavefunction with modest hydraulic pressure up to 2.1 GPa, the optimized bandgap for single-junction solar cells in lead-based perovskites, for the first time, is achieved by narrowing the bandgap of formamidinium lead triiodide (HC(NH₂)₂PbI₃) from 1.489 to 1.337 eV. Strikingly, such bandgap narrowing is partially retained after the release of pressure to ambient, and the bandgap narrowing is also accompanied with double-prolonged carrier lifetime. With First-principles simulation, this work opens a new dimension in basic chemical understanding of structural photonics and electronics and paves an alternative pathway toward better photovoltaic materials-by-design.

Removal of residual palm oil-based biodiesel catalyst using membrane ultra-filtration technique: An optimization study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.M. Atadashi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this research work, residual potassium hydroxide catalyst was removed from palm oil-based alkyl esters (biodiesel using membrane separative technique, with the aim of achieving high-quality biodiesel that meets international standard specifications. Further, Central Composite Design (CCD coupled with Response Surface Methodology (RSM was employed to study the effects of the system variables such as flow rate, temperature and transmembrane pressure (TMP on the retention of potassium. At the optimum conditions, the coefficient of retention (%R of the catalyst was 93.642, and the content of the potassium was reduced from 8.328 mg/L to 0.312 mg/L; a value well below the one specified by both EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 standards. In addition, the comparison between predicted and experimental values for the catalyst retention offers a reasonable percentage error of 0.081%. Therefore, this study has proven that membrane technique can be used to post treat crude biodiesel; in order to achieve high-quality biodiesel fuel that can be efficiently used on diesel engines.

Different methods to fabricate efficient planar perovskite solar cells based on solution-processing Nb2O5 as electron transporting layer

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Heng; Yang, Jian; Pu, Bingxue; Zhang, Haiyan; Niu, Xiaobin

2018-01-01

Organo-lead perovskites as light harvesters have represented a hot field of research on high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. Previous approaches to increasing the solar cell efficiency have focused on optimization of the morphology of perovskite film. In fact, the electron transporting layer (ETL) also has a significant impact on solar cell performance. Herein, we introduce a facile and low temperature solution-processing method to deposit Nb2O5 film as ETL for PSCs. Based on Nb2O5 ETL, we investigate the effect of the annealing time for the perovskite films via different solution processing, relating it to the perovskite film morphology and its influence on the device working mechanisms. These results shed light on the origin of photovoltaic performance voltage in perovskite solar cells, and provide a path to further increase their efficiency.

Investigating the Effect of Pyridine Vapor Treatment on Perovskite Solar Cells - Oral Presentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ong, Alison J. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

2015-08-25

Perovskite photovoltaics have recently come to prominence as a viable alternative to crystalline silicon based solar cells. In an effort to create consistent and high-quality films, we studied the effect of various annealing conditions as well as the effect of pyridine vapor treatment on mixed halide methylammonium lead perovskite films. Of six conditions tested, we found that annealing at 100 degree Celsius for 90 minutes followed by 120 degree Celsius for 15 minutes resulted in the purest perovskite. Perovskite films made using that condition were treated with pyridine for various amounts of time, and the effects on perovskite microstructure were studied using x-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and time-resolved photoluminescence lifetime analysis (TRPL). A previous study found that pyridine vapor caused perovskite films to have higher photoluminescence intensity and become more homogenous. In this study we found that the effects of pyridine are more complex: while films appeared to become more homogenous, a decrease in bulkphotoluminescence lifetime was observed. In addition, the perovskite bandgap appeared to decrease with increased pyridine treatment time. Finally, X-ray diffraction showed that pyridine vapor treatment increased the perovskite (110) peak intensity but also often gave rise to new unidentified peaks, suggesting the formation of a foreign species. It was observed that the intensity of this unknown species had an inverse correlation with the increase in perovskite peak intensity, and also seemed to be correlated with the decrease in TRPL lifetime.

Development of industrial hydrogenating catalyst on rhenium base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chistyakova, G.A.; Bat', I.I.; Rebrova, V.V.

1975-01-01

Processes for forming rhenium catalysts on carbon carrier and their catalytic properties in nitrobenzene (NB) reduction were studied. Application of an ammonia preparation to the carbon surface produced impregnated carbon saturated at room temperature with a water solution of the ammonia preparation, taken in a volume equal to the volumetric capacity of the carbon. With one impregnation, 2% rhenium was taken up. Catalysts containing more than 5% rhenium were obtained by impregnating the carbon with heating and use of more concentrated solutions. Catalysts made in this way and dried at 100 0 C had the composition Re 2 OH/carbon/. The most active catalysts were those reduced at 200-250 0 C; higher temperatures, up to 300-500 0 C, decreased the activity. Study of the catalytic properties of the rhenium catalysts in a liquid phase reduction of NB showed that the specific activity of rhenium depends only slightly on the content of the active component in the catalyst and is close to the specific activity of palladium and considerably exceeds that of nickel. Study of the effect of the NB concentration and hydrogen pressure on the activity and stability of the 5% rhenium catalyst indicated that with NB concentrations from 50 to 10% the process takes place at an essentially constant rate; the order of the reaction was close to zero with an apparent activation energy of about 7000 cal/mole. At pressures of 15-200 atm the yield with the 5% catalyst was proportional to the hydrogen pressure. A big advantage of the rhenium catalysts in the reduction of NB is their high selectivity. With a higher activity than palladium and nickel catalysts, 5% rhenium catalyst produces a high operating capacity in a wide range of contact charges, which has considerable significance for industrial use in contact apparatus of the column type. Comparison of the costs of rhenium catalysts and granular carbon carrier with those of nickel, platinum, and palladium showed that 5% rhenium catalyst can

Co-Zn-Al based hydrotalcites as catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bianchi, C.L.; Pirola, C.; Boffito, D.C.; Di Fronzo, A. [Univ. degli Studi di Milano (Italy). Dipt. di Chimica Fisica ed Elettrochimica; Di Michele, A. [Univ. degli Studi di Perugia (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica; Vivani, R.; Nocchetti, M.; Bastianini, M.; Gatto, S. [Univ. degli Studi di Perugia (Italy). Dipt. di Chimica

2011-07-01

Co-Zn-Al based hydrotalcites have been investigated as catalysts for the well-known Fischer- Tropsch synthesis. A series of ternary hydrotalcites in nitrate form was prepared with the urea method in order to obtain active catalysts for the above mentioned process. The thermal activation at 350 C gives raise to finely dispersed metallic Co on the mixed oxides, so resulting in retaining the metal distribution of the parent compounds. An optimization study concerning the amount of cobalt of the prepared catalysts (range 15-70% mol, metal based) and the reaction temperature (220-260 C) is reported. All the samples have been fully characterized (BET, ICP-OES, XRPD, TG-DTA, FT-IR, SEM and TEM) and tested in a laboratory pilot plant. Tests to evaluate the stability of these materials were carried out in stressed conditions concerning both the activation and the operating temperatures and pressures (up to 350 C and 2.0 MPa). The obtained results suggest the possibility of using synthetic hydrotalcites as suitable Co-based catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. (orig.)

Color tunable hybrid light-emitting diodes based on perovskite quantum dot/conjugated polymer

Science.gov (United States)

Germino, José C.; Yassitepe, Emre; Freitas, Jilian N.; Santiago, Glauco M.; Bonato, Luiz Gustavo; de Morais, Andréia; Atvars, Teresa D. Z.; Nogueira, Ana F.

2017-08-01

Inorganic organic metal halide perovskite materials have been investigated for several technological applications, such as photovoltaic cells, lasers, photodetectors and light emitting diodes (LEDs), either in the bulk form or as colloidal nanoparticles. Recently, all inorganic Cesium Lead Halide (CsPbX3, X=Cl,Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) were reported with high photoluminescence quantum yield with narrow emission lines in the visible wavelengths. Here, green-emitting perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) prepared by a synthetic method based on a mixture of oleylamine and oleic acid as surfactants were applied in the electroluminescent layer of hybrid LEDs in combination with two different conjugated polymers: polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) or poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFO). The performance of the diodes and the emission color tuning upon dispersion of different concentrations of the PQDs in the polymer matrix is discussed. The presented approach aims at the combination of the optical properties of the PQDs and their interaction with wide bandgap conjugated polymers, associated with the solution processing ability of these materials.

Interface Engineering Based on Liquid Metal for Compact-Layer-free, Fully Printable Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yumin; Zhao, Jianhong; Zhang, Jin; Jiang, Xixi; Zhu, Zhongqi; Liu, Qingju

2018-05-09

A printing process for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exhibits promising future application in the photovoltaic industry due to its low-cost and eco-friendly preparation. In mesoscopic carbon-based PSCs, however, compared to conventional ones, the hole-transport-layer-free PSCs often lead to inefficient hole extraction. Here, we used liquid metal (LM, Galinstan) as an interface modifier material in combination with a carbon electrode. Considering the high conductivity and room-temperature fluidity, it is found that LMs are superior in improving hole extraction and, more importantly, LMs tend to be reserved at the interface between ZrO 2 and carbon for enhancing the contact property. Correspondingly, the carrier transfer resistance was decreased at the carbon/perovskite interface. As optimized content, the triple mesoscopic PSCs based on mixed-cation perovskite with a power conversion efficiency of 13.51% was achieved, involving a 26% increase compared to those without LMs. This work opens new techniques for LMs in optoelectronics and printing.

Iridium-catalyst-based autonomous bubble-propelled graphene micromotors with ultralow catalyst loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hong; Sofer, Zdeněk; Eng, Alex Yong Sheng; Pumera, Martin

2014-11-10

A novel concept of an iridium-based bubble-propelled Janus-particle-type graphene micromotor with very high surface area and with very low catalyst loading is described. The low loading of Ir catalyst (0.54 at %) allows for fast motion of graphene microparticles with high surface area of 316.2 m(2)  g(-1). The micromotor was prepared with a simple and scalable method by thermal exfoliation of iridium-doped graphite oxide precursor composite in hydrogen atmosphere. Oxygen bubbles generated from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide at the iridium catalytic sites provide robust propulsion thrust for the graphene micromotor. The high surface area and low iridium catalyst loading of the bubble-propelled graphene motors offer great possibilities for dramatically enhanced cargo delivery. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Study on Organic-Metal Halide Perovskite Film Morphology, Interfacial Layers, Tandem Applications, and Encapsulation

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Dallas A.

Organic-metal halide perovskites have brought about a new wave of research in the photovoltaic community due to their ideally suited optical and electronic parameters. In less than a decade, perovskite solar cell performance has skyrocketed to unprecedented efficiencies with numerous reported methodologies. Perovskites face many challenges with high-quality film morphology, interfacial layers, and long-term stability. In this work, these active areas are explored through a combination of studies. First, the importance of perovskite film precursor ratios is explored with an in-depth study of carrier lifetime and solvent-grain effects. It was found that excess lead iodide precursor greatly improves the film morphology by reducing pinholes in the solar absorber. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent was found to mend grains, as well as improve carrier lifetime and device performance, possibly by passivation of grain boundary traps. Second, applications of perovskite with tandem cells is investigated, with an emphasis for silicon devices. Perovskites can easily be integrated with silicon, which already has strong market presence. Additionally, both materials' bandgaps are ideally suited for maximum tandem efficiency. The silicon/perovskite tandem device structure necessitated the optimization of inverted (p-i-n) structure devices. PEDOT:PSS, copper oxide, and nickel oxide p-type layers were explored through a combination of photoluminescent, chemical reactivity, and solar simulation results. Results were hindered due to resistive ITO and rough silicon substrates, but tandem devices displayed Voc indicative of proper monolithic performance. Third, replacement of titanium dioxide n-type layer with iron oxide (Fe 2O3, common rust) was studied. Iron oxide experiences less ultraviolet instability than that of titanium dioxide under solar illumination. It was found that current density slightly decreased due to parasitic absorption from the rust, but that open circuit voltage

Inside Perovskites: Quantum Luminescence from Bulk Cs4PbBr6 Single Crystals

KAUST Repository

de Bastiani, Michele

2017-08-01

Zero-dimensional perovskite-related structures (0D-PRS) are a new frontier of perovskite-based materials. 0D-PRS, commonly synthesized in powder form, manifest distinctive optical properties such as strong photoluminescence (PL), narrow emission linewidth, and high exciton binding energy. These properties make 0D-PRS compelling for several types of optoelectronic applications, including phosphor screens and electroluminescent devices. However, it would not be possible to rationally design the chemistry and structure of these materials, without revealing the origins of their optical behaviour, which is contradictory to the well-studied APbX3 perovskites. In this work, we synthesize single crystals of Cs4PbBr6 0D-PRS, and investigated the origins of their unique optical and electronic properties. The crystals exhibit a PL quantum yield higher than 40%, the highest reported for perovskite-based single crystals. Time-resolved and temperature dependent PL studies, supported by DFT calculations, and structural analysis, elucidate an emissive behaviour reminiscent of a quantum confined structure rather than a typical bulk perovskite material.

Fullerene-Based Electron Transport Layers for Semi-Transparent MAPbBr3 Perovskite Films in Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lung-Chien Chen

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, four kinds of structures—[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM, PCBM/fullerene (C60, C60/bathocuproine (BCP, and PCBM/C60/BCP—were used as electron transport layers, and the structure, and optical and electronic behaviors of MAPbBr3 perovskite layers after annealing treatments were observed. The experimental results indicate that PCBM/C60 bi-layer structure is acceptable for MAPbBr3 planar perovskite solar cells due to electron step transporting. Low-temperature annealing is suitable for smooth and large grain MAPbBr3 films. The semi-transparent yellow C60/PCBM/MAPbBr3/PEDOT:PSS/ITO glass-structure solar cells exhibit the best performance with a power conversion efficiency of 4.19%. The solar cells are revealed to be suitable for application in building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV systems.

Method of Heating a Foam-Based Catalyst Bed

Science.gov (United States)

Fortini, Arthur J.; Williams, Brian E.; McNeal, Shawn R.

2009-01-01

A method of heating a foam-based catalyst bed has been developed using silicon carbide as the catalyst support due to its readily accessible, high surface area that is oxidation-resistant and is electrically conductive. The foam support may be resistively heated by passing an electric current through it. This allows the catalyst bed to be heated directly, requiring less power to reach the desired temperature more quickly. Designed for heterogeneous catalysis, the method can be used by the petrochemical, chemical processing, and power-generating industries, as well as automotive catalytic converters. Catalyst beds must be heated to a light-off temperature before they catalyze the desired reactions. This typically is done by heating the assembly that contains the catalyst bed, which results in much of the power being wasted and/or lost to the surrounding environment. The catalyst bed is heated indirectly, thus requiring excessive power. With the electrically heated catalyst bed, virtually all of the power is used to heat the support, and only a small fraction is lost to the surroundings. Although the light-off temperature of most catalysts is only a few hundred degrees Celsius, the electrically heated foam is able to achieve temperatures of 1,200 C. Lower temperatures are achievable by supplying less electrical power to the foam. Furthermore, because of the foam s open-cell structure, the catalyst can be applied either directly to the foam ligaments or in the form of a catalyst- containing washcoat. This innovation would be very useful for heterogeneous catalysis where elevated temperatures are needed to drive the reaction.

Supramolecular water oxidation with rubda-based catalysts

KAUST Repository

Richmond, Craig J.

2014-11-05

Extremely slow and extremely fast new water oxidation catalysts based on the Rubda (bda = 2,2′-bipyri-dine-6,6′-dicarboxylate) systems are reported with turnover frequencies in the range of 1 and 900 cycless"1, respectively. Detailed analyses of the main factors involved in the water oxidation reaction have been carried out and are based on a combination of reactivity tests, electrochemical experiments, and DFT calculations. These analyses give a convergent interpretation that generates a solid understanding of the main factors involved in the water oxidation reaction, which in turn allows the design of catalysts with very low energy barriers in all the steps involved in the water oxidation catalytic cycle. We show that for this type of system p-stacking interactions are the key factors that influence reactivity and by adequately controlling them we can generate exceptionally fast water oxidation catalysts.

Self-Powered, Flexible, and Solution-Processable Perovskite Photodetector Based on Low-Cost Carbon Cloth.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Haoxuan; Lei, Tianyu; Tian, Wei; Cao, Fengren; Xiong, Jie; Li, Liang

2017-07-01

Flexible perovskite photodetectors are usually constructed on indium-tin-oxide-coated polymer substrates, which are expensive, fragile, and not resistant to high temperature. Herein, for the first time, a high-performance flexible perovskite photodetector is fabricated based on low-cost carbon cloth via a facile solution processable strategy. In this device, perovskite microcrystal and Spiro-OMeTAD (hole transporting material) blended film act as active materials for light detection, and carbon cloth serves as both a flexible substrate and a conductive electrode. The as-fabricated photodetector shows a broad spectrum response from ultraviolet to near-infrared light, high responsivity, fast response speed, long-term stability, and self-powered capability. Flexible devices show negligible degradation after several tens of bending cycles and at the extremely bending angle of 180°. This work promises a new technique to construct flexible, high-performance photodetectors with low cost and self-powered capability. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Morphology modification of perovskite film by a simple post-treatment process in perovskite solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, J.; Yang, Y.; Zhao, Y.L., E-mail: sdyulong@cumt.edu.cn; Che, M.; Zhu, L.; Gu, X.Q.; Qiang, Y.H., E-mail: yhqiang@cumt.edu.cn

2017-03-15

Highlights: • Perovskite films were post-treated by DMF/CBZ, DMSO/CBZ, or GBL/CBZ blend solvents. • This process could repair pinholes and enhance coverage in perovskite film. • This technique could modify charge transfer process at TiO{sub 2}/perovskite interface. - Abstract: A homogenous perovskite thin film with high coverage is a determining factor for high performance perovskite solar cells. Unlike previous pre-treatments aiming at perovskite precursor, we proposed a simple method to modify the morphology of perovskite films by post-treatment process using mixed solvents of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or 1,4-butyrolactone (GBL) with chlorobenzene (CBZ) in this paper. As good solvent of perovskite, DMF, DMSO, and GBL could dissolve the formed perovskite film. Meanwhile, CBZ, anti-solvent of perovskite film, could decrease the dissolving capacity of these good solvents. Therefore, the perovskite film coverage might be improved by the partial dissolution and recrystallization after solvent post-treatment process. Electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) indicated that this post-treatment process could enhance charge transfer at TiO{sub 2}/perovskite interface. Finally, the conversion efficiency increased from 10.10% to 11.82%, 11.68%, and 10.66% using perovskite films post-treated by DMF/CBZ, DMSO/CBZ, and GBL/CBZ blend solvents, respectively.

Advancement on Lead-Free Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sani, Faruk; Shafie, Suhaidi; Lim, Hong Ngee; Musa, Abubakar Ohinoyi

2018-06-14

Remarkable attention has been committed to the recently discovered cost effective and solution processable lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells. Recent studies have reported that, within five years, the reported efficiency has reached 9.0%, which makes them an extremely promising and fast developing candidate to compete with conventional lead-based perovskite solar cells. The major challenge associated with the conventional perovskite solar cells is the toxic nature of lead (Pb) used in the active layer of perovskite material. If lead continues to be used in fabricating solar cells, negative health impacts will result in the environment due to the toxicity of lead. Alternatively, lead free perovskite solar cells could give a safe way by substituting low-cost, abundant and non toxic material. This review focuses on formability of lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite, alternative metal cations candidates to replace lead (Pb), and possible substitutions of organic cations, as well as halide anions in the lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite architecture. Furthermore, the review gives highlights on the impact of organic cations, metal cations and inorganic anions on stability and the overall performance of lead free perovskite solar cells.

Towards printed perovskite solar cells with cuprous oxide hole transporting layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Yan; Xia, Zhonggao; Liang, Jun

2015-01-01

Solution-processed p-type metal oxide materials have shown great promise in improving the stability of perovskite-based solar cells and offering the feasibility for a low cost printing fabrication process. Herein, we performed a device modeling study on planar perovskite solar cells with cuprous...... oxide (Cu2O) hole transporting layers (HTLs) by using a solar cell simulation program, wxAMPS. The performance of a Cu2O/perovskite solar cell was correlated to the material properties of the Cu2O HTL, such as thickness, carrier mobility, mid-gap defect, and doping...

A review of carbon-based and non-carbon-based catalyst supports for the selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthonysamy, Shahreen Binti Izwan; Afandi, Syahidah Binti; Khavarian, Mehrnoush; Mohamed, Abdul Rahman Bin

2018-01-01

Various types of carbon-based and non-carbon-based catalyst supports for nitric oxide (NO) removal through selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with ammonia are examined in this review. A number of carbon-based materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), activated carbon (AC), and graphene (GR) and non-carbon-based materials, such as Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5), TiO 2 , and Al 2 O 3 supported materials, were identified as the most up-to-date and recently used catalysts for the removal of NO gas. The main focus of this review is the study of catalyst preparation methods, as this is highly correlated to the behaviour of NO removal. The general mechanisms involved in the system, the Langmuir-Hinshelwood or Eley-Riedeal mechanism, are also discussed. Characterisation analysis affecting the surface and chemical structure of the catalyst is also detailed in this work. Finally, a few major conclusions are drawn and future directions for work on the advancement of the SCR-NH 3 catalyst are suggested.

Light-Responsive Ion-Redistribution-Induced Resistive Switching in Hybrid Perovskite Schottky Junctions

KAUST Repository

Guan, Xinwei

2017-11-23

Hybrid Perovskites have emerged as a class of highly versatile functional materials with applications in solar cells, photodetectors, transistors, and lasers. Recently, there have also been reports on perovskite-based resistive switching (RS) memories, but there remain open questions regarding device stability and switching mechanism. Here, an RS memory based on a high-quality capacitor structure made of an MAPbBr3 (CH3NH3PbBr3) perovskite layer sandwiched between Au and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes is reported. Such perovskite devices exhibit reliable RS with an ON/OFF ratio greater than 103, endurance over 103 cycles, and a retention time of 104 s. The analysis suggests that the RS operation hinges on the migration of charged ions, most likely MA vacancies, which reversibly modifies the perovskite bulk transport and the Schottky barrier at the MAPbBr3/ITO interface. Such perovskite memory devices can also be fabricated on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates with high bendability and reliability. Furthermore, it is found that reference devices made of another hybrid perovskite MAPbI3 consistently exhibit filament-type switching behavior. This work elucidates the important role of processing-dependent defects in the charge transport of hybrid perovskites and provides insights on the ion-redistribution-based RS in perovskite memory devices.

New Titanium-Based Catalysts for the Synthesis of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Youngkeun; Yoon, Seungwoong; Hwang, Yongtaek; Song, Bogeun

2012-01-01

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a polymer with relatively low cost and high performance, which is widely used in various applications such as bottles, textile fibers, films and engineering plastics for automobiles and electric industries. Commercial catalysts used for synthesis of PET are in general antimony (Sb) compounds. Antimony(III) oxide, antimony(III) acetate and antimony(III) glycolate are used as a catalyst in 95% of PET manufacturing industries worldwide. The few organoantimony compounds that have been identified in environmental and biological samples are all in the form of methylated Sb-species. The Sb trace element is extremely toxic to mammals, and interferes with embryonic and fetal development, also, carcinogenic to humans. In addition to being found in drinking water, food packaging and soft-drink bottles. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Sb species concentration lower than 20 ppb are acceptable for drinking water. According to a recent study, in 14 brands of bottled water from Canada, Sb concentrations increased on average 19% during 6 months storage at room temperature, but 48 brands of water from 11 European countries increased on average 90% under identical conditions. Therefore, a very important challenge for polyester catalysis is to come-up with a new Sb-free catalysts with low environmental impact. Intensive efforts have been made to find other stable and more environmental friendly non-antimony catalysts, such as those based on titanium. Titanium-based catalysts have been known for many years and actually are used for polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polypropylene terephthalate (PPT) production, however, polycondensation (PC) of PET manufacture is not well studied in literature. To date, only few esterification processes have been applied for the synthesis of PET by titanium catalysts. Herein, we report an efficient synthesis characterization and polymerization of PET for a series of new nontoxic organotitanium

Remnant PbI2, an unforeseen necessity in high-efficiency hybrid perovskite-based solar cells?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duyen H. Cao

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Perovskite-containing solar cells were fabricated in a two-step procedure in which PbI2 is deposited via spin-coating and subsequently converted to the CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite by dipping in a solution of CH3NH3I. By varying the dipping time from 5 s to 2 h, we observe that the device performance shows an unexpectedly remarkable trend. At dipping times below 15 min the current density and voltage of the device are enhanced from 10.1 mA/cm2 and 933 mV (5 s to 15.1 mA/cm2 and 1036 mV (15 min. However, upon further conversion, the current density decreases to 9.7 mA/cm2 and 846 mV after 2 h. Based on X-ray diffraction data, we determined that remnant PbI2 is always present in these devices. Work function and dark current measurements showed that the remnant PbI2 has a beneficial effect and acts as a blocking layer between the TiO2 semiconductor and the perovskite itself reducing the probability of back electron transfer (charge recombination. Furthermore, we find that increased dipping time leads to an increase in the size of perovskite crystals at the perovskite-hole-transporting material interface. Overall, approximately 15 min dipping time (∼2% unconverted PbI2 is necessary for achieving optimal device efficiency.

Textured perovskite cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deelen, J. van; Tezsevin, Y.; Barink, M.

2017-01-01

Most research of texturization of solar cells has been devoted to Si based cells. For perovskites, it was assumed that texturization would not have much of an impact because of the relatively low refractive indexes lead to relatively low reflection as compared to the Si based cells. However, our

Tin- and Lead-Based Perovskite Solar Cells under Scrutiny: An Environmental Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Serrano-Luján, Lucía; Espinosa Martinez, Nieves; Larsen-Olsen, Thue Trofod

2015-01-01

The effect of substituting lead with tin in perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs) has shows that lead is preferred over tin by a lower cumulative energy demand. The results, which also include end-of-life management, show that a recycling scenario that carefully handles emission of lead enables use...

Inverting the diastereoselectivity of the mukaiyama-michael addition with graphite-based catalysts

KAUST Repository

Acocella, Maria Rosaria

2014-02-07

Here, we show that graphite-based catalysts, mainly graphite oxide (GO) and exfoliated GO, are effective recyclable catalysts for a relevant stereoselective Mukaiyama-Michael addition, outperforming currently available catalysts. Moreover, the graphite-based catalysts described here invert the diastereoselectivity relative to that observed with known catalysts, with the unprecedented large prevalence of the anti diastereoisomer. This inverted diastereoselectivity is increased when the catalyst concentration is reduced and after catalyst recycling. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the selectivity is determined by two types of supramolecular interactions operating between the catalyst and the substrates at the diastereoselectivity- determining transition state, specifically, the π-stacking of b-nitrostyrene with graphite and the van der Waals interaction between the SiMe3 group of the silyl ether and the graphite. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Study and development of membrane electrode assemblies for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) with palladium based catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonifacio, Rafael Nogueira

2013-01-01

PEMFC systems are capable of generating electricity with high efficiency and low or no emissions, but durability and cost issues prevent its large commercialization. In this work MEA with palladium based catalysts were developed, Pd/C, Pt/C and alloys PdPt/C catalysts with different ratios between metals and carbon were synthesized and characterized. A study of the ratio between catalyst and Nafion Ionomer for formation of high performance triple-phase reaction was carried out, a mathematical model to implement this adjustment to catalysts with different relations between metal and support taking into account the volumetric aspects of the catalyst layer was developed and then a study of the catalyst layer thickness was performed. X-ray diffraction, Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Energy Dispersive, Gas Pycnometry, Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry, Gas adsorption according to the BET and BJH equations, and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis techniques were used for characterization and particle size, specific surface areas and lattice parameters determinations were also carried out. All catalysts were used on MEAs preparation and evaluated in 5 cm 2 single cell from 25 to 100 °C at 1 atm and the best composition was also evaluated at 3 atm. In the study of metals for reactions, to reduce the platinum applied to the electrodes without performance losses, Pd/C and PdPt/C 1:1 were selected for anodes and cathodes, respectively. The developed MEA structure used 0,25 mgPt.cm -2 , showing power densities up to 550 mW.cm -2 and power of 2.2 kW net per gram of platinum. The estimated costs showed that there was a reduction of up to 64.5 %, compared to the MEA structures previously known. Depending on the temperature and operating pressure, values from US$ 1,475.30 to prepare MEAs for each installed kilowatt were obtained. Taking into account recent studies, it was concluded that the cost of the developed MEA is compatible with PEMFC stationary application

Structural, optical, and electronic studies of wide-bandgap lead halide perovskites

KAUST Repository

Comin, Riccardo; Walters, Grant; Thibau, Emmanuel Sol; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Lu, Zheng-Hong; Sargent, Edward H.

2015-01-01

© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015. We investigate the family of mixed Br/Cl organolead halide perovskites which enable light emission in the blue-violet region of the visible spectrum. We report the structural, optical and electronic properties of this air-stable family of perovskites, demonstrating full bandgap tunability in the 400-550 nm range and enhanced exciton strength upon Cl substitution. We complement this study by tracking the evolution of the band levels across the gap, thereby providing a foundational framework for future optoelectronic applications of these materials.

Fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films for planar solar cells via pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Yangang; Zhang, Xiaohang; Gong, Yunhui; Shin, Jongmoon; Wachsman, Eric D.; Takeuchi, Ichiro, E-mail: takeuchi@umd.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740 (United States); Yao, Yangyi; Hsu, Wei-Lun; Dagenais, Mario [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740 (United States)

2016-01-15

We report on fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films using a hybrid method consisting of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of lead iodide and spin-coating of methylammonium iodide. Smooth and highly crystalline CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} thin films have been fabricated on silicon and glass coated substrates with fluorine doped tin oxide using this PLD-based hybrid method. Planar perovskite solar cells with an inverted structure have been successfully fabricated using the perovskite films. Because of its versatility, the PLD-based hybrid fabrication method not only provides an easy and precise control of the thickness of the perovskite thin films, but also offers a straightforward platform for studying the potential feasibility in using other metal halides and organic salts for formation of the organic-inorganic perovskite structure.

Fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films for planar solar cells via pulsed laser deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yangang Liang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We report on fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films using a hybrid method consisting of pulsed laser deposition (PLD of lead iodide and spin-coating of methylammonium iodide. Smooth and highly crystalline CH3NH3PbI3 thin films have been fabricated on silicon and glass coated substrates with fluorine doped tin oxide using this PLD-based hybrid method. Planar perovskite solar cells with an inverted structure have been successfully fabricated using the perovskite films. Because of its versatility, the PLD-based hybrid fabrication method not only provides an easy and precise control of the thickness of the perovskite thin films, but also offers a straightforward platform for studying the potential feasibility in using other metal halides and organic salts for formation of the organic-inorganic perovskite structure.

Structural and Quantitative Investigation of Perovskite Pore Filling in Mesoporous Metal Oxides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shany Gamliel

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In recent years, hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite light absorbers have attracted much attention in the field of solar cells due to their optoelectronic characteristics that enable high power conversion efficiencies. Perovskite-based solar cells’ efficiency has increased dramatically from 3.8% to more than 20% in just a few years, making them a promising low-cost alternative for photovoltaic applications. The deposition of perovskite into a mesoporous metal oxide is an influential factor affecting solar cell performance. Full coverage and pore filling into the porous metal oxide are important issues in the fabrication of highly-efficient mesoporous perovskite solar cells. In this work, we carry out a structural and quantitative investigation of CH3NH3PbI3 pore filling deposited via sequential two-step deposition into two different mesoporous metal oxides—TiO2 and Al2O3. We avoid using a hole conductor in the perovskite solar cells studied in this work to eliminate undesirable end results. Filling oxide pores with perovskite was characterized by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS in Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM on cross-sectional focused ion beam (FIB lamellae. Complete pore filling of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite into the metal oxide pores was observed down to X-depth, showing the presence of Pb and I inside the pores. The observations reported in this work are particularly important for mesoporous Al2O3 perovskite solar cells, as pore filling is essential for the operation of this solar cell structure. This work presents structural and quantitative proof of complete pore filling into mesoporous perovskite-based solar cells, substantiating their high power conversion efficiency.

Hybrid lead halide perovskites for light energy conversion: Excited state properties and photovoltaic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Manser, Joseph S.

travel 220 nm over the course of 2 ns after photoexcitation, with an extrapolated diffusion length greater than one micrometer over the full excited state lifetime. The solution-processability of metal halide perovskites necessarily raises questions as to the properties of the solvated precursors and their connection to the final solid-state perovskite phase. Through structural and steady-state and time-resolved absorption studies, the important link between the excited state properties of the precursor components, composed of solvated and solid-state halometallate complexes, and CH3NH3PbI3 is evinced. This connection provides insight into optical nonlinearities and electronic properties of the perovskite phase. Fundamental studies of CH 3NH3PbI3 ultimately serve as a foundation for application of this and other related materials in high-performance devices. In the final chapter, the operation of CH3NH3PbI 3 solar cells in a tandem architecture is presented. The quest for economic, large scale hydrogen production has motivated the search for new materials and device designs capable of splitting water using only energy from the sun. In light of this, we introduce an all solution-processed tandem water splitting assembly composed of a BiVO4 photoanode and a single-junction CH3NH3PbI3 hybrid perovskite solar cell. This unique configuration allows efficient solar photon management, with the metal oxide photoanode selectively harvesting high energy visible photons and the underlying perovskite solar cell capturing lower energy visible-near IR wavelengths in a single-pass excitation. Operating without external bias under standard terrestrial one sun illumination, the photoanode-photovoltaic architecture, in conjunction with an earthabundant cobalt phosphate catalyst, exhibits a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 2.5% at neutral pH. The design of low-cost tandem water splitting assemblies employing single-junction hybrid perovskite materials establishes a potentially

Morphology-Controlled Synthesis of Organometal Halide Perovskite Inverse Opals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kun; Tüysüz, Harun

2015-11-09

The booming development of organometal halide perovskites in recent years has prompted the exploration of morphology-control strategies to improve their performance in photovoltaic, photonic, and optoelectronic applications. However, the preparation of organometal halide perovskites with high hierarchical architecture is still highly challenging and a general morphology-control method for various organometal halide perovskites has not been achieved. A mild and scalable method to prepare organometal halide perovskites in inverse opal morphology is presented that uses a polystyrene-based artificial opal as hard template. Our method is flexible and compatible with different halides and organic ammonium compositions. Thus, the perovskite inverse opal maintains the advantage of straightforward structure and band gap engineering. Furthermore, optoelectronic investigations reveal that morphology exerted influence on the conducting nature of organometal halide perovskites. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis of active absorber layer by dip-coating method for perovskite solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rahul; Noor, I. M.; Singh, Pramod K.; Bhattacharya, B.; Arof, A. K.

2018-04-01

In this paper, we develop the hybrid perovskite-based n-i-p solar cell using a simple, fast and low-cost dip-coating method. Hot solution and the pre-annealed substrate are used for coating the perovskite thin film by this method this is further used for studying its structural and electrical properties. UV-vis spectroscopy is carried out for calculating the band gap of the hybrid perovskite layer which is ∼1.6 eV. X-ray spectroscopy confirms that the formation of hybrid perovskite layer. The profilometer is used to study the surface roughness and also for measuring the thickness of the perovskite layer with varying substrate temperature. The optimized sample was further used for cross-sectional SEM image to verify the thickness measured from the profiler. The electrical parameter of JV characteristic with varying temperature is tabulated in the table. Whereas, the perovskite sensitized solar cell exhibits highest short circuit current density, Jsc of 11 mA cm-2, open circuit voltage, Voc of 0.87 V, fill factor of 0.55 and efficiency, η of >5%.

Controlling the conduction band offset for highly efficient ZnO nanorods based perovskite solar cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Juan; Shi, Jiangjian; Li, Dongmei; Luo, Yanhong; Meng, Qingbo

2015-01-01

The mechanism of charge recombination at the interface of n-type electron transport layer (n-ETL) and perovskite absorber on the carrier properties in the perovskite solar cell is theoretically studied. By solving the one dimensional diffusion equation with different boundary conditions, it reveals that the interface charge recombination in the perovskite solar cell can be suppressed by adjusting the conduction band offset (ΔE C ) at ZnO ETL/perovskite absorber interface, thus leading to improvements in cell performance. Furthermore, Mg doped ZnO nanorods ETL has been designed to control the energy band levels. By optimizing the doping amount of Mg, the conduction band minimum of the Mg doped ZnO ETL has been raised up by 0.29 eV and a positive ΔE C of about 0.1 eV is obtained. The photovoltage of the cell is thus significantly increased due to the relatively low charge recombination

Development of new generation of perovskite based noble metal/semiconductor photocatalysts for visible-light-driven hydrogen production

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Peichuan

In recent decades, semiconductor photocatalysis has attracted a growing attention as a possible alternative to existing methods of hydrogen production, hydrocarbon conversion and organic compound oxidation. Many types of photocatalysts have been developed and tested for photocatalytic applications. However, most of them do not have notable activity in visible light region, which limits their practical applications. Development of photocatalysts, which can be activated by visible light provides a promising way forward to utilize both UV and visible portions of solar spectrum. In this thesis, two main methods to advance visible light driven photocatalysis, such as bandgap modification through doping and co-catalyst development, are investigated. The photocatalysts studied in this thesis included CdS and SrTiO3, which were extensively investigated and characterized. Rhodium doped strontium titanate was synthesized through different preparation methods. The synthesized samples have been investigated by various characterization techniques including XRD, TEM, STEM, XPS and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The effect of preparation conditions, such as doping concentration, calcination temperature and pH have been investigated and optimized. In addition, the photocatalytic activities for hydrogen production of the samples synthesized by different preparation methods were also studied. Among the preparation methods, polymerizable complex (PC) method was found to be the most effective synthesis method for SrTiO3: Rh. The samples prepared by PC method had higher photocatalytic activity as compared to that of samples synthesized by solid state reaction method and hydrothermal method. The reasons might be attributed to more effective doping and higher surface area. The results of this work suggest that PC method can also be applied to develop other perovskite materials for photocatalytic applications. Co-catalyst development for enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogen production is also

CO methanation over supported bimetallic Ni-Fe catalysts: From computational studies towards catalyst optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kustov, Arkadii; Frey, Anne Mette; Larsen, Kasper Emil

2007-01-01

with compositions 25Fe75Ni and 50Fe50Ni showed significantly better activity and in some cases also a higher selectivity to methane compared with the traditional monometallic Ni and Fe catalysts. A catalyst with composition 25Fe75Ni was found to be the most active in CO hydrogenation for the MgAl2O4 support at low...... metal loadings. At high metal concentrations, the maximum for the methanation activity was found for catalysts with composition 50Ni50Fe both on the MgAl2O4 and Al2O3 supports. This difference can be attributed to a higher reducibility of the constituting metals with increasing metal concentration......DFT calculations combined with a computational screening method have previously shown that bimetallic Ni-Fe alloys should be more active than the traditional Ni-based catalyst for CO methanation. That was confirmed experimentally for a number of bimetallic Ni-Fe catalysts supported on MgAl2O4. Here...

Carbon-Based CsPbBr3 Perovskite Solar Cells: All-Ambient Processes and High Thermal Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Xiaowen; Li, Weiping; Zhu, Liqun; Liu, Huicong; Geng, Huifang; Xiang, Sisi; Liu, Jiaming; Chen, Haining

2016-12-14

The device instability has been an important issue for hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This work intends to address this issue by exploiting inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr 3 ) as light absorber, accompanied by replacing organic hole transport materials (HTM) and the metal electrode with a carbon electrode. All the fabrication processes (including those for CsPbBr 3 and the carbon electrode) in the PSCs are conducted in ambient atmosphere. Through a systematical optimization on the fabrication processes of CsPbBr 3 film, carbon-based PSCs (C-PSCs) obtained the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of about 5.0%, a relatively high value for inorganic perovskite-based PSCs. More importantly, after storage for 250 h at 80 °C, only 11.7% loss in PCE is observed for CsPbBr 3 C-PSCs, significantly lower than that for popular CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 C-PSCs (59.0%) and other reported PSCs, which indicated a promising thermal stability of CsPbBr 3 C-PSCs.

Lead-Free MA2CuCl(x)Br(4-x) Hybrid Perovskites.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortecchia, Daniele; Dewi, Herlina Arianita; Yin, Jun; Bruno, Annalisa; Chen, Shi; Baikie, Tom; Boix, Pablo P; Grätzel, Michael; Mhaisalkar, Subodh; Soci, Cesare; Mathews, Nripan

2016-02-01

Despite their extremely good performance in solar cells with efficiencies approaching 20% and the emerging application for light-emitting devices, organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites suffer from high content of toxic, polluting, and bioaccumulative Pb, which may eventually hamper their commercialization. Here, we present the synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) Cu-based hybrid perovskites and study their optoelectronic properties to investigate their potential application in solar cells and light-emitting devices, providing a new environmental-friendly alternative to Pb. The series (CH3NH3)2CuCl(x)Br(4-x) was studied in detail, with the role of Cl found to be essential for stabilization. By exploiting the additional Cu d-d transitions and appropriately tuning the Br/Cl ratio, which affects ligand-to-metal charge transfer transitions, the optical absorption in this series of compounds can be extended to the near-infrared for optimal spectral overlap with the solar irradiance. In situ formation of Cu(+) ions was found to be responsible for the green photoluminescence of this material set. Processing conditions for integrating Cu-based perovskites into photovoltaic device architectures, as well as the factors currently limiting photovoltaic performance, are discussed: among them, we identified the combination of low absorption coefficient and heavy mass of the holes as main limitations for the solar cell efficiency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the potential of 2D copper perovskite as light harvesters and lays the foundation for further development of perovskite based on transition metals as alternative lead-free materials. Appropriate molecular design will be necessary to improve the material's properties and solar cell performance filling the gap with the state-of-the-art Pb-based perovskite devices.

Reducible oxide based catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Levi T.; Kim, Chang Hwan; Bej, Shyamal K.

2010-04-06

A catalyst is disclosed herein. The catalyst includes a reducible oxide support and at least one noble metal fixed on the reducible oxide support. The noble metal(s) is loaded on the support at a substantially constant temperature and pH.

Peruvian perovskite Between Transition-metal to PGM/PlatinumGroupMetal Catalytic Fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Maksoed, Wh-

2016-11-01

Strongly correlated electronic materials made of simple building blocks, such as a transition-metal ion in an octahedral oxygen cage forming a perovskite structure- Dagotto & Tokura for examples are the high-temperature superconductivity & the CMR/Colossal Magnetoresistance . Helium-4 denotes from LC Case,ScD: "Catalytic Fusion of Deuterium into Helium-4"- 1998 dealt with gaseous D2- "contacted with a supported metallic catalyst at superatmospheric pressure". The catalyst is a platinum-group metal, at about 0.5% - 1% by weight, on activated C. Accompanies Stephen J Geier, 2010 quotes "transition metal complexes", the Energy thus produced is enormous, and because the deuterium is very cheap in the form of heavy water (less than US 1/g), the fuel cost is very low (seas &Deuteronomy to be eternally preserves. Heartfelt Gratitudes to HE. Mr. Prof. Ir. HANDOJO.

Photoinduced surface voltage mapping study for large perovskite single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xiaojing; Liu, Yucheng; Gao, Fei; Yang, Zhou [Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, National Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi' an 710062 (China); Liu, Shengzhong, E-mail: liusz@snnu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, National Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi' an 710062 (China); Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, iChEM, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China)

2016-05-02

Using a series of illumination sources, including white light (tungsten-halogen lamp), 445-nm, 532-nm, 635-nm, and 730-nm lasers, the surface photovoltage (SPV) images were mapped for centimeter-sized CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbX{sub 3} (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite single crystals using Kelvin probe force microscopy. The significant SPV signals were observed to be wavelength-dependent. We attribute the appreciable SPV to the built-in electric field in the space charge region. This study shines light into the understanding of photoinduced charge generation and separation processes at nanoscale to help advance the development of perovskite solar cells, optoelectronics, laser, photodetector, and light-emitting diode (LED).

Progress on Perovskite Materials and Solar Cells with Mixed Cations and Halide Anions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Luis K; Juarez-Perez, Emilio J; Qi, Yabing

2017-09-13

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite materials (e.g., MAPbI 3 , FAPbI 3 , etc.; where MA = CH 3 NH 3 + , FA = CH(NH 2 ) 2 + ) have been studied intensively for photovoltaic applications. Major concerns for the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic technology to take off include lead toxicity, long-term stability, hysteresis, and optimal bandgap. Therefore, there is still need for further exploration of alternative candidates. Elemental composition engineering of MAPbI 3 and FAPbI 3 has been proposed to address the above concerns. Among the best six certified power conversion efficiencies reported by National Renewable Energy Laboratory on perovskite-based solar cells, five are based on mixed perovskites (e.g., MAPbI 1-x Br x , FA 0.85 MA 0.15 PbI 2.55 Br 0.45 , Cs 0.1 FA 0.75 MA 0.15 PbI 2.49 Br 0.51 ). In this paper, we review the recent progress on the synthesis and fundamental aspects of mixed cation and halide perovskites correlating with device performance, long-term stability, and hysteresis. In the outlook, we outline the future research directions based on the reported results as well as related topics that warrant further investigation.

Generalized trends in the formation energies of perovskite oxides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeng, Zhenhua; Calle-Vallejo, Federico; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2013-01-01

Generalized trends in the formation energies of several families of perovskite oxides (ABO3) and plausible explanations to their existence are provided in this study through a combination of DFT calculations, solid-state physics analyses and simple physical/chemical descriptors. The studied...... elements at the A site of perovskites comprise rare-earth, alkaline-earth and alkaline metals, whereas 3d and 5d metals were studied at the B site. We also include ReO3-type compounds, which have the same crystal structure of cubic ABO3 perovskites except without A-site elements. From the observations we...... extract the following four conclusions for the perovskites studied in the present paper: for a given cation at the B site, (I) perovskites with cations of identical oxidation state at the A site possess close formation energies; and (II) perovskites with cations of different oxidation states at the A site...

Lewis Base Passivation of Hybrid Halide Perovskites Slows Electron-Hole Recombination: Time-Domain Ab Initio Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lihong; Fang, Wei-Hai; Long, Run; Prezhdo, Oleg V

2018-03-01

Nonradiative electron-hole recombination plays a key role in determining photon conversion efficiencies in solar cells. Experiments demonstrate significant reduction in the recombination rate upon passivation of methylammonium lead iodide perovskite with Lewis base molecules. Using nonadiabatic molecular dynamics combined with time-domain density functional theory, we find that the nonradiative charge recombination is decelerated by an order of magnitude upon adsorption of the molecules. Thiophene acts by the traditional passivation mechanism, forcing electron density away from the surface. In contrast, pyridine localizes the electron at the surface while leaving it energetically near the conduction band edge. This is because pyridine creates a stronger coordinative bond with a lead atom of the perovskite and has a lower energy unoccupied orbital compared with thiophene due to the more electronegative nitrogen atom relative to thiophene's sulfur. Both molecules reduce two-fold the nonadiabatic coupling and electronic coherence time. A broad range of vibrational modes couple to the electronic subsystem, arising from inorganic and organic components. The simulations reveal the atomistic mechanisms underlying the enhancement of the excited-state lifetime achieved by the perovskite passivation, rationalize the experimental results, and advance our understanding of charge-phonon dynamics in perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite-sensitized solar cells-based Ga-TiO2 nanodiatom-like photoanode: the improvement of performance by perovskite crystallinity refinement

Science.gov (United States)

Umar, Akrajas Ali; Al-She'irey, Altaf Yahya Ahmed; Rahman, Mohd Yusri Abd; Salleh, Muhamad Mat; Oyama, Munetaka

2018-05-01

The structure and crystallinity of the photoactive materials in solar cell determines the exciton formation, carrier's recombination, life-time and transportation in the devices. Here, we report that enhanced charge transportation, internal quantum efficiency and the carrier life-time can be achieved by modifying the structure, morphology of the organic perovskite thin film, enabling the improvement of the solar cell performance. The thin film structure modification was achieved via a thermal annealing in vacuum. In typical procedure, the power conversion efficiency of the PSC device can be upgraded from 0.5 to 2.9%, which is approximately 6 times increment, when the surface structure disorders are limited in the organic perovskite thin film. By optimizing the organic perovskite loading on the Ga-TiO2 diatom-like nanostructures photoanode and combining with a fine control of organic perovskite thin film structure, power conversion efficiency as high as 6.58% can be generated from the device. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and current-voltage analysis in the dark indicated that this process has effectively augmented the carrier life-time and limited the carrier recombination, enhancing the overall performance of the solar cell device. The preparation process and mechanism of the device performance improvement will be discussed.

Perovskites-Based Solar Cells: A Review of Recent Progress, Materials and Processing Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengqi Shi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available With the rapid increase of efficiency up to 22.1% during the past few years, hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs have become a research “hot spot” for many solar cell researchers. The perovskite materials show various advantages such as long carrier diffusion lengths, widely-tunable band gap with great light absorption potential. The low-cost fabrication techniques together with the high efficiency makes PSCs comparable with Si-based solar cells. But the drawbacks such as device instability, J-V hysteresis and lead toxicity reduce the further improvement and the future commercialization of PSCs. This review begins with the discussion of crystal and electronic structures of perovskite based on recent research findings. An evolution of PSCs is also analyzed with a greater detail of each component, device structures, major device fabrication methods and the performance of PSCs acquired by each method. The following part of this review is the discussion of major barriers on the pathway for the commercialization of PSCs. The effects of crystal structure, fabrication temperature, moisture, oxygen and UV towards the stability of PSCs are discussed. The stability of other components in the PSCs are also discussed. The lead toxicity and updated research progress on lead replacement are reviewed to understand the sustainability issues of PSCs. The origin of J-V hysteresis is also briefly discussed. Finally, this review provides a roadmap on the current needs and future research directions to address the main issues of PSCs.

Novel Solvent-free Perovskite Deposition in Fabrication of Normal and Inverted Architectures of Perovskite Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Nejand, Bahram Abdollahi; Gharibzadeh, Saba; Ahmadi, Vahid; Shahverdi, H. Reza

2016-01-01

We introduced a new approach to deposit perovskite layer with no need for dissolving perovskite precursors. Deposition of Solution-free perovskite (SFP) layer is a key method for deposition of perovskite layer on the hole or electron transport layers that are strongly sensitive to perovskite precursors. Using deposition of SFP layer in the perovskite solar cells would extend possibility of using many electron and hole transport materials in both normal and invert architectures of perovskite solar cells. In the present work, we synthesized crystalline perovskite powder followed by successful deposition on TiO2 and cuprous iodide as the non-sensitve and sensitive charge transport layers to PbI2 and CH3NH3I solution in DMF. The post compressing step enhanced the efficiency of the devices by increasing the interface area between perovskite and charge transport layers. The 9.07% and 7.71% cell efficiencies of the device prepared by SFP layer was achieved in respective normal (using TiO2 as a deposition substrate) and inverted structure (using CuI as deposition substrate) of perovskite solar cell. This method can be efficient in large-scale and low cost fabrication of new generation perovskite solar cells. PMID:27640991

The influence of additives in the stoichiometry of hybrid lead halide perovskites

Science.gov (United States)

Burgués-Ceballos, Ignasi; Savva, Achilleas; Georgiou, Efthymios; Kapnisis, Konstantinos; Papagiorgis, Paris; Mousikou, Androniki; Itskos, Grigorios; Othonos, Andreas; Choulis, Stelios A.

2017-11-01

We investigate the employment of carefully selected solvent additives in the processing of a commercial perovskite precursor ink and analyze their impact on the performance of organometal trihalide perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3-xClx) photovoltaic devices. We provide evidence that the use of benzaldehyde can be used as an effective method to preserve the stoichiometry of the perovskite precursors in solution. Benzaldehyde based additive engineering shows to improve perovskite solid state film morphology and device performance of CH3NH3PbI3-xClx based solar cells.

Zero-Dimensional Cs4PbBr6 Perovskite Nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yuhai

2017-02-09

Perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have become leading candidates for solution-processed optoelectronics applications. While substantial work has been published on 3-D perovskite phases, the NC form of the zero-dimensional (0-D) phase of this promising class of materials remains elusive. Here we report the synthesis of a new class of colloidal semiconductor NCs based on Cs4PbBr6, the 0-D perovskite, enabled through the design of a novel low-temperature reverse microemulsion method with 85% reaction yield. These 0-D perovskite NCs exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) in the colloidal form (PLQY: 65%), and, more importantly, in the form of thin film (PLQY: 54%). Notably, the latter is among the highest values reported so far for perovskite NCs in the solid form. Our work brings the 0-D phase of perovskite into the realm of colloidal NCs with appealingly high PLQY in the film form, which paves the way for their practical application in real devices.

Ceramic materials on perovskite-type structure for electronic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surowiak, Z.

2003-01-01

Ceramic materials exhibiting the perovskite-type structure constitute among others, resource base for many fields of widely understood electronics (i.e., piezoelectronics, accustoelectronics, optoelectronics, computer science, tele- and radioelectronics etc.). Most often they are used for fabrication of different type sensors (detectors), transducers, ferroelectric memories, limiters of the electronic current intensity, etc., and hence they are numbered among so-called intelligent materials. Prototype structure of this group of materials is the structure of the mineral called perovskite (CaTiO 3 ). By means of right choice of the chemical composition of ABO 3 and deforming the regular perovskite structure (m3m) more than 5000 different chemical compounds and solid solutions exhibiting the perovskite-type structure have been fabricated. The concept of perovskite functional ceramics among often things ferroelectric ceramics, pyroelectric ceramics, piezoelectric ceramics, electrostrictive ceramics, posistor ceramics, superconductive ceramics and ferromagnetic ceramics. New possibilities of application of the perovskite-type ceramics are opened by nanotechnology. (author)

Low band gap S,N-heteroacene-based oligothiophenes as hole-transporting and light absorbing materials for efficient perovskite-based solar cells

KAUST Repository

Qin, Peng

2014-07-15

Novel low band gap oligothiophenes incorporating S,N-heteropentacene central units were developed and used as hole-transport materials (HTMs) in solid-state perovskite-based solar cells. In addition to appropriate electronic energy levels, these materials show high photo-absorptivity in the low energy region, and thus can contribute to the light harvesting of the solar spectrum. Solution-processed CH3NH3PbI3-based devices using these HTMs achieved power conversion efficiencies of 9.5-10.5% in comparison with 7.6% obtained by reference devices without HTMs. Photoinduced absorption spectroscopy gave further insight into the charge transfer behavior between photoexcited perovskites and the HTMs. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

Low band gap S,N-heteroacene-based oligothiophenes as hole-transporting and light absorbing materials for efficient perovskite-based solar cells

KAUST Repository

Qin, Peng; Kast, Hannelore; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad K.; Zakeeruddin, Shaik M.; Mishra, Amaresh; Bä uerle, Peter; Grä tzel, Michael

2014-01-01

Novel low band gap oligothiophenes incorporating S,N-heteropentacene central units were developed and used as hole-transport materials (HTMs) in solid-state perovskite-based solar cells. In addition to appropriate electronic energy levels, these materials show high photo-absorptivity in the low energy region, and thus can contribute to the light harvesting of the solar spectrum. Solution-processed CH3NH3PbI3-based devices using these HTMs achieved power conversion efficiencies of 9.5-10.5% in comparison with 7.6% obtained by reference devices without HTMs. Photoinduced absorption spectroscopy gave further insight into the charge transfer behavior between photoexcited perovskites and the HTMs. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

Influence of Multi-Valency, Electrostatics and Molecular Recognition on the Adsorption of Transition Metal Complexes on Metal Oxides: A Molecular Approach to Catalyst Synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rioux, Robert M. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

2017-03-31

In this work, we have primarily utilized isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and complimentary catalyst characterization techniques to study and assess the impact of solution conditions (i.e., solid-liquid) interface on the synthesis of heterogeneous and electro-catalysts. Isothermal titration calorimetry is well-known technique from biochemistry/physics, but has been applied to a far lesser extent to characterize buried solid-liquid interfaces in materials science. We demonstrate the utility and unique information provided by ITC for two distinct catalytic systems. We explored the thermodynamics associated catalyst synthesis for two systems: (i) ion-exchange or strong electrostatic adsorption for Pt and Pd salts on silica and alumina materials (ii) adsorption to provide covalent attachment of metal and metal-oxo clusters to Dion-Jacobsen perovskite materials.

Nitrogen-based catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO.

Science.gov (United States)

Tornow, Claire E; Thorson, Michael R; Ma, Sichao; Gewirth, Andrew A; Kenis, Paul J A

2012-12-05

The synthesis and application of carbon-supported, nitrogen-based organometallic silver catalysts for the reduction of CO(2) is studied using an electrochemical flow reactor. Their performance toward the selective formation of CO is similar to the performance achieved when using Ag as the catalyst, but comparatively at much lower silver loading. Faradaic efficiencies of the organometallic catalyst are higher than 90%, which are comparable to those of Ag. Furthermore, with the addition of an amine ligand to Ag/C, the partial current density for CO increases significantly, suggesting a possible co-catalyst mechanism. Additional improvements in activity and selectivity may be achieved as greater insight is obtained on the mechanism of CO(2) reduction and on how these complexes assemble on the carbon support.

Inverting the diastereoselectivity of the mukaiyama-michael addition with graphite-based catalysts

KAUST Repository

Acocella, Maria Rosaria; Mauro, Marco; Falivene, Laura; Cavallo, Luigi; Guerra, Gaetano

2014-01-01

, the graphite-based catalysts described here invert the diastereoselectivity relative to that observed with known catalysts, with the unprecedented large prevalence of the anti diastereoisomer. This inverted diastereoselectivity is increased when the catalyst

Ultra-bright and highly efficient inorganic based perovskite light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liuqi; Yang, Xiaolei; Jiang, Qi; Wang, Pengyang; Yin, Zhigang; Zhang, Xingwang; Tan, Hairen; Yang, Yang (Michael); Wei, Mingyang; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Sargent, Edward H.; You, Jingbi

2017-06-01

Inorganic perovskites such as CsPbX3 (X=Cl, Br, I) have attracted attention due to their excellent thermal stability and high photoluminescence quantum efficiency. However, the electroluminescence quantum efficiency of their light-emitting diodes was CsPbBr3 lattice and by depositing a hydrophilic and insulating polyvinyl pyrrolidine polymer atop the ZnO electron-injection layer to overcome these issues. As a result, we obtained light-emitting diodes exhibiting a high brightness of 91,000 cd m-2 and a high external quantum efficiency of 10.4% using a mixed-cation perovskite Cs0.87MA0.13PbBr3 as the emitting layer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the brightest and most-efficient green perovskite light-emitting diodes reported to date.

Poly(4-Vinylpyridine)-Based Interfacial Passivation to Enhance Voltage and Moisture Stability of Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhary, Bhumika; Kulkarni, Ashish; Jena, Ajay Kumar; Ikegami, Masashi; Udagawa, Yosuke; Kunugita, Hideyuki; Ema, Kazuhiro; Miyasaka, Tsutomu

2017-06-09

It is well known that the surface trap states and electronic disorders in the solution-processed CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite film affect the solar cell performance significantly and moisture sensitivity of photoactive perovskite material limits its practical applications. Herein, we show the surface modification of a perovskite film with a solution-processable hydrophobic polymer (poly(4-vinylpyridine), PVP), which passivates the undercoordinated lead (Pb) atoms (on the surface of perovskite) by its pyridine Lewis base side chains and thereby eliminates surface-trap states and non-radiative recombination. Moreover, it acts as an electron barrier between the perovskite and hole-transport layer (HTL) to reduce interfacial charge recombination, which led to improvement in open-circuit voltage (V oc ) by 120 to 160 mV whereas the standard cell fabricated in same conditions showed V oc as low as 0.9 V owing to dominating interfacial recombination processes. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased by 3 to 5 % in the polymer-modified devices (PCE=15 %) with V oc more than 1.05 V and hysteresis-less J-V curves. Advantageously, hydrophobicity of the polymer chain was found to protect the perovskite surface from moisture and improved stability of the non-encapsulated cells, which retained their device performance up to 30 days of exposure to open atmosphere (50 % humidity). © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improved Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells Induced by CO Functionalized Hydrophobic Ammonium-Based Additives.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhifang; Raga, Sonia R; Juarez-Perez, Emilio J; Yao, Xuyang; Jiang, Yan; Ono, Luis K; Ning, Zhijun; Tian, He; Qi, Yabing

2018-01-01

Because of the rapid rise of the efficiency, perovskite solar cells are currently considered as the most promising next-generation photovoltaic technology. Much effort has been made to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. Here, it is demonstrated that the addition of a novel organic cation of 2-(6-bromo-1,3-dioxo-1H-benzo[de]isoquinolin-2(3H)-yl)ethan-1-ammonium iodide (2-NAM), which has strong Lewis acid and base interaction (between CO and Pb) with perovskite, can effectively increase crystalline grain size and reduce charge carrier recombination of the double cation FA 0.83 MA 0.17 PbI 2.51 Br 0.49 perovskite film, thus boosting the efficiency from 17.1 ± 0.8% to 18.6 ± 0.9% for the 0.1 cm 2 cell and from 15.5 ± 0.5% to 16.5 ± 0.6% for the 1.0 cm 2 cell. The champion cell shows efficiencies of 20.0% and 17.6% with active areas of 0.1 and 1.0 cm 2 , respectively. Moreover, the hysteresis behavior is suppressed and the stability is improved. The result provides a promising route to further elevate efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells by the fine tuning of triple organic cations. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An efficient and pH-universal ruthenium-based catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmood, Javeed; Li, Feng; Jung, Sun-Min; Okyay, Mahmut Sait; Ahmad, Ishfaq; Kim, Seok-Jin; Park, Noejung; Jeong, Hu Young; Baek, Jong-Beom

2017-05-01

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a crucial step in electrochemical water splitting and demands an efficient, durable and cheap catalyst if it is to succeed in real applications. For an energy-efficient HER, a catalyst must be able to trigger proton reduction with minimal overpotential and have fast kinetics. The most efficient catalysts in acidic media are platinum-based, as the strength of the Pt-H bond is associated with the fastest reaction rate for the HER. The use of platinum, however, raises issues linked to cost and stability in non-acidic media. Recently, non-precious-metal-based catalysts have been reported, but these are susceptible to acid corrosion and are typically much inferior to Pt-based catalysts, exhibiting higher overpotentials and lower stability. As a cheaper alternative to platinum, ruthenium possesses a similar bond strength with hydrogen (˜65 kcal mol-1), but has never been studied as a viable alternative for a HER catalyst. Here, we report a Ru-based catalyst for the HER that can operate both in acidic and alkaline media. Our catalyst is made of Ru nanoparticles dispersed within a nitrogenated holey two-dimensional carbon structure (Ru@C2N). The Ru@C2N electrocatalyst exhibits high turnover frequencies at 25 mV (0.67 H2 s-1 in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution; 0.75 H2 s-1 in 1.0 M KOH solution) and small overpotentials at 10 mA cm-2 (13.5 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution; 17.0 mV in 1.0 M KOH solution) as well as superior stability in both acidic and alkaline media. These performances are comparable to, or even better than, the Pt/C catalyst for the HER.

Factors Controlling the Redox Activity of Oxygen in Perovskites: From Theory to Application for Catalytic Reactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunzhen Yang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Triggering the redox reaction of oxygens has become essential for the development of (electro catalytic properties of transition metal oxides, especially for perovskite materials that have been envisaged for a variety of applications such as the oxygen evolution or reduction reactions (OER and ORR, respectively, CO or hydrocarbons oxidation, NO reduction and others. While the formation of ligand hole for perovskites is well-known for solid state physicists and/or chemists and has been widely studied for the understanding of important electronic properties such as superconductivity, insulator-metal transitions, magnetoresistance, ferroelectrics, redox properties etc., oxygen electrocatalysis in aqueous media at low temperature barely scratches the surface of the concept of oxygen ions oxidation. In this review, we briefly explain the electronic structure of perovskite materials and go through a few important parameters such as the ionization potential, Madelung potential, and charge transfer energy that govern the oxidation of oxygen ions. We then describe the surface reactivity that can be induced by the redox activity of the oxygen network and the formation of highly reactive surface oxygen species before describing their participation in catalytic reactions and providing mechanistic insights and strategies for designing new (electro catalysts. Finally, we give a brief overview of the different techniques that can be employed to detect the formation of such transient oxygen species.

Dry reforming of methane in the presence of ruthenium-based catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safariamin, M.; Tidahy, L.H.; Abi-Aad, E.; Siffert, St.; Aboukais, A.

2009-01-01

The catalytic activities of ruthenium-based catalysts (5 wt% Ru) supported on alumina, ceria and ceria/alumina with different proportions of ceria (nCe 10 Al, n = 1, 3, 5; n = atomic ratio) were studied for the methane reforming reaction with CO 2 (CH 4 / CO 2 = 1) in the temperature range of 400-800 C. Evaluation of coke deposited after the reaction showed carbon deposition on Ru catalysts supported on CeO 2 , 1Ce 10 Al and 3Ce 10 Al, but not on Ru/Al 2 O 3 and Ru/5Ce 10 Al. Moreover, the sample Ru/5Ce 10 Al exhibited a higher activity than the other catalysts. (authors)

Generalizable, Electroless, Template-Assisted Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Mechanistic Understanding of Perovskite LaNiO3 Nanorods as Viable, Supportless Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysts in Alkaline Media.

Science.gov (United States)

McBean, Coray L; Liu, Haiqing; Scofield, Megan E; Li, Luyao; Wang, Lei; Bernstein, Ashley; Wong, Stanislaus S

2017-07-26

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key reaction for water electrolysis cells and air-powered battery applications. However, conventional metal oxide catalysts, used for high-performing OER, tend to incorporate comparatively expensive and less abundant precious metals such as Ru and Ir, and, moreover, suffer from poor stability. To attempt to mitigate for all of these issues, we have prepared one-dimensional (1D) OER-active perovskite nanorods using a unique, simple, generalizable, and robust method. Significantly, our work demonstrates the feasibility of a novel electroless, seedless, surfactant-free, wet solution-based protocol for fabricating "high aspect ratio" LaNiO 3 and LaMnO 3 nanostructures. As the main focus of our demonstration of principle, we prepared as-synthesized LaNiO 3 rods and correlated the various temperatures at which these materials were annealed with their resulting OER performance. We observed generally better OER performance for samples prepared with lower annealing temperatures. Specifically, when annealed at 600 °C, in the absence of a conventional conductive carbon support, our as-synthesized LaNiO 3 rods not only evinced (i) a reasonable level of activity toward OER but also displayed (ii) an improved stability, as demonstrated by chronoamperometric measurements, especially when compared with a control sample of commercially available (and more expensive) RuO 2 .

Bandgap Engineering of Double Perovskites for One- and Two-photon Water Splitting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castelli, Ivano Eligio; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel

2013-01-01

Computational screening is becoming increasingly useful in the search for new materials. We are interested in the design of new semiconductors to be used for light harvesting in a photoelectrochemical cell. In the present paper, we study the double perovskite structures obtained by combining 46...... stable cubic perovskites which was found to have a finite bandgap in a previous screening-study. The four-metal double perovskite space is too large to be investigated completely. For this reason we propose a method for combining different metals to obtain a desired bandgap. We derive some bandgap design...... rules on how to combine two cubic perovskites to generate a new combination with a larger or smaller bandgap compared with the constituent structures. Those rules are based on the type of orbitals involved in the conduction bands and on the size of the two cubic bandgaps. We also see that a change...

Synthesis and structural study of the transition metal doped rhodium perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ting, J.; Kennedy, B.; Zhang, Z.

2009-01-01

Full text: One of the most common structures encountered in solid state chemistry is the perovskite structure. With a general formula of AB0 3, the A-type cations are 12-coordinate within a cubo-octahedral environment, while the B-type cations are 6-coordinate, forming an interconnecting three-dimensional octahedral network with neighbouring oxygen anions. While the ideal perovskite structure is cubic in Pm 3 m, many perovskites exhibit symmetry lowering tilting of the corner-sharing B0 6o ctahedral units as a result of A- and B-type cation size disparity. This is also evident in substituted perovskites, where two cations occupy the smaller octahedral site, AB 1- xB' x0 3' Electronic effects can also lower the symmetry. The two most commonly observed effects are the polarisation of the B-cation with a d 0 electronic configuration and Jahn-Teller distortion where the B-cation has a d 4 or d 9 electronic configuration, such as Mn 3+ or Cu 2+ respectively. Manganese containing perovskites have been shown in some compounds to exhibit long-range orbital ordering, giving rise to interesting properties. Heavier transition metals such as ruthenium and iridium have been previously incorporated into these perovskites as an avenue to regulate the properties of these materials. Two orthorhombic rhodium perovskite structures are presented, LaMn 0 . 5 Rh 0 . 5 O 3 and LaCu 05 Rh 0 . 5 O 3 ' A combination of synchrotron x-ray and neutron powder diffraction has been used to elucidate their structures, and have shown both B- and B'-type cations to be disordered across the same crystallographic site for both compounds. x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements have been used to provide an insight into the valence states of the cations, which show a valency of +3.5 for rhodium due to an extensive charge delocalisation between copper and rhodium.

Synthesis and characterization of a-site doped LaTiO3 nano perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradha, M.; Ashok, Anuradha

2013-01-01

Nano-sized lanthanum titanate perovskites (La (1-x) A x TiO 3 ) (A= Ba, Sr, Ca) were prepared by sol-gel method and calcined at 800℃. The synthesised perovskites were characterized by Thermogravimetry/ Differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) etc. LaTiO 3 is a perovskite having prominent interest for a variety of applications such as dielectric, insulators, charge-transport properties etc. It is a defect perovskite, with transport properties varying from insulating to metallic based on oxygen stoichiometry. In a quest to observe the effect of the nano size on its properties, lanthanum titanate (LaTiO 3 ) nano perovskites with different dopants on the A-site were prepared by using sol-gel method. In the present work we discuss the synthesis and structural analysis of (La 0.8 A 0.2 TiO 3 ). Phase purity and structural analysis of the calcined samples were performed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD, with CuKα radiation). In addition to this, morphology and crystal structure was examined by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) using a JEOL JEM 2100 HRTEM. HRTEM studies indicate that the nano perovskites are of size around 20 nm. Ring pattern in SAED also confirms that the perovskite is polycrystalline/nanocrystalline. More detailed study on high resolution images and crystal structure shed light on the reason for the properties exhibited by this perovskites

Report of liquefaction catalyst study meeting (March 1996); Ekika shokubai kentokai hokoku

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-03-01

Studied in the research are four iron-based catalysts, which are natural pyrite, synthetic iron sulfide, synthetic iron hydroxide, and catalyst-attached carbon. Tanito Harum coal is treated in a 0.01t/d-capable continuous operation furnace (once-through) under conditions of 450 degrees C and 170kgf/cm{sup 2} with catalyst addition of 1.0, 3.0wt% (catalyst-attached carbon 0.6, 1.0wt%), and a liquid yield of 41.5-48.6wt%-daf coal is achieved. A higher yield results when more catalyst is added. The same yield as achieved by the addition of 3wt% natural pyrite is obtained by the addition of 1.9wt% synthetic iron sulfide, 1.5wt% of synthetic iron hydroxide, or 0.7wt% catalyst-attached coal. The catalyst cost for treating a ton of coal is 4-9 hundred yen, which is far more expensive than the cost set forth as the target. Catalysts whose production process embodiment is now under study are natural pyrite and synthetic iron sulfide, and studies for others are just preliminary. Provided that the practical application of the liquefaction technology realizes in about 2000, then the petroleum price is predicted to be 23 dollars per barrel. Coal liquefaction products will have to be produced at a cost which will enable competition with the said petroleum price. (NEDO)

Selective self-assembly and light emission tuning of layered hybrid perovskites on patterned graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerra, Valentino L P; Kovaříček, Petr; Valeš, Václav; Drogowska, Karolina; Verhagen, Tim; Vejpravova, Jana; Horák, Lukáš; Listorti, Andrea; Colella, Silvia; Kalbáč, Martin

2018-02-15

The emission of light in two-dimensional (2-D) layered hybrid organic lead halide perovskites, namely (R-NH 3 ) 2 PbX 4 , can be effectively tuned using specific building blocks for the perovskite formation. Herein this behaviour is combined with a non-covalent graphene functionalization allowing excellent selectivity and spatial resolution of the perovskite film growth, promoting the formation of hybrid 2-D perovskite : graphene heterostructures with uniform coverage of up to centimeter scale graphene sheets and arbitrary shapes down to 5 μm. Using cryo-Raman microspectroscopy, highly resolved spectra of the perovskite phases were obtained and the Raman mapping served as a convenient spatially resolved technique for monitoring the distribution of the perovskite and graphene constituents on the substrate. In addition, the stability of the perovskite phase with respect to the thermal variation was inspected in situ by X-ray diffraction. Finally, time-resolved photoluminescence characterization demonstrated that the optical properties of the perovskite films grown on graphene are not hampered. Our study thus opens the door to smart fabrication routes for (opto)-electronic devices based on 2-D perovskites in contact with graphene with complex architectures.

High-pressure stability relations, crystal structures, and physical properties of perovskite and post-perovskite of NaNiF3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirako, Y.; Shi, Y.G.; Aimi, A.; Mori, D.; Kojitani, H.; Yamaura, K.; Inaguma, Y.; Akaogi, M.

2012-01-01

NaNiF 3 perovskite was found to transform to post-perovskite at 16–18 GPa and 1273–1473 K. The equilibrium transition boundary is expressed as P (GPa)=−2.0+0.014×T (K). Structure refinements indicated that NaNiF 3 perovskite and post-perovskite have almost regular NiF 6 octahedra consistent with absence of the first-order Jahn–Teller active ions. Both NaNiF 3 perovskite and post-perovskite are insulators. The perovskite underwent a canted antiferromagnetic transition at 156 K, and the post-perovskite antiferromagnetic transition at 22 K. Magnetic exchange interaction of NaNiF 3 post-perovskite is smaller than that of perovskite, reflecting larger distortion of Ni–F–Ni network and lower dimension of octahedral arrangement in post-perovskite than those in perovskite. - Graphical abstract: Perovskite–post-perovskite transition in NaNiF 3 at high pressure Highlights: ► NaNiF 3 perovskite (Pv) transforms to post-perovskite (pPv) at 16 GPa and 1300 K. ► The equilibrium transition boundary is expressed as P (GPa)=−2.0+0.014 T (K). ► Antiferromagnetic transition occurs at 156 K in Pv and 22 K in pPv.

Highly Efficient Perovskite-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells Reaching 80% of the Theoretical Limit in Photovoltage.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajagopal, Adharsh; Yang, Zhibin; Jo, Sae Byeok; Braly, Ian L; Liang, Po-Wei; Hillhouse, Hugh W; Jen, Alex K-Y

2017-09-01

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite multijunction solar cells have immense potential to realize power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction solar cells; however, they are limited by large nonideal photovoltage loss (V oc,loss ) in small- and large-bandgap subcells. Here, an integrated approach is utilized to improve the V oc of subcells with optimized bandgaps and fabricate perovskite-perovskite tandem solar cells with small V oc,loss . A fullerene variant, Indene-C 60 bis-adduct, is used to achieve optimized interfacial contact in a small-bandgap (≈1.2 eV) subcell, which facilitates higher quasi-Fermi level splitting, reduces nonradiative recombination, alleviates hysteresis instabilities, and improves V oc to 0.84 V. Compositional engineering of large-bandgap (≈1.8 eV) perovskite is employed to realize a subcell with a transparent top electrode and photostabilized V oc of 1.22 V. The resultant monolithic perovskite-perovskite tandem solar cell shows a high V oc of 1.98 V (approaching 80% of the theoretical limit) and a stabilized PCE of 18.5%. The significantly minimized nonideal V oc,loss is better than state-of-the-art silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells, which highlights the prospects of using perovskite-perovskite tandems for solar-energy generation. It also unlocks opportunities for solar water splitting using hybrid perovskites with solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies beyond 15%. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Theoretical calculations on layered perovskites: implications for photocatalysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Liu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The application of first-principles calculations to the study of layered perovskites is reviewed here, with an emphasis on properties relevant to the use of these materials in photocatalysis. First, the accuracies of the theoretical methods in common use for the study of layered perovskites are compared. The main body of the article then reviews studies of the bulk atomic and electronic structures of pure and doped perovskites; first-principles thermodynamics studies; studies of surfaces and studies of adsorption on surfaces.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane on rare-earth oxide-based catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buyevskaya, O.; Baerns, M. [Institut fuer Angewandte Chemie Berlin-Adlershof e.V., Berlin (Germany)

1998-12-31

Results on the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane on rare-earth oxide (REO) based catalysts (Na-P-Sm-O, Sm-Sr(Ca)-O, La-Sr-O and Nd-Sr-O) are described. Oxygen adsorption was found to be a key factor which determines the activity of this type of catalysts. Continuous flow experiments in the presence of catalysts which reveal strong oxygen adsorption showed that the reaction mixture is ignited resulting in an enhanced heat generation at the reactor inlet. The heat produced by the oxidative reactions was sufficient under the conditions chosen for the endothermic thermal pyrolysis which takes place preferentially in the gas phase. Ignition of the reaction mixture is an important catalyst function. Contrary to non-catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation, reaction temperatures above 700 C could be achieved without significant external heat input. Ethylene yields of up to 34-45% (S=66-73%) were obtained on REO-based catalysts under non-isothermal conditions (T{sub max}=810-865 C) at contact times in the order of 30 to 40 ms. (orig.)

Patterning of Perovskite Single Crystals

KAUST Repository

Corzo, Daniel

2017-06-12

As the internet-of-things hardware integration continues to develop and the requirements for electronics keep diversifying and expanding, the necessity for specialized properties other than the classical semiconductor performance becomes apparent. The success of emerging semiconductor materials depends on the manufacturability and cost as much as on the properties and performance they offer. Solution-based semiconductors are an emerging concept that offers the advantage of being compatible with large-scale manufacturing techniques and have the potential to yield high-quality electronic devices at a lower cost than currently available solutions. In this work, patterns of high-quality MAPbBr3 perovskite single crystals in specific locations are achieved through the modification of the substrate properties and solvent engineering. The fabrication of the substrates involved modifying the surface adhesion forces through functionalization with self-assembled monolayers and patterning them by photolithography processes. Spin coating and blade coating were used to deposit the perovskite solution on the modified silicon substrates. While single crystal perovskites were obtained with the modification of substrates alone, solvent engineering helped with improving the Marangoni flows in the deposited droplets by increasing the contact angle and lowering the evaporation rate, therefore controlling and improving the shape of the grown perovskite crystals. The methodology is extended to other types of perovskites such as the transparent MAPbCl3 and the lead-free MABi2I9, demonstrating the adaptability of the process. Adapting the process to electrode arrays opened up the path towards the fabrication of optoelectronic devices including photodetectors and field-effect transistors, for which the first iterations are demonstrated. Overall, manufacturing and integration techniques permitting the fabrication of single crystalline devices, such as the method in this thesis work, are

The influence of additives in the stoichiometry of hybrid lead halide perovskites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignasi Burgués-Ceballos

2017-11-01

Full Text Available We investigate the employment of carefully selected solvent additives in the processing of a commercial perovskite precursor ink and analyze their impact on the performance of organometal trihalide perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3−xClx photovoltaic devices. We provide evidence that the use of benzaldehyde can be used as an effective method to preserve the stoichiometry of the perovskite precursors in solution. Benzaldehyde based additive engineering shows to improve perovskite solid state film morphology and device performance of CH3NH3PbI3−xClx based solar cells.

Generalized trends in the formation energies of perovskite oxides.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, ZhenHua; Calle-Vallejo, Federico; Mogensen, Mogens B; Rossmeisl, Jan

2013-05-28

Generalized trends in the formation energies of several families of perovskite oxides (ABO3) and plausible explanations to their existence are provided in this study through a combination of DFT calculations, solid-state physics analyses and simple physical/chemical descriptors. The studied elements at the A site of perovskites comprise rare-earth, alkaline-earth and alkaline metals, whereas 3d and 5d metals were studied at the B site. We also include ReO3-type compounds, which have the same crystal structure of cubic ABO3 perovskites except without A-site elements. From the observations we extract the following four conclusions for the perovskites studied in the present paper: for a given cation at the B site, (I) perovskites with cations of identical oxidation state at the A site possess close formation energies; and (II) perovskites with cations of different oxidation states at the A site usually have quite different but ordered formation energies. On the other hand, for a given A-site cation, (III) the formation energies of perovskites vary linearly with respect to the atomic number of the elements at the B site within the same period of the periodic table, and the slopes depend systematically on the oxidation state of the A-site cation; and (IV) the trends in formation energies of perovskites with elements from different periods at the B site depend on the oxidation state of A-site cations. Since the energetics of perovskites is shown to be the superposition of the individual contributions of their constituent oxides, the trends can be rationalized in terms of A-O and B-O interactions in the ionic crystal. These findings reveal the existence of general systematic trends in the formation energies of perovskites and provide further insight into the role of ion-ion interactions in the properties of ternary compounds.

High-efficiency humidity-stable planar perovskite solar cells based on atomic layer architecture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koushik, D.; Verhees, W.J.H.; Kuang, Y.; Veenstra, S.; Zhang, D.; Verheijen, M.A.; Creatore, M.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2017-01-01

Perovskite materials are drawing tremendous interest for photovoltaic solar cell applications, but are hampered by intrinsic material and device instability issues. Such issues can arise from environmental influences as well as from the chemical incompatibility of the perovskite layer with charge

Ultrasmooth Perovskite Film via Mixed Anti-Solvent Strategy with Improved Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yu; Yang, Songwang; Lei, Lei; Cao, Qipeng; Shao, Jun; Zhang, Sheng; Liu, Yan

2017-02-01

Most antisolvents employed in previous research were miscible with perovskite precursor solution. They always led to fast formation of perovskite even if the intermediate stage existed, which was not beneficial to obtain high quality perovskite films and made the formation process less controllable. In this work, a novel ethyl ether/n-hexane mixed antisolvent (MAS) was used to achieve high nucleation density and slow down the formation process of perovskite, producing films with improved orientation of grains and ultrasmooth surfaces. These high quality films exhibited efficient charge transport at the interface of perovskite/hole transport material and perovskite solar cells based on these films showed greatly improved performance with the best power conversion efficiency of 17.08%. This work also proposed a selection principle of MAS and showed that solvent engineering by designing the mixed antisolvent system can lead to the fabrication of high-performance perovskite solar cells.

Surface properties and catalytic performance of Pt/LaSrCoO4 catalysts in the oxidation of hexane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua Zhong

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Perovskite-type La2 –xSrxCoO4 mixed oxides have been prepared by calcination at various temperatures of precipitates obtained from aqueous solutions in the presence of citric or ethylenediamintetraacetic (EDTA acids, and have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD, surface area (BET measurements, temperature programmed desorption (TPD, temperature programmed reduction (TPR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. These oxides are catalysts for hexane oxidation, with the greatest activity for LaSrCoO4 calcined at 750 C. This has extensive oxygen vacancies and large internal surface area. Pt-modified LaSrCoO4 catalysts are significantly more active than the Pt-free system. Both surface and bulk phases of the preovskitetype oxides contribute to hexane oxidation.

Performance of planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells under light concentration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaesha Alnuaimi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this work, we present 2D simulation of planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells under high concentration using physics-based TCAD. The performance of planar perovskite heterojunction solar cells is examined up to 1000 suns. We analyze the effect of HTM mobility and band structure, surface recombination velocities at interfaces and the effect of series resistance under concentrated light. The simulation results revealed that the low mobility of HTM material limits the improvement in power conversation efficiency of perovskite solar cells under concentration. In addition, large band offset at perovskite/HTM interface contributes to the high series resistance. Moreover, losses due to high surface recombination at interfaces and the high series resistance deteriorate significantly the performance of perovskite solar cells under concentration.

Supramolecular water oxidation with Ru-bda-based catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, Craig J; Matheu, Roc; Poater, Albert; Falivene, Laura; Benet-Buchholz, Jordi; Sala, Xavier; Cavallo, Luigi; Llobet, Antoni

2014-12-22

Extremely slow and extremely fast new water oxidation catalysts based on the Ru-bda (bda=2,2'-bipyridine-6,6'-dicarboxylate) systems are reported with turnover frequencies in the range of 1 and 900 cycles s(-1) , respectively. Detailed analyses of the main factors involved in the water oxidation reaction have been carried out and are based on a combination of reactivity tests, electrochemical experiments, and DFT calculations. These analyses give a convergent interpretation that generates a solid understanding of the main factors involved in the water oxidation reaction, which in turn allows the design of catalysts with very low energy barriers in all the steps involved in the water oxidation catalytic cycle. We show that for this type of system π-stacking interactions are the key factors that influence reactivity and by adequately controlling them we can generate exceptionally fast water oxidation catalysts. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Lanthanum and cerium co-modified Ni/SiO2 catalyst for CO methanation from syngas

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Dandan; Li, Shuangshuang; Guo, Shaoxia; Tang, Honggui; Wang, Hong; Liu, Yuan

2018-03-01

Sintering of active metal nanoparticles (NPs) and carbon deposition is critical problems for many metal catalysts, such as nickel based catalysts for generating methane from syngas. To improve the resistance to the sintering and carbon deposition, a new scheme was proposed in this work. Lanthanum and cerium co-modified Ni/SiO2 catalysts were synthesized by using perovskite type oxide of La1-xCexNiO3 loaded on SiO2 as the precursor. In a nanocrystallite of La1-xCexNiO3, ions of nickel, lanthanum and cerium are evenly mixed at atomic level and confined in the nanocrystallite, therefore, Ni NPs and the two promoters of La2O3 and CeO2 should be in close contact and highly dispersed on SiO2 after reduction. The catalysts were characterized by using XRD, TEM, BET, H2-TPD, XPS, TG and Raman techniques. Compared with the mono-promoted catalysts, the bi-promoted La0.75Ce0.25NiO3/SiO2 showed much better resistance to carbon deposition, higher resistance to sintering and higher activity for CO methanation, which are attributed to co-eliminating effect of the two promoters for the deposited carbon, confinement of the interacted two promoters for Ni NPs and the higher dispersion of Ni NPs derived from the smaller size of La0.75Ce0.25NiO3.

Hybrid Perovskites: Prospects for Concentrator Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Qianqian; Wang, Zhiping; Snaith, Henry J; Johnston, Michael B; Herz, Laura M

2018-04-01

Perovskite solar cells have shown a meteoric rise of power conversion efficiency and a steady pace of improvements in their stability of operation. Such rapid progress has triggered research into approaches that can boost efficiencies beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit stipulated for a single-junction cell under normal solar illumination conditions. The tandem solar cell architecture is one concept here that has recently been successfully implemented. However, the approach of solar concentration has not been sufficiently explored so far for perovskite photovoltaics, despite its frequent use in the area of inorganic semiconductor solar cells. Here, the prospects of hybrid perovskites are assessed for use in concentrator solar cells. Solar cell performance parameters are theoretically predicted as a function of solar concentration levels, based on representative assumptions of charge-carrier recombination and extraction rates in the device. It is demonstrated that perovskite solar cells can fundamentally exhibit appreciably higher energy-conversion efficiencies under solar concentration, where they are able to exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit and exhibit strongly elevated open-circuit voltages. It is therefore concluded that sufficient material and device stability under increased illumination levels will be the only significant challenge to perovskite concentrator solar cell applications.

Organic Gelators as Growth Control Agents for Stable and Reproducible Hybrid Perovskite-Based Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Masi, Sofia

2017-03-03

Low-molecular-weight organic gelators are widely used to influence the solidification of polymers, with applications ranging from packaging items, food containers to organic electronic devices, including organic photovoltaics. Here, this concept is extended to hybrid halide perovskite-based materials. In situ time-resolved grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements performed during spin coating reveal that organic gelators beneficially influence the nucleation and growth of the perovskite precursor phase. This can be exploited for the fabrication of planar n-i-p heterojunction devices with MAPbI3 (MA = CH3NH3+) that display a performance that not only is enhanced by ≈25% compared to solar cells where the active layer is produced without the use of a gelator but that also features a higher stability to moisture and a reduced hysteresis. Most importantly, the presented approach is straightforward and simple, and it provides a general method to render the film formation of hybrid perovskites more reliable and robust, analogous to the control that is afforded by these additives in the processing of commodity “plastics.”

Green perovskite light emitting diodes based on the ITO/Al2O3/CsPbBr3 heterojunction structure

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Shiwei; Ma, Xue; Hu, Daqiang; Dong, Xin; Zhang, Yuantao; Zhang, Baolin

2018-03-01

Perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLEDs) now emerge as a promising new optoelectronic application field for these amazing semiconductors. For the purpose of investigating the device structures and light emission mechanisms of PeLEDs, we have fabricated green PeLEDs based on the ITO/Al2O3/CsPbBr3 heterojunction structure. The emission layer inorganic perovskite CsPbBr3 film with small grain sizes (∼28.9 nm) was prepared using a two-step method. The device exhibits a typical rectification behavior with turn-on voltage of ∼6 V. The EL emission band is narrow with the FWHM of ∼25 nm. The peak EQE of the device was ∼0.09%. The working mechanism of the device is also discussed. The result of the present work provides a feasible innovation idea of PeLEDs fabrication and great potentials for the development of perovskite based LEDs.

Co-Production of Electricity and Hydrogen Using a Novel Iron-based Catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hilaly, Ahmad; Georgas, Adam; Leboreiro, Jose; Arora, Salil; Head, Megann; Trembly, Jason; Turk, Brian; Gupta, Raghubir

2011-09-30

The primary objective of this project was to develop a hydrogen production technology for gasification applications based on a circulating fluid-bed reactor and an attrition resistant iron catalyst. The work towards achieving this objective consisted of three key activities: Development of an iron-based catalyst suitable for a circulating fluid-bed reactor; Design, construction, and operation of a bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production; Techno-economic analysis of the steam-iron and the pressure swing adsorption hydrogen production processes. This report describes the work completed in each of these activities during this project. The catalyst development and testing program prepared and iron-based catalysts using different support and promoters to identify catalysts that had sufficient activity for cyclic reduction with syngas and steam oxidation and attrition resistance to enable use in a circulating fluid-bed reactor system. The best performing catalyst from this catalyst development program was produced by a commercial catalyst toll manufacturer to support the bench-scale testing activities. The reactor testing systems used during material development evaluated catalysts in a single fluid-bed reactor by cycling between reduction with syngas and oxidation with steam. The prototype SIP reactor system (PSRS) consisted of two circulating fluid-bed reactors with the iron catalyst being transferred between the two reactors. This design enabled demonstration of the technical feasibility of the combination of the circulating fluid-bed reactor system and the iron-based catalyst for commercial hydrogen production. The specific activities associated with this bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor systems that were completed in this project included design, construction, commissioning, and operation. The experimental portion of this project focused on technical demonstration of the performance of an iron-based catalyst and a

Automated microfluidic platform for systematic studies of colloidal perovskite nanocrystals: towards continuous nano-manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Epps, Robert W; Felton, Kobi C; Coley, Connor W; Abolhasani, Milad

2017-11-21

Colloidal organic/inorganic metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals have recently emerged as a potential low-cost replacement for the semiconductor materials in commercial photovoltaics and light emitting diodes. However, unlike III-V and IV-VI semiconductor nanocrystals, studies of colloidal perovskite nanocrystals have yet to develop a fundamental and comprehensive understanding of nucleation and growth kinetics. Here, we introduce a modular and automated microfluidic platform for the systematic studies of room-temperature synthesized cesium-lead halide perovskite nanocrystals. With abundant data collection across the entirety of four orders of magnitude reaction time span, we comprehensively characterize nanocrystal growth within a modular microfluidic reactor. The developed high-throughput screening platform features a custom-designed three-port flow cell with translational capability for in situ spectral characterization of the in-flow synthesized perovskite nanocrystals along a tubular microreactor with an adjustable length, ranging from 3 cm to 196 cm. The translational flow cell allows for sampling of twenty unique residence times at a single equilibrated flow rate. The developed technique requires an average total liquid consumption of 20 μL per spectra and as little as 2 μL at the time of sampling. It may continuously sample up to 30 000 unique spectra per day in both single and multi-phase flow formats. Using the developed plug-and-play microfluidic platform, we study the growth of cesium lead trihalide perovskite nanocrystals through in situ monitoring of their absorption and emission band-gaps at residence times ranging from 100 ms to 17 min. The automated microfluidic platform enables a systematic study of the effect of mixing enhancement on the quality of the synthesized nanocrystals through a direct comparison between single- and multi-phase flow systems at similar reaction time scales. The improved mixing characteristics of the multi-phase flow

Effective field study of ising model on a double perovskite structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngantso, G. Dimitri; El Amraoui, Y. [LMPHE, (URAC 12), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V, Rabat (Morocco); Benyoussef, A. [LMPHE, (URAC 12), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V, Rabat (Morocco); Center of Materials and Nanomaterials, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco); Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology, Rabat (Morocco); El Kenz, A., E-mail: elkenz@fsr.ac.ma [LMPHE, (URAC 12), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V, Rabat (Morocco)

2017-02-01

By using the effective field theory (EFT), the mixed spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 Ising ferrimagnetic model adapted to a double perovskite structure has been studied. The EFT calculations have been carried out from Ising Hamiltonian by taking into account first and second nearest-neighbors interactions and the crystal and external magnetic fields. Both first- and second-order phase transitions have been found in phase diagrams of interest. Depending on crystal-field values, the thermodynamic behavior of total magnetization indicated the compensation phenomenon existence. The hysteresis behaviors are studied by investigating the reduced magnetic field dependence of total magnetization and a series of hysteresis loops are shown for different reduced temperatures around the critical one. - Highlights: • Magnetic properties of double perovskite Structure have been studied. • Compensation temperature has been observed below the critical temperature. • Hysteresis behaviors have been studied.

Effective field study of ising model on a double perovskite structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngantso, G. Dimitri; El Amraoui, Y.; Benyoussef, A.; El Kenz, A.

2017-01-01

By using the effective field theory (EFT), the mixed spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 Ising ferrimagnetic model adapted to a double perovskite structure has been studied. The EFT calculations have been carried out from Ising Hamiltonian by taking into account first and second nearest-neighbors interactions and the crystal and external magnetic fields. Both first- and second-order phase transitions have been found in phase diagrams of interest. Depending on crystal-field values, the thermodynamic behavior of total magnetization indicated the compensation phenomenon existence. The hysteresis behaviors are studied by investigating the reduced magnetic field dependence of total magnetization and a series of hysteresis loops are shown for different reduced temperatures around the critical one. - Highlights: • Magnetic properties of double perovskite Structure have been studied. • Compensation temperature has been observed below the critical temperature. • Hysteresis behaviors have been studied.

Research progress of perovskite materials in photocatalysis- and photovoltaics-related energy conversion and environmental treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Tadé, Moses O; Shao, Zongping

2015-08-07

Meeting the growing global energy demand is one of the important challenges of the 21st century. Currently over 80% of the world's energy requirements are supplied by the combustion of fossil fuels, which promotes global warming and has deleterious effects on our environment. Moreover, fossil fuels are non-renewable energy and will eventually be exhausted due to the high consumption rate. A new type of alternative energy that is clean, renewable and inexpensive is urgently needed. Several candidates are currently available such as hydraulic power, wind force and nuclear power. Solar energy is particularly attractive because it is essentially clean and inexhaustible. A year's worth of sunlight would provide more than 100 times the energy of the world's entire known fossil fuel reserves. Photocatalysis and photovoltaics are two of the most important routes for the utilization of solar energy. However, environmental protection is also critical to realize a sustainable future, and water pollution is a serious problem of current society. Photocatalysis is also an essential route for the degradation of organic dyes in wastewater. A type of compound with the defined structure of perovskite (ABX3) was observed to play important roles in photocatalysis and photovoltaics. These materials can be used as photocatalysts for water splitting reaction for hydrogen production and photo-degradation of organic dyes in wastewater as well as for photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells and light absorbers in perovskite-based solar cells for electricity generation. In this review paper, the recent progress of perovskites for applications in these fields is comprehensively summarized. A description of the basic principles of the water splitting reaction, photo-degradation of organic dyes and solar cells as well as the requirements for efficient photocatalysts is first provided. Then, emphasis is placed on the designation and strategies for perovskite catalysts to improve their

Study of total oxidation of ethanol using the perovskite-type oxides LaBO{sub 3} (B= Mn, Ni, Fe); Estudo da oxidacao total do etanol usando oxidos tipo perovskita LaBO{sub 3} (B= Mn, Ni, Fe)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soares, Ana Brigida [Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica do Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias e Tecnologias Quimicas]. E-mail: brigida@cefetes.br; Silva, Paulo Roberto Nagipe da [Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacases, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias e Tecnologia; Freitas, Jair C.C. [Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Exatas. Dept. de Fisica; Almeida, Clara Muniz de [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica

2007-09-15

The present work investigated the effect of coprecipitation-oxidant synthesis on the specific surface area of perovskite-type oxides LaBO{sub 3} (BMn, Ni, Fe) for total oxidation of ethanol. The perovskite-type oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption (BET method), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA), TPR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Through method involving the coprecipitation-oxidant was possible to obtain catalysts with different BET specific surface areas, of 33-51 m{sup 2}/g. The results of the catalytic test confirmed that all oxides investigated in this work have specific catalytic activity for total oxidation of ethanol, though the temperatures for total conversion change for each transition metal. (author)

Interfacial Electronic Structures of Photodetectors Based on C8BTBT/Perovskite.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lin; Tong, Sichao; Zhao, Yuan; Wang, Can; Wang, Shitan; Lyu, Lu; Huang, Yingbao; Huang, Han; Yang, Junliang; Niu, Dongmei; Liu, Xiaoliang; Gao, Yongli

2018-06-07

Comprehensive measurements of ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy are adopted to investigate the corelevance of energy level alignment, molecular orientation, and film growth of Au/C8BTBT/perovskite interfaces. A small energy offset of valence band maximum of 0.06 eV between perovskite and C8BTBT makes hole transportation feasible. About 0.65 eV upward shift of energy levels is observed with the deposition of the Au film on C8BTBT, which enhances hole transportation to the Au electrode. The observations from the interface analysis are supported by a prototype photodetector of Au (80 nm)/C8BTBT (20 nm)/perovskite (100 nm) that exhibits excellent performances whose responsivity can reach up to 2.65 A W -1 , 4 times higher than the best CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 photodetectors.

Planar structured perovskite solar cells by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition with optimized perovskite film thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiangyang; Peng, Yanke; Jing, Gaoshan; Cui, Tianhong

2018-05-01

The thickness of perovskite absorber layer is a critical parameter to determine a planar structured perovskite solar cell’s performance. By modifying the spin coating speed and PbI2/N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution concentration, the thickness of perovskite absorber layer was optimized to obtain high-performance solar cells. Using a PbI2/DMF solution of 1.3 mol/L, maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a perovskite solar cell is 15.5% with a perovskite film of 413 nm at 5000 rpm, and PCE of 14.3% was also obtained for a solar cell with a perovskite film of 182 nm thick. It is derived that higher concentration of PbI2/DMF will result in better perovskite solar cells. Additionally, these perovskite solar cells are highly uniform. In 14 sets of solar cells, standard deviations of 11 sets of solar cells were less than 0.50% and the smallest standard deviation was 0.25%, which demonstrates the reliability and effectiveness of hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) method.

Research progress on organic-inorganic halide perovskite materials and solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Luis K.; Qi, Yabing

2018-03-01

Owing to the intensive research efforts across the world since 2009, perovskite solar cell power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) are now comparable or even better than several other photovoltaic (PV) technologies. In this topical review article, we review recent progress in the field of organic-inorganic halide perovskite materials and solar cells. We associate these achievements with the fundamental knowledge gained in the perovskite research. The major recent advances in the fundamental perovskite material and solar cell research are highlighted, including the current efforts in visualizing the dynamical processes (in operando) taking place within a perovskite solar cell under operating conditions. We also discuss the existing technological challenges. Based on a survey of recently published works, we point out that to move the perovskite PV technology forward towards the next step of commercialization, what perovskite PV technology need the most in the coming next few years is not only further PCE enhancements, but also up-scaling, stability, and lead-toxicity.

Selective dissolution of halide perovskites as a step towards recycling solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byeong Jo; Kim, Dong Hoe; Kwon, Seung Lee; Park, So Yeon; Li, Zhen; Zhu, Kai; Jung, Hyun Suk

2016-05-01

Most research on perovskite solar cells has focused on improving power-conversion efficiency and stability. However, if one could refurbish perovskite solar cells, their stability might not be a critical issue. From the perspective of cost effectiveness, if failed, perovskite solar cells could be collected and recycled; reuse of their gold electrodes and transparent conducting glasses could reduce the price per watt of perovskite photovoltaic modules. Herein, we present a simple and effective method for removing the perovskite layer and reusing the mesoporous TiO2-coated transparent conducting glass substrate via selective dissolution. We find that the perovskite layer can be easily decomposed in polar aprotic solvents because of the reaction between polar aprotic solvents and Pb2+ cations. After 10 cycles of recycling, a mesoporous TiO2-coated transparent conducting glass substrate-based perovskite solar cell still shows a constant power-conversion efficiency, thereby demonstrating the possibility of recycling perovskite solar cells.

Selective dissolution of halide perovskites as a step towards recycling solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byeong Jo; Kim, Dong Hoe; Kwon, Seung Lee; Park, So Yeon; Li, Zhen; Zhu, Kai; Jung, Hyun Suk

2016-05-23

Most research on perovskite solar cells has focused on improving power-conversion efficiency and stability. However, if one could refurbish perovskite solar cells, their stability might not be a critical issue. From the perspective of cost effectiveness, if failed, perovskite solar cells could be collected and recycled; reuse of their gold electrodes and transparent conducting glasses could reduce the price per watt of perovskite photovoltaic modules. Herein, we present a simple and effective method for removing the perovskite layer and reusing the mesoporous TiO2-coated transparent conducting glass substrate via selective dissolution. We find that the perovskite layer can be easily decomposed in polar aprotic solvents because of the reaction between polar aprotic solvents and Pb(2+) cations. After 10 cycles of recycling, a mesoporous TiO2-coated transparent conducting glass substrate-based perovskite solar cell still shows a constant power-conversion efficiency, thereby demonstrating the possibility of recycling perovskite solar cells.

Photoconducting hybrid perovskite containing carbazole moiety as the organic layer: Fabrication and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Meng; Wu Gang; Cheng Siyuan; Wang Mang; Borghs, Gustaaf; Chen Hongzheng

2008-01-01

PbCl 2 -based thin films of perovskite structure with hole-transporting carbazole derivatives as the organic layer were successfully prepared by spin-coating from dimethylformamide solution containing stoichiometric amounts of organic and inorganic moieties. The crystal structure and optical property of the hybrid perovskite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL). FT-IR spectra confirmed the formation of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite structure. UV-vis spectra of hybrid perovskite thin films exhibited a wide absorption band in ultraviolet region as well as a sharp peak at 330 nm characteristic of PbCl 2 -based layered perovskite. X-ray diffraction profiles indicated that the layered structure was oriented parallel to the silica glass slide plane. Meanwhile, double-layer photoreceptors of the hybrid perovskite were also fabricated, which showed the enhancement of photoconductivity by carbazole chromophore

Solvent engineering for high-quality perovskite solar cell with an efficiency approaching 20%

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tongyue; Wu, Jihuai; Tu, Yongguang; He, Xin; Lan, Zhang; Huang, Miaoliang; Lin, Jianming

2017-10-01

The perovskite layer is the most crucial factor for the high performance perovskite solar cells. Based on solvent engineering, we develop a ternary-mixed-solvent method for the growth of high-quality [Cs0.05(MA0.17FA0.83)0.95Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3] cation-anion-mixed perovskite films by introducing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) into the precursor mixed solution. By controlling rapid nucleation and retarding crystal growth via intermediate phase PbI2-NMP (Lewis acid-base adduct), a dense, large grain, pinhole-free and long charge carrier lifetime perovskite film is obtained. By optimizing the precursor solvent composition, the perovskite solar cell achieves an impressive power conversion efficiency of 19.61% under one-sun illumination. The research presented here provides a facile, low-cost and highly efficient way for the preparation of perovskite solar cells.

In Situ UV-Visible Assessment of Iron-Based High-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Catalysts Promoted with Lanthana: An Extent of Reduction Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Basseem B. Hallac

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The extent of reduction of unsupported iron-based high-temperature water-gas shift catalysts with small (<5 wt % lanthana contents was studied using UV-visible spectroscopy. Temperature- programmed reduction measurements showed that lanthana content higher than 0.5 wt % increased the extent of reduction to metallic Fe, while 0.5 wt % of lanthana facilitated the reduction to Fe3O4. In situ measurements on the iron oxide catalysts using mass and UV-visible spectroscopies permitted the quantification of the extent of reduction under temperature-programmed reduction and high-temperature water-gas shift conditions. The oxidation states were successfully calibrated against normalized absorbance spectra of visible light using the Kubelka-Munk theory. The normalized absorbance relative to the fully oxidized Fe2O3 increased as the extent of reduction increased. XANES suggested that the average bulk iron oxidation state during the water-gas shift reaction was Fe+2.57 for the catalyst with no lanthana and Fe+2.54 for the catalysts with 1 wt % lanthana. However, the UV-vis spectra suggest that the surface oxidation state of iron would be Fe+2.31 for the catalyst with 1 wt % lanthana if the oxidation state of iron in the catalyst with 0 wt % lanthana were Fe+2.57. The findings of this paper emphasize the importance of surface sensitive UV-visible spectroscopy for determining the extent of catalyst reduction during operation. The paper highlights the potential to use bench-scale UV-visible spectroscopy to study the surface chemistry of catalysts instead of less-available synchrotron X-ray radiation facilities.

Synthesis of hierarchically porous perovskite-carbon aerogel composite catalysts for the rapid degradation of fuchsin basic under microwave irradiation and an insight into probable catalytic mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yin; Wang, Jiayuan; Du, Baobao; Wang, Yun; Xiong, Yang; Yang, Yiqiong; Zhang, Xiaodong

2018-05-01

3D hierarchically porous perovskites LaFe0.5M0.5O3-CA (M = Mn, Cu) were synthesized by a two-step method using PMMA as template and supporting with carbon aerogel, which were characterized with SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS and FT-IR spectroscopy. The as-prepared composites were used in microwave (MW) catalytic degradation of fuchsin basic (FB) dye wastewater. Batch experiment results showed that the catalytic degradation of FB could be remarkably improved by coating with CA. And LaFe0.5Cu0.5O3-CA exhibited higher catalytic performance than LaFe0.5Mn0.5O3-CA, which had a close connection with the activity of substitution metal ion in B site of the catalysts. The FB removal fit pseudo-first-order model and the degradation rate constant increased with initial pH value and MW powder while decreases with initial FB concentration. All catalysts presented favorable recycling and stability in the repeated experiment. Radical scavenger measurements indicated that hydroxyl radicals rather than surface peroxide and hole played an important role in the catalytic process, and its quantity determined the degradation of FB. Furthermore, both Cu and Fe species were involved in the formation of active species, which were responsible to the excellent performance of the LaFe0.5Cu0.5O3-CA/MW system. Therefore, LaFe0.5Cu0.5O3-CA/MW showed to be a promising technology for the removal of organic pollutants in wastewater treatment applications.

Mono-, bi-, and tri-metallic Ni-based catalysts for the catalytic hydrotreatment of pyrolysis liquids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yin, Wang; Venderbosch, Robbie H.; He, Songbo; Bykova, Maria V.; Khromova, Sofia A.; Yakovlev, Vadim A.; Heeres, Hero J.

Catalytic hydrotreatment is a promising technology to convert pyrolysis liquids into intermediates with improved properties. Here, we report a catalyst screening study on the catalytic hydrotreatment of pyrolysis liquids using bi- and tri-metallic nickel-based catalysts in a batch autoclave (initial

Kinetics study of ethanol steam reforming on Pt/CeO{sub 2} based catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qi, A. [Queen' s-RMC Fuel Cell Research Centre, Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Thurgood, C.; Amphlett, J. [Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Peppley, B. [Queens Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2009-07-01

Interest in fuel cell systems operating on fuels derived from renewable energy sources is increasing because they have the potential to produce electricity with high efficiency and minimal emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Bioethanol is currently produced by the fermentation of non-edible biomass, through conventional means and also through advances in enzyme technology. The authors previously reported on the steam reforming of bioethanol with a stable ceria supported precious metal catalyst, developed in-house. The catalyst had good thermal stability and resisted carbon formation. This paper reported on a more recent kinetic study in which the influence of operating conditions were quantified. The operating conditions included temperature, steam/carbon ratios, and gas hourly velocities. The results of standard catalyst characterization techniques such as BET, TGA, SEM and TPR were also provided. The data was used to drive an empirical rate expression. The study also investigated a potential rate mechanism.

NaIrO3-A pentavalent post-perovskite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bremholm, M.; Dutton, S.E.; Stephens, P.W.; Cava, R.J.

2011-01-01

Sodium iridium (V) oxide, NaIrO 3, was synthesized by a high pressure solid state method and recovered to ambient conditions. It is found to be isostructural with CaIrO 3 , the much-studied structural analog of the high-pressure post-perovskite phase of MgSiO 3 . Among the oxide post-perovskites, NaIrO 3 is the first example with a pentavalent cation. The structure consists of layers of corner- and edge-sharing IrO 6 octahedra separated by layers of NaO 8 bicapped trigonal prisms. NaIrO 3 shows no magnetic ordering and resistivity measurements show non-metallic behavior. The crystal structure, electrical and magnetic properties are discussed and compared to known post-perovskites and pentavalent perovskite metal oxides. -- Graphical abstract: Sodium iridium(V) oxide, NaIrO 3 , synthesized by a high pressure solid state method and recovered to ambient conditions is found to crystallize as the post-perovskite structure and is the first example of a pentavalent ABO 3 post-perovskite. Research highlights: → NaIrO 3 post-perovskite stabilized by pressure. → First example of a pentavalent oxide post-perovskite. → Non-metallic and non-magnetic behavior of NaIrO 3 .

Structural and chemical reactivity modifications of a cobalt perovskite induced by Sr-substitution. An in situ XAS study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hueso, Jose L.; Holgado, Juan P.; Pereñíguez, Rosa; Gonzalez-DelaCruz, V.M.; Caballero, Alfonso

2015-01-01

LaCoO 3 and La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3−δ perovskites have been studied by in situ Co K-edge XAS. Although the partial substitution of La(III) by Sr(II) species induces an important increase in the catalytic oxidation activity and modifies the electronic state of the perovskite, no changes could be detected in the oxidation state of cobalt atoms. So, maintaining the electroneutrality of the perovskite requires the generation of oxygen vacancies in the network. The presence of these vacancies explains that the substituted perovskite is now much more reducible than the original LaCoO 3 perovskite. As detected by in situ XAS, after a consecutive reduction and oxidation treatment, the original crystalline structure of the LaCoO 3 perovskite is maintained, although in a more disordered state, which is not the case for the Sr doped perovskite. So, the La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3−δ perovskite submitted to the same hydrogen reduction treatment produces metallic cobalt, while as determined by in situ XAS spectroscopy the subsequent oxidation treatment yields a Co(III) oxide phase with spinel structure. Surprisingly, no Co(II) species are detected in this new spinel phase. - Highlights: • A Sr-substituted lanthanum cobalt perovskite has been prepared by spray pyrolysis. • It has been established that Co(III) cations are present in both perovskites. • LaCoO 3 is a less reducible phase than the substituted La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3−δ . • After reoxidation of reduced La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3−δ , a 100% Co(III) spinel is obtained

Miscellaneous Lasing Actions in Organo-Lead Halide Perovskite Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Zonghui; Wang, Shuai; Yi, Ningbo; Gu, Zhiyuan; Gao, Yisheng; Song, Qinghai; Xiao, Shumin

2017-06-21

Lasing actions in organo-lead halide perovskite films have been heavily studied in the past few years. However, due to the disordered nature of synthesized perovskite films, the lasing actions are usually understood as random lasers that are formed by multiple scattering. Herein, we demonstrate the miscellaneous lasing actions in organo-lead halide perovskite films. In addition to the random lasers, we show that a single or a few perovskite microparticles can generate laser emissions with their internal resonances instead of multiple scattering among them. We experimentally observed and numerically confirmed whispering gallery (WG)-like microlasers in polygon shaped and other deformed microparticles. Meanwhile, owing to the nature of total internal reflection and the novel shape of the nanoparticle, the size of the perovskite WG laser can be significantly decreased to a few hundred nanometers. Thus, wavelength-scale lead halide perovskite lasers were realized for the first time. All of these laser behaviors are complementary to typical random lasers in perovskite film and will help the understanding of lasing actions in complex lead halide perovskite systems.

Polarized emission from CsPbX3 perovskite quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dan; Wu, Dan; Dong, Di; Chen, Wei; Hao, Junjie; Qin, Jing; Xu, Bing; Wang, Kai; Sun, Xiaowei

2016-06-01

Compared to organic/inorganic hybrid perovskites, full inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) exhibit higher stability. In this study, full inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Br, I and mixed halide systems Br/I) perovskite QDs have been synthesized and interestingly, these QDs showed highly polarized photoluminescence which is systematically studied for the first time. Furthermore, the polarization of CsPbI3 was as high as 0.36 in hexane and 0.40 as a film. The CsPbX3 perovskite QDs with high polarization properties indicate that they possess great potential for application in new generation displays with wide colour gamut and low power consumption.Compared to organic/inorganic hybrid perovskites, full inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) exhibit higher stability. In this study, full inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Br, I and mixed halide systems Br/I) perovskite QDs have been synthesized and interestingly, these QDs showed highly polarized photoluminescence which is systematically studied for the first time. Furthermore, the polarization of CsPbI3 was as high as 0.36 in hexane and 0.40 as a film. The CsPbX3 perovskite QDs with high polarization properties indicate that they possess great potential for application in new generation displays with wide colour gamut and low power consumption. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr01915c

Highly Efficient Broadband Yellow Phosphor Based on Zero-Dimensional Tin Mixed-Halide Perovskite.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Chenkun; Tian, Yu; Yuan, Zhao; Lin, Haoran; Chen, Banghao; Clark, Ronald; Dilbeck, Tristan; Zhou, Yan; Hurley, Joseph; Neu, Jennifer; Besara, Tiglet; Siegrist, Theo; Djurovich, Peter; Ma, Biwu

2017-12-27

Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskites have emerged as a highly promising class of light emitters, which can be used as phosphors for optically pumped white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). By controlling the structural dimensionality, metal halide perovskites can exhibit tunable narrow and broadband emissions from the free-exciton and self-trapped excited states, respectively. Here, we report a highly efficient broadband yellow light emitter based on zero-dimensional tin mixed-halide perovskite (C 4 N 2 H 14 Br) 4 SnBr x I 6-x (x = 3). This rare-earth-free ionically bonded crystalline material possesses a perfect host-dopant structure, in which the light-emitting metal halide species (SnBr x I 6-x 4- , x = 3) are completely isolated from each other and embedded in the wide band gap organic matrix composed of C 4 N 2 H 14 Br - . The strongly Stokes-shifted broadband yellow emission that peaked at 582 nm from this phosphor, which is a result of excited state structural reorganization, has an extremely large full width at half-maximum of 126 nm and a high photoluminescence quantum efficiency of ∼85% at room temperature. UV-pumped WLEDs fabricated using this yellow emitter together with a commercial europium-doped barium magnesium aluminate blue phosphor (BaMgAl 10 O 17 :Eu 2+ ) can exhibit high color rendering indexes of up to 85.

Magnetic Modes in Rare Earth Perovskites: A Magnetic-Field-Dependent Inelastic Light Scattering study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Surajit; Cao, Bing-Chen; Motapothula, M; Cong, Chun-Xiao; Sarkar, Tarapada; Srivastava, Amar; Sarkar, Soumya; Patra, Abhijeet; Ghosh, Siddhartha; Ariando; Coey, J M D; Yu, Ting; Venkatesan, T

2016-11-15

Here, we report the presence of defect-related states with magnetic degrees of freedom in crystals of LaAlO 3 and several other rare-earth based perovskite oxides using inelastic light scattering (Raman spectroscopy) at low temperatures in applied magnetic fields of up to 9 T. Some of these states are at about 140 meV above the valence band maximum while others are mid-gap states at about 2.3 eV. No magnetic impurity could be detected in LaAlO 3 by Proton-Induced X-ray Emission Spectroscopy. We, therefore, attribute the angular momentum-like states in LaAlO 3 to cationic/anionic vacancies or anti-site defects. Comparison with the other rare earth perovskites leads to the empirical rule that the magnetic-field-sensitive transitions require planes of heavy elements (e.g. lanthanum) and oxygen without any other light cations in the same plane. These magnetic degrees of freedom in rare earth perovskites with useful dielectric properties may be tunable by appropriate defect engineering for magneto-optic applications.

Preparation of perovskite type titanium-bearing blast furnace slag photocatalyst doped with sulphate and investigation on reduction Cr(VI) using UV-vis light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lei, X.F.; Xue, X.X.

2008-01-01

Perovskite type titanium-bearing blast furnace slag (TBBFS) and sulphate-modified titanium-bearing blast furnace slag (SO 4 2- /TBBFS) photocatalysts were prepared by the high-energy ball milling method at different calcination temperature. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, FTIR, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and SEM measurements. The photocatalytic activities of the different catalysts were evaluated by the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) under UV-vis light irradiation. For the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI), the photocatalytic activities of TBBFS catalysts were found to be strongly dependent of the calcination temperature and TBBFS calcined at 700 deg. C showed a higher photocatalytic activity compared to other TBBFS catalysts. In contrast, sulphation of TBBFS improved the photocatalytic activities of SO 4 2- /TBBFS catalysts. At low calcination temperature, the photocatalytic activities of SO 4 2- /TBBFS catalysts were markedly higher than TBBFS prepared under high calcination temperature, suggesting that the presence of surface SO 4 2- favored the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI)

Experimental Studies on the Hydrotreatment of Kraft Lignin to Aromatics and Alkylphenolics Using Economically Viable Fe-Based Catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Limonite, a low-cost iron ore, was investigated as a potential hydrotreatment catalyst for kraft lignin without the use of an external solvent (batch reactor, initial H2 pressure of 100 bar, 4 h). The best results were obtained at 450 °C resulting in 34 wt % of liquefied kraft lignin (lignin oil) on lignin intake. The composition of the lignin oil was determined in detail (elemental composition, GC-MS, GC×GC-FID, and GPC). The total GC-detectable monomeric species amounts up to 31 wt % on lignin intake, indicating that 92 wt % of the products in the lignin oil are volatile and thus of low molecular weight. The lignin oil was rich in low-molecular-weight alkylphenolics (17 wt % on lignin) and aromatics (8 wt % on lignin). Performance of the limonite catalyst was compared to other Fe-based catalysts (goethite and iron disulfide) and limonite was shown to give the highest yields of alkylphenolics and aromatics. The limonite catalyst before and after reaction was characterized using XRD, TEM, and nitrogen physisorption to determine changes in structure during reaction. Catalyst recycling tests were performed and show that the catalyst is active after reuse, despite the fact that the morphology changed and that the surface area of the catalyst particles was decreased. Our results clearly reveal that cheap limonite catalysts have the potential to be used for the depolymerization/hydrodeoxygenation of kraft lignin for the production of valuable biobased phenolics and aromatics. PMID:28413733

Phase transformation of Ca-perovskite in MORB at D" region

Science.gov (United States)

Nishitani, N.; Ohtani, E.; Sakai, T.; Kamada, S.; Miyahara, M.; Hirao, N.

2012-12-01

Seismological studies indicate the presence of seismic anomalies in the Earth's deep interior. To investigate the anomaly, the physical property of the major minerals in lower mantle such as MgSiO3-perovskite, MgSiO3 post-perovskite and MgO periclase were studied well. Other candidate, CaSiO3 perovskite (Ca-perovskite) exists in peridotitic mantle and basaltic oceanic crust (mid-ocean ridge basalt; MORB). Previous studies indicate the abundance of Ca-perovskite is up to ~9 vol.% in the pyrolite mantle and ~24 vol.% in the MORB oceanic crust. However, the pressure range of previous works are still not enough to understand the D" region. In this study, natural MORB was compressed in double sided laser heated DAC. Au was used as a pressure maker and a laser absorber. NaCl was used as the thermal insulator and pressure medium. The phase relation of Ca-perovskite in MORB was investigated from 36 to 156 GPa and 300 to 2600 K by the in situ X-ray diffraction measurements at SPring-8 (BL10XU). The transition of Ca-perovskite from a tetragonal structure to a cubic structure occurred at about 1800 K up to about 100 GPa and below 1500 K at pressures above 100 GPa. This suggests that the tetragonal-cubic transition of Ca-perovskite could occur in MORB, associating with Al2O3 contents. The present results suggest that the seismic anomaly at D" layer could be caused by the transition in Ca-perovskite.

Aqueous-Containing Precursor Solutions for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dianyi; Traverse, Christopher J; Chen, Pei; Elinski, Mark; Yang, Chenchen; Wang, Lili; Young, Margaret; Lunt, Richard R

2018-01-01

Perovskite semiconductors have emerged as competitive candidates for photovoltaic applications due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties. However, the impact of moisture instability on perovskite films is still a key challenge for perovskite devices. While substantial effort is focused on preventing moisture interaction during the fabrication process, it is demonstrated that low moisture sensitivity, enhanced crystallization, and high performance can actually be achieved by exposure to high water content (up to 25 vol%) during fabrication with an aqueous-containing perovskite precursor. The perovskite solar cells fabricated by this aqueous method show good reproducibility of high efficiency with average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.7% and champion PCE of 20.1% under solar simulation. This study shows that water-perovskite interactions do not necessarily negatively impact the perovskite film preparation process even at the highest efficiencies and that exposure to high contents of water can actually enable humidity tolerance during fabrication in air.

Ultrastable Photoelectrodes for Solar Water Splitting Based on Organic Metal Halide Perovskite Fabricated by Lift-Off Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, SeongSik; Mai, Cuc Thi Kim; Oh, Ilwhan

2018-05-02

Herein, we report an integrated photoelectrolysis of water employing organic metal halide (OMH) perovskite material. As generic OMH perovskite material and device architecture are highly susceptible to degradation by aqueous electrolytes, we have developed a versatile mold-cast and lift-off process to fabricate and assemble multipurpose metal encapsulation onto perovskite devices. With the metal encapsulation effectively protecting the perovskite cell and also functioning as electrocatalyst, the high-performance perovskite photoelectrodes exhibit high photovoltage and photocurrent that are effectively inherited from the original solid-state solar cell. More importantly, thus-fabricated perovskite photoelectrode demonstrates record-long unprecedented stability even at highly oxidizing potential in strong alkaline electrolyte. We expect that this versatile lift-off process can be adapted in a wide variety of photoelectrochemical devices to protect the material surfaces from corroding electrolyte and facilitate various electrochemical reactions.

Pt -based anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoyos, Bibian; Sanchez, Carlos; Gonzalez, Javier

2007-01-01

In this work it is studied the electro-catalytic behavior of pure platinum and platinum-based alloys with Ru, Sn, Ir, and Os supported on carbon to the ethanol electro-oxidation in aims to develop anodic catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells, additionally, porous electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies were built for proton exchange membrane fuel cells in which the electrodes were tested. Catalysts characterization was made by cyclic voltammetry whereas the fuel cells behavior tests were made by current-potential polarization curves. in general, all alloys show a lower on-set reaction potential and a higher catalytic activity than pure platinum. However, in the high over potential zone, pure platinum has higher catalytic activity than the alloys. In agreement with these results, the alloys studied here could be useful in fuel cells operating on moderated and low current

Impeded solid state reactions and transformations in ceramic catalysts supports and catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernő E. Kiss

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Impeded chemical reactions and impeded polymorphous transformation in materials are discussed, as desired effects, for stabilization of ceramic catalyst supports and ceramic based catalysts. This paper gives a short overview about the possibilities of slowing down the aging processes in ceramic catalyst supports and catalysts. Special attention is given to alumina and titania based catalysts.

p-type Mesoscopic nickel oxide/organometallic perovskite heterojunction solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kuo-Chin; Jeng, Jun-Yuan; Shen, Po-Shen; Chang, Yu-Cheng; Diau, Eric Wei-Guang; Tsai, Cheng-Hung; Chao, Tzu-Yang; Hsu, Hsu-Cheng; Lin, Pei-Ying; Chen, Peter; Guo, Tzung-Fang; Wen, Ten-Chin

2014-04-23

In this article, we present a new paradigm for organometallic hybrid perovskite solar cell using NiO inorganic metal oxide nanocrystalline as p-type electrode material and realized the first mesoscopic NiO/perovskite/[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) heterojunction photovoltaic device. The photo-induced transient absorption spectroscopy results verified that the architecture is an effective p-type sensitized junction, which is the first inorganic p-type, metal oxide contact material for perovskite-based solar cell. Power conversion efficiency of 9.51% was achieved under AM 1.5 G illumination, which significantly surpassed the reported conventional p-type dye-sensitized solar cells. The replacement of the organic hole transport materials by a p-type metal oxide has the advantages to provide robust device architecture for further development of all-inorganic perovskite-based thin-film solar cells and tandem photovoltaics.

Improving the Morphology of the Perovskite Absorber Layer in Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Halide Perovskite MAPbI3 Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. J. Ogundana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, perovskite solar cells have attracted tremendous attention due to their excellent power conversion efficiency, low cost, simple fabrications, and high photovoltaic performance. Furthermore, the perovskite solar cells are lightweight and possess thin film and semitransparency. However, the nonuniformity in perovskite layer constitutes a major setback to the operation mechanism, performance, reproducibility, and degradation of perovskite solar cells. Therefore, one of the main challenges in planar perovskite devices is the fabrication of high quality films with controlled morphology and least amount of pin-holes for high performance thin film perovskite devices. The poor reproducibility in perovskite solar cells hinders the accurate fabrication of practical devices for use in real world applications, and this is primarily as a result of the inability to control the morphology of perovskites, leading to large variability in the characteristics of perovskite solar cells. Hence, the focus of research in perovskites has been mostly geared towards improving the morphology and crystallization of perovskite absorber by selecting the optimal annealing condition considering the effect of humidity. Here we report a controlled ambient condition that is necessary to grow uniform perovskite crystals. A best PCE of 7.5% was achieved along with a short-circuit current density of 15.2 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.81 V, and a fill factor of 0.612 from the perovskite solar cell prepared under 60% relative humidity.

An experimental study of perovskite-structured mixed ionic- electronic conducting oxides and membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Pingying

In recent decades, ceramic membranes based on mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskite-structured oxides have received many attentions for their applications for air separation, or as a membrane reactor for methane oxidation. While numerous perovskite oxide materials have been explored over the past two decades; there are hardly any materials with sufficient practical economic value and performance for large scale applications, which justifies continuing the search for new materials. The main purposes of this thesis study are: (1) develop several novel SrCoO3-delta based MIEC oxides, SrCoCo1-xMxO3-delta, based on which membranes exhibit excellent oxygen permeability; (2) investigate the significant effects of the species and concentration of the dopants M (metal ions with fixed valences) on the various properties of these membranes; (3) investigate the significant effects of sintering temperature on the microstructures and performance of oxygen permeation membranes; and (4) study the performance of oxygen permeation membranes as a membrane reactor for methane combustion. To stabilize the cubic phase structure of the SrCoO3-delta oxide, various amounts of scandium was doped into the B-site of SrCoO 3-delta to form a series of new perovskite oxides, SrScxCoCo 1-xO3-delta (SSCx, x = 0-0.7). The significant effects of scandium-doping concentration on the phase structure, electrical conductivity, sintering performance, thermal and structural stability, cathode performance, and oxygen permeation performance of the SSCx membranes, were systematically studied. Also for a more in-depth understanding, the rate determination steps for the oxygen transport process through the membranes were clarified by theoretical and experimental investigation. It was found that only a minor amount of scandium (5 mol%) doping into the B-site of SrCoO3-delta can effectively stabilize the cubic phase structure, and thus significantly improve the electrical conductivity and

Purcell effect in an organic-inorganic halide perovskite semiconductor microcavity system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jun; Wang, Yafeng; Hu, Tao; Wu, Lin; Shen, Xuechu; Chen, Zhanghai; Cao, Runan; Xu, Fei; Da, Peimei; Zheng, Gengfeng; Lu, Jian

2016-01-01

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite semiconductors with the attractive physics properties, including strong photoluminescence (PL), huge oscillator strengths, and low nonradiative recombination losses, are ideal candidates for studying the light-matter interaction in nanostructures. Here, we demonstrate the coupling of the exciton state and the cavity mode in the lead halide perovskite microcavity system at room temperature. The Purcell effect in the coupling system is clearly observed by using angle-resolved photoluminescence spectra. Kinetic analysis based on time-resolved PL reveals that the spontaneous emission rate of the halide perovskite semiconductor is significantly enhanced at resonance of the exciton energy and the cavity mode. Our results provide the way for developing electrically driven organic polariton lasers, optical devices, and on-chip coherent quantum light sources

High-performance inverted planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells based on a solution-processed CuOx hole transport layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Weihai; Li, Yunlong; Ye, Senyun; Rao, Haixia; Yan, Weibo; Peng, Haitao; Li, Yu; Liu, Zhiwei; Wang, Shufeng; Chen, Zhijian; Xiao, Lixin; Bian, Zuqiang; Huang, Chunhui

2016-05-19

During the past several years, methylammonium lead halide perovskites have been widely investigated as light absorbers for thin-film photovoltaic cells. Among the various device architectures, the inverted planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells have attracted special attention for their relatively simple fabrication and high efficiencies. Although promising efficiencies have been obtained in the inverted planar geometry based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) sulfonic acid ( PSS) as the hole transport material (HTM), the hydrophilicity of the PSS is a critical factor for long-term stability. In this paper, a CuOx hole transport layer from a facile solution-processed method was introduced into the inverted planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells. After the optimization of the devices, a champion PCE of 17.1% was obtained with an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.99 V, a short-circuit current (Jsc) of 23.2 mA cm(-2) and a fill factor (FF) of 74.4%. Furthermore, the unencapsulated device cooperating with the CuOx film exhibited superior performance in the stability test, compared to the device involving the PSS layer, indicating that CuOx could be a promising HTM for replacing PSS in inverted planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells.

Mechanistic Investigation of the Reduction of NOx over Pt- and Rh-Based LNT Catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukasz Kubiak

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The influence of the noble metals (Pt vs. Rh on the NOx storage reduction performances of lean NOx trap catalysts is here investigated by transient micro-reactor flow experiments. The study indicates a different behavior during the storage in that the Rh-based catalyst showed higher storage capacity at high temperature as compared to the Pt-containing sample, while the opposite is seen at low temperatures. It is suggested that the higher storage capacity of the Rh-containing sample at high temperature is related to the higher dispersion of Rh as compared to Pt, while the lower storage capacity of Rh-Ba/Al2O3 at low temperature is related to its poor oxidizing properties. The noble metals also affect the catalyst behavior upon reduction of the stored NOx, by decreasing the threshold temperature for the reduction of the stored NOx. The Pt-based catalyst promotes the reduction of the adsorbed NOx at lower temperatures if compared to the Rh-containing sample, due to its superior reducibility. However, Rh-based material shows higher reactivity in the NH3 decomposition significantly enhancing N2 selectivity. Moreover, formation of small amounts of N2O is observed on both Pt- and Rh-based catalyst samples only during the reduction of highly reactive NOx stored at 150 °C, where NOx is likely in the form of nitrites.

Intermetallic nickel silicide nanocatalyst-A non-noble metal-based general hydrogenation catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryabchuk, Pavel; Agostini, Giovanni; Pohl, Marga-Martina; Lund, Henrik; Agapova, Anastasiya; Junge, Henrik; Junge, Kathrin; Beller, Matthias

2018-06-01

Hydrogenation reactions are essential processes in the chemical industry, giving access to a variety of valuable compounds including fine chemicals, agrochemicals, and pharmachemicals. On an industrial scale, hydrogenations are typically performed with precious metal catalysts or with base metal catalysts, such as Raney nickel, which requires special handling due to its pyrophoric nature. We report a stable and highly active intermetallic nickel silicide catalyst that can be used for hydrogenations of a wide range of unsaturated compounds. The catalyst is prepared via a straightforward procedure using SiO 2 as the silicon atom source. The process involves thermal reduction of Si-O bonds in the presence of Ni nanoparticles at temperatures below 1000°C. The presence of silicon as a secondary component in the nickel metal lattice plays the key role in its properties and is of crucial importance for improved catalytic activity. This novel catalyst allows for efficient reduction of nitroarenes, carbonyls, nitriles, N-containing heterocycles, and unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds. Moreover, the reported catalyst can be used for oxidation reactions in the presence of molecular oxygen and is capable of promoting acceptorless dehydrogenation of unsaturated N-containing heterocycles, opening avenues for H 2 storage in organic compounds. The generality of the nickel silicide catalyst is demonstrated in the hydrogenation of over a hundred of structurally diverse unsaturated compounds. The wide application scope and high catalytic activity of this novel catalyst make it a nice alternative to known general hydrogenation catalysts, such as Raney nickel and noble metal-based catalysts.

Organic-Inorganic Perovskites: Structural Versatility for Functional Materials Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Saparov, Bayrammurad; Mitzi, David B

2016-04-13

Although known since the late 19th century, organic-inorganic perovskites have recently received extraordinary research community attention because of their unique physical properties, which make them promising candidates for application in photovoltaic (PV) and related optoelectronic devices. This review will explore beyond the current focus on three-dimensional (3-D) lead(II) halide perovskites, to highlight the great chemical flexibility and outstanding potential of the broader class of 3-D and lower dimensional organic-based perovskite family for electronic, optical, and energy-based applications as well as fundamental research. The concept of a multifunctional organic-inorganic hybrid, in which the organic and inorganic structural components provide intentional, unique, and hopefully synergistic features to the compound, represents an important contemporary target.

Supporting Statewide Implementation of the Learning School Initiative. Catalyst Schools Research Study Report

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Patricia Cahape

2016-01-01

This is the first in a series of reports based on a research study, Developing Effective Professional Learning Communities in Catalyst Schools, conducted between February 2015 and June 2016. "Catalyst schools" were elementary- and secondary-level schools selected to participate in a pilot project intended to explore how best to support…

Novel layered perovskite GdBaCoFeO{sub 5+{delta}} as a potential cathode for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Hanping; Xue, Xingjian [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States)

2010-05-15

While cobalt-containing perovskite-type cathode materials facilitate the activation of oxygen reduction, they also suffer from problems like poor chemical stability in CO{sub 2}, high thermal expansion coefficients, etc. Partial B site substitution with Fe element is expected to be able to mitigate these problems while keeping high catalyst performance. In this paper, a layered perovskite GdBaCoFeO{sub 5+{delta}} (GBCF) was developed as a cathode material for protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) based on proton-conducting electrolyte of stable BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BZCY7). The button cells of Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke GBCF were fabricated and tested from 600 to 700 C with humidified H{sub 2} ({proportional_to}3% H{sub 2}O) as a fuel and ambient oxygen as oxidant. An open-circuit potential of 1.002 V, maximum power density of 482 mW cm{sup -2}, and a low electrode polarization resistance of 0.11 {omega}cm{sup 2} were achieved at 700 C. The experimental results indicated that the layered perovskite GBCF is a good candidate for cathode material, while the developed Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke GBCF cell is a promising functional material system for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. (author)

Molecular behavior of zero-dimensional perovskites

KAUST Repository

Yin, Jun

2017-12-16

Low-dimensional perovskites offer a rare opportunity to investigate lattice dynamics and charge carrier behavior in bulk quantum-confined solids, in addition to them being the leading materials in optoelectronic applications. In particular, zero-dimensional (0D) inorganic perovskites of the Cs4PbX6 (X = Cl, Br, or I) kind have crystal structures with isolated lead halide octahedra [PbX6]4− surrounded by Cs+ cations, allowing the 0D crystals to exhibit the intrinsic properties of an individual octahedron. Using both experimental and theoretical approaches, we studied the electronic and optical properties of the prototypical 0D perovskite Cs4PbBr6. Our results underline that this 0D perovskite behaves akin to a molecule, demonstrating low electrical conductivity and mobility as well as large polaron binding energy. Density functional theory calculations and transient absorption measurements of Cs4PbBr6 perovskite films reveal the polaron band absorption and strong polaron localization features of the material. A short polaron lifetime of ~2 ps is observed in femtosecond transient absorption experiments, which can be attributed to the fast lattice relaxation of the octahedra and the weak interactions among them.

A comprehensive study of olefin metathesis catalyzed by Ru-based catalysts

KAUST Repository

Poater, Albert; Cavallo, Luigi

2015-01-01

During a Ru-catalyzed reaction of an olefin with an alkylidene moiety that leads to a metallacycle intermediate, the cis insertion of the olefin can occur from two different directions, namely side and bottom with respect to the phosphine or N-heterocyclic ligand (NHC), depending on the first or second generation Grubbs catalyst. Here, DFT calculations unravel to which extent the bottom coordination of olefins with respect is favored over the side coordination through screening a wide range of catalysts, including first and second generation Grubbs catalysts as well as the subsequent Hoveyda derivatives. The equilibrium between bottom and side coordination is influenced by sterics, electronics, and polarity of the solvent. The side attack is favored for sterically less demanding NHC and/or alkylidene ligands. Moreover the generation of a 14-electron species is also discussed, with either pyridine or phosphine ligands to dissociate.

A comprehensive study of olefin metathesis catalyzed by Ru-based catalysts

KAUST Repository

Poater, Albert

2015-09-29

During a Ru-catalyzed reaction of an olefin with an alkylidene moiety that leads to a metallacycle intermediate, the cis insertion of the olefin can occur from two different directions, namely side and bottom with respect to the phosphine or N-heterocyclic ligand (NHC), depending on the first or second generation Grubbs catalyst. Here, DFT calculations unravel to which extent the bottom coordination of olefins with respect is favored over the side coordination through screening a wide range of catalysts, including first and second generation Grubbs catalysts as well as the subsequent Hoveyda derivatives. The equilibrium between bottom and side coordination is influenced by sterics, electronics, and polarity of the solvent. The side attack is favored for sterically less demanding NHC and/or alkylidene ligands. Moreover the generation of a 14-electron species is also discussed, with either pyridine or phosphine ligands to dissociate.

Perovskite Solar Cell

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Organic–inorganic halide perovskite, a newcomerin the solar cell industry has proved its potential forincreasing efficiency rapidly from 3.8% in 2009 to 22.1% in2016. High efficiency, flexibility, and cell architecture of theemerging hybrid halide perovskite have caught the attentionof researchers and technologists in the field.

Hydrogen Bonding and Stability of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites

KAUST Repository

El-Mellouhi, Fedwa

2016-09-08

In the past few years, the efficiency of solar cells based on hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites has exceeded the level needed for commercialization. However, existing perovskites solar cells (PSCs) suffer from several intrinsic instabilities, which prevent them from reaching industrial maturity, and stabilizing PSCs has become a critically important problem. Here we propose to stabilize PSCs chemically by strengthening the interactions between the organic cation and inorganic anion of the perovskite framework. In particular, we show that replacing the methylammonium cation with alternative protonated cations allows an increase in the stability of the perovskite by forming strong hydrogen bonds with the halide anions. This interaction also provides opportunities for tuning the electronic states near the bandgap. These mechanisms should have a universal character in different hybrid organic–inorganic framework materials that are widely used.

Hydrogen Bonding and Stability of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites

KAUST Repository

El-Mellouhi, Fedwa; Marzouk, Asma; Bentria, El Tayeb; Rashkeev, Sergey N.; Kais, Sabre; Alharbi, Fahhad H.

2016-01-01

In the past few years, the efficiency of solar cells based on hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites has exceeded the level needed for commercialization. However, existing perovskites solar cells (PSCs) suffer from several intrinsic instabilities, which prevent them from reaching industrial maturity, and stabilizing PSCs has become a critically important problem. Here we propose to stabilize PSCs chemically by strengthening the interactions between the organic cation and inorganic anion of the perovskite framework. In particular, we show that replacing the methylammonium cation with alternative protonated cations allows an increase in the stability of the perovskite by forming strong hydrogen bonds with the halide anions. This interaction also provides opportunities for tuning the electronic states near the bandgap. These mechanisms should have a universal character in different hybrid organic–inorganic framework materials that are widely used.

Antiferroelectric Nature of CH3NH3PbI3-xClx Perovskite and Its Implication for Charge Separation in Perovskite Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Sewvandi, Galhenage A.; Kodera, Kei; Ma, Hao; Nakanishi, Shunsuke; Feng, Qi

2016-07-01

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been attracted scientific interest due to high performance. Some researchers have suggested anomalous behavior of PSCs to the polarizations due to the ion migration or ferroelectric behavior. Experimental results and theoretical calculations have suggested the possibility of ferroelectricity in organic-inorganic perovskite. However, still no studies have been concretely discarded the ferroelectric nature of perovskite absorbers in PSCs. Hysteresis of P-E (polarization-electric field) loops is an important evidence to confirm the ferroelectricity. In this study, P-E loop measurements, in-depth structural study, analyses of dielectric behavior and the phase transitions of CH3NH3PbI3-xClx perovskite were carried out and investigated. The results suggest that CH3NH3PbI3-xClx perovskite is in an antiferroelectric phase at room temperature. The antiferroelectric phase can be switched to ferroelectric phase by the poling treatment and exhibits ferroelectric-like hysteresis P-E loops and dielectric behavior around room temperature; namely, the perovskite can generate a ferroelectric polarization under PSCs operating conditions. Furthermore, we also discuss the implications of ferroelectric polarization on PSCs charge separation.

Development of High Efficiency Four-Terminal Perovskite-Silicon Tandems

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, The Duc

the films. Rb-doping is studied under different excess PbI2 concentrations and the optimal condition is found to be 5% Rb-doping and 15% excess PbI2 concentration. The addition of more than 10% Rb results in the formation of an unwanted Rb-rich phase due to the significant lattice mismatch between Rb and FA/MA cations. An efficiency of 18.8% is achieved for the champion cell as compared to 16% with control cells. Importantly, Rb-doping improves the light, moisture and thermal stability of perovskite cells. The optimal bandgap of the perovskite top cell in perovskite-silicon tandems is between 1.7 eV and 1.8 eV. A quadruple-cation Rb/Cs/FA/MA mixed-halide I/Br perovskite composition is explored to obtain high quality perovskite films with a bandgap of 1.73 eV. The ratio between Cs/FA/MA cations is critical to the morphology, crystal orientation and electronic properties of perovskite films. Furthermore, 5% Rb-doping enhances the crystallinity and suppresses defect migration in the films. Semi-transparent cells with efficiencies up to 16% and negligible hysteresis are achieved using this material. With excellent transparency and optimal bandgap of the semi-transparent perovskite cell, a record four-terminal mechanically stacked perovskite-silicon tandem efficiency of 26.4% is achieved.

Study on the structure of Co/ZrO2-SiO2 catalysts by XAFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Haiyan; Xiang Hongwei; Li Yongwang; Sun Yuhan; Liu Tao; Xie Yaning; Hu Tiandou

2002-01-01

The Co-based catalysts have been extensively used in converting CO to longer chain hydrocarbons which can then be hydrocracked to diesel oil with high grade. SiO 2 is one of the most commonly used carriers for Co-based catalysts. It is showed that commercial silica carrier after modification can lead to much high reaction activity and selectivity to heavy hydrocarbons. But the structure of Co-based catalysts supported on the modified carrier has not been clearly understood. XAFS is used to investigate the change of structure of cobalt species in Co-based catalysts supported on modified carriers. The result from XAFS indicate that the structure of Co-based catalysts supported on modified carrier has certain change in comparison with Co-based catalyst supported on commercial silica. The interaction between carrier and metal is woken in the modified catalysts. Especially, the structure of catalysts after reduction have distinct difference. The extent of reduction in modified catalysts is much more than the catalyst supported on commercial silica. Cobalt species of the catalyst supported commercial silica after reduction dose exist mainly in the form of cobalt metal forms and may exist in the form of Co 2 SiO 4 surface compound

Bulk heterojunction perovskite solar cells based on room temperature deposited hole-blocking layer: Suppressed hysteresis and flexible photovoltaic application

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhiliang; Yang, Guang; Zheng, Xiaolu; Lei, Hongwei; Chen, Cong; Ma, Junjie; Wang, Hao; Fang, Guojia

2017-05-01

Perovskite solar cells have developed rapidly in recent years as the third generation solar cells. In spite of the great improvement achieved, there still exist some issues such as undesired hysteresis and indispensable high temperature process. In this work, bulk heterojunction perovskite-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester solar cells have been prepared to diminish hysteresis using a facile two step spin-coating method. Furthermore, high quality tin oxide films are fabricated using pulse laser deposition technique at room temperature without any annealing procedure. The as fabricated tin oxide film is successfully applied in bulk heterojunction perovskite solar cells as a hole blocking layer. Bulk heterojunction devices based on room temperature tin oxide exhibit almost hysteresis-free characteristics with power conversion efficiency of 17.29% and 14.0% on rigid and flexible substrates, respectively.

Supramolecular water oxidation with rubda-based catalysts

KAUST Repository

Richmond, Craig J.; Matheu, Roc; Poater, Albert; Falivene, Laura; Benet-Buchholz, Jordi; Sala, Xavier; Cavallo, Luigi; Llobet, Antoni A.

2014-01-01

Extremely slow and extremely fast new water oxidation catalysts based on the Rubda (bda = 2,2′-bipyri-dine-6,6′-dicarboxylate) systems are reported with turnover frequencies in the range of 1 and 900 cycless"1, respectively. Detailed analyses

Light-trapping in perovskite solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing Guo Du

2016-06-01

Full Text Available We numerically demonstrate enhanced light harvesting efficiency in both CH3NH3PbI3 and CH(NH22PbI3-based perovskite solar cells using inverted vertical-cone photonic-crystal nanostructures. For CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells, the maximum achievable photocurrent density (MAPD reaches 25.1 mA/cm2, corresponding to 92% of the total available photocurrent in the absorption range of 300 nm to 800 nm. Our cell shows 6% absorption enhancement compared to the Lambertian limit (23.7 mA/cm2 and has a projected power conversion efficiency of 12.9%. Excellent solar absorption is numerically demonstrated over a broad angular range from 0 to 60 degree for both S- and P- polarizations. For the corresponding CH(NH22PbI3 based perovskite solar cell, with absorption range of 300 nm to 850 nm, we find a MAPD of 29.1 mA/cm2, corresponding to 95.4% of the total available photocurrent. The projected power conversion efficiency of the CH(NH22PbI3 based photonic crystal solar cell is 23.4%, well above the current world record efficiency of 20.1%.

Perovskite-Ni composite: a potential route for management of radioactive metallic waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahadik, Pooja Sawant; Sengupta, Pranesh; Halder, Rumu; Abraham, G; Dey, G K

2015-04-28

Management of nickel - based radioactive metallic wastes is a difficult issue. To arrest the release of hazardous material to the environment it is proposed to develop perovskite coating for the metallic wastes. Polycrystalline BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ perovskite with orthorhombic structure has been synthesized by sol-gel route. Crystallographic analyses show, the perovskite belong to orthorhombic Pmcn space group at room temperature, and gets converted to orthorhombic Incn space group at 623K, cubic Pm3m space group (with a=4.434Å) at 1173K and again orthorhombic Pmcn space group at room temperature after cooling. Similar observations have been made from micro-Raman study as well. Microstructural studies of BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ-NiO/Ni composites showed absence of any reaction product at the interface. This suggests that both the components (i.e. perovskite and NiO/Ni) of the composite are compatible to each other. Interaction of BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ-NiO/Ni composites with simulated barium borosilicate waste glass melt also did not reveal any reaction product at the interfaces. Importantly, uranium from the waste glass melt was found to be partitioned within BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ perovskite structure. It is therefore concluded that BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ can be considered as a good coating material for management of radioactive Ni based metallic wastes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Naphthalene Diimide Based n-Type Conjugated Polymers as Efficient Cathode Interfacial Materials for Polymer and Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Tao; Sun, Chen; Xu, Rongguo; Chen, Zhiming; Yin, Qingwu; Jin, Yaocheng; Yip, Hin-Lap; Huang, Fei; Cao, Yong

2017-10-18

A series of naphthalene diimide (NDI) based n-type conjugated polymers with amino-functionalized side groups and backbones were synthesized and used as cathode interlayers (CILs) in polymer and perovskite solar cells. Because of controllable amine side groups, all the resulting polymers exhibited distinct electronic properties such as oxidation potential of side chains, charge carrier mobilities, self-doping behaviors, and interfacial dipoles. The influences of the chemical variation of amine groups on the cathode interfacial effects were further investigated in both polymer and perovskite solar cells. We found that the decreased electron-donating property and enhanced steric hindrance of amine side groups substantially weaken the capacities of altering the work function of the cathode and trap passivation of the perovskite film, which induced ineffective interfacial modifications and declining device performance. Moreover, with further improvement of the backbone design through the incorporation of a rigid acetylene spacer, the resulting polymers substantially exhibited an enhanced electron-transporting property. Upon use as CILs, high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 10.1% and 15.2% were, respectively, achieved in polymer and perovskite solar cells. Importantly, these newly developed n-type polymers were allowed to be processed over a broad thickness range of CILs in photovoltaic devices, and a prominent PCE of over 8% for polymer solar cells and 13.5% for perovskite solar cells can be achieved with the thick interlayers over 100 nm, which is beneficial for roll-to-roll coating processes. Our findings contribute toward a better understanding of the structure-performance relationship between CIL material design and solar cell performance, and provide important insights and guidelines for the design of high-performance n-type CIL materials for organic and perovskite optoelectronic devices.

On the Synthesis and Optical Characterization of Zero-Dimensional-Networked Perovskites

KAUST Repository

Almutlaq, Jawaher

2017-04-26

The three-dimensional perovskites are known for their wide range of interesting properties including spectral tunability, charge carrier mobility, solution-based synthesis and many others. Such properties make them good candidates for photovoltaics and photodetectors. Low-dimensional perovskites, on the other hand, are good as light emitters due to the quantum confinement originating from their nanoparticle size. Another class of low-dimensional perovskites, also called low-dimensional-networked perovskites (L-DN), is recently reemerging. Those interesting materials combine the advantages of the nanocrystals and the stability of the bulk. For example, zero-dimensional-networked perovskite (0-DN), a special class of perovskites and the focus of this work, consists of building blocks of isolated lead-halide octahedra that could be synthesized into mm-size single crystal without losing their confinement. This thesis focuses on the synthesis and investigation of the optical properties of the 0-DN perovskites through experimental, theoretical and computational tools. The recent discovery of the retrograde solubility of the perovskites family (ABX3), the basis of the inverse temperature crystallization (ITC), inspired the reinvestigation of the low-dimensional-networked perovskites. The results of the optical characterization showed that the absorption and the corresponding PL spectra were successfully tuned to cover the visible spectrum from 410 nm for Cs4PbCl6, to 520 nm and 700 m for Cs4PbBr6 and Cs4PbI6, respectively. Interestingly, the exciton binding energies (Eb) of the 0-DNs were found to be in the order of few hundred meV(s), at least five times larger than their three-dimensional counterpart. Such high Eb is coupled with a few nanoseconds lifetime and ultimately yielded a high photoluminesce quantum yield (PLQY). In fact, the PLQY of Cs4PbBr6 powder showed a record of 45%, setting a new benchmark for solid-state luminescent perovskites. Computational methods

C-C Coupling on Single-Atom-Based Heterogeneous Catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Sun, Zaicheng; Wang, Bin; Tang, Yu; Nguyen, Luan; Li, Yuting; Tao, Franklin Feng

2018-01-24

Compared to homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis allows for ready separation of products from the catalyst and thus reuse of the catalyst. C-C coupling is typically performed on a molecular catalyst which is mixed with reactants in liquid phase during catalysis. This homogeneous mixing at a molecular level in the same phase makes separation of the molecular catalyst extremely challenging and costly. Here we demonstrated that a TiO 2 -based nanoparticle catalyst anchoring singly dispersed Pd atoms (Pd 1 /TiO 2 ) is selective and highly active for more than 10 Sonogashira C-C coupling reactions (R≡CH + R'X → R≡R'; X = Br, I; R' = aryl or vinyl). The coupling between iodobenzene and phenylacetylene on Pd 1 /TiO 2 exhibits a turnover rate of 51.0 diphenylacetylene molecules per anchored Pd atom per minute at 60 °C, with a low apparent activation barrier of 28.9 kJ/mol and no cost of catalyst separation. DFT calculations suggest that the single Pd atom bonded to surface lattice oxygen atoms of TiO 2 acts as a site to dissociatively chemisorb iodobenzene to generate an intermediate phenyl, which then couples with phenylacetylenyl bound to a surface oxygen atom. This coupling of phenyl adsorbed on Pd 1 and phenylacetylenyl bound to O ad of TiO 2 forms the product molecule, diphenylacetylene.

Structure engineering of hole-conductor free perovskite-based solar cells with low-temperature-processed commercial carbon paste as cathode.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fuguo; Yang, Xichuan; Wang, Haoxin; Cheng, Ming; Zhao, Jianghua; Sun, Licheng

2014-09-24

Low-temperature-processed (100 °C) carbon paste was developed as counter electrode material in hole-conductor free perovskite/TiO2 heterojunction solar cells to substitute noble metallic materials. Under optimized conditions, an impressive PCE value of 8.31% has been achieved with this carbon counter electrode fabricated by doctor-blading technique. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrates good charge transport characteristics of low-temperature-processed carbon counter electrode. Moreover, this carbon counter electrode-based perovskite solar cell exhibits good stability over 800 h.

The role of zeolites in the deactivation of multifunctional fischer-tropsch synthesis catalysts: the interaction between HZSM-5 and Fe-based Ft-catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. C. Zonetti

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In order to produce gasoline directly from syngas, HZSM-5 can be added to the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. However, this catalytic system shows an important deactivation rate. Aiming at describing this phenomenon, Fe-based catalysts and physical mixtures containing these catalysts and HZSM-5 were employed in this reaction. All these systems were characterized using the following techniques: XRD, XPS, TPR and TPD of CO. This work shows that HZSM-5 interacts with the Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst during the reduction step, decreasing the Fe concentration on the catalytic surface and thus lowering the activity of the catalytic system in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis.

The role of zeolites in the deactivation of multifunctional Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis catalysts: the interaction between HZSM-5 and Fe-based FT-catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zonetti, P.C.; Gaspar, A.B.; Mendes, F.M.T.; Appel, L.G.; Avillez, R. R. de; Sousa-Aguiar, E.F.

2013-01-01

In order to produce gasoline directly from syngas, HZSM-5 can be added to the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. However, this catalytic system shows an important deactivation rate. Aiming at describing this phenomenon, Fe-based catalysts and physical mixtures containing these catalysts and HZSM-5 were employed in this reaction. All these systems were characterized using the following techniques: XRD, XPS, TPR and TPD of CO. This work shows that HZSM-5 interacts with the Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst during the reduction step, decreasing the Fe concentration on the catalytic surface and thus lowering the activity of the catalytic system in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis. (author)

The role of zeolites in the deactivation of multifunctional Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis catalysts: the interaction between HZSM-5 and Fe-based FT-catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zonetti, P.C.; Gaspar, A.B.; Mendes, F.M.T.; Appel, L.G., E-mail: lucia.appel@int.gov.br [Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia (INT/MCT), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Avillez, R. R. de [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), RJ (Brazil); Sousa-Aguiar, E.F. [Centro de Pesquisa Leopoldo Americo Miguez de Mello (CENPES/PETROBRAS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2013-10-15

In order to produce gasoline directly from syngas, HZSM-5 can be added to the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. However, this catalytic system shows an important deactivation rate. Aiming at describing this phenomenon, Fe-based catalysts and physical mixtures containing these catalysts and HZSM-5 were employed in this reaction. All these systems were characterized using the following techniques: XRD, XPS, TPR and TPD of CO. This work shows that HZSM-5 interacts with the Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst during the reduction step, decreasing the Fe concentration on the catalytic surface and thus lowering the activity of the catalytic system in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis. (author)

Electrochemical Activity of a La0.9Ca0.1Co1−xFexO3 Catalyst for a Zinc Air Battery Electrode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seungwook Eom

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The optimum composition of cathode catalyst has been studied for rechargeable zinc air battery application. La0.9Ca0.1Co1−xFexO3  (x=0–0.4 perovskite powders were prepared using the citrate method. The substitution ratio of Co2+ with Fe3+ cations was controlled in the range of 0–0.4. The optimum substitution ratio of Fe3+ cations was determined by electrochemical measurement of the air cathode composed of the catalyst, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE binder, and Vulcan XC-72 carbon. The substitution by Fe enhanced the electrochemical performances of the catalysts. Considering oxygen reduction/evolution reactions and cyclability, we achieved optimum substitution level of x=0.1 in La0.9Ca0.1Co1−xFexO3.

Nucleation and Crystal Growth of Organic-Inorganic Lead Halide Perovskites under Different Relative Humidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Hao; Bao, Chunxiong; Li, Faming; Yu, Tao; Yang, Jie; Zhu, Weidong; Zhou, Xiaoxin; Fu, Gao; Zou, Zhigang

2015-05-06

Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite compounds are very promising materials for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. But how to fabricate high-quality perovksite films under controlled humidity conditions is still an important issue due to their sensitivity to moisture. In this study, we investigated the influence of ambient humidity on crystallization and surface morphology of one-step spin-coated perovskite films, as well as the performance of solar cells based on these perovskite films. On the basis of experimental analyses and thin film growth theory, we conclude that the influence of ambient humidity on nucleation at spin-coating stage is quite different from that on crystal growth at annealing stage. At the spin-coating stage, high nucleation density induced by high supersaturation prefers to appear under anhydrous circumstances, resulting in layer growth and high coverage of perovskite films. But at the annealing stage, the modest supersaturation benefits formation of perovskite films with good crystallinity. The films spin-coated under low relative humidity (RH) followed by annealing under high RH show an increase of crystallinity and improved performance of devices. Therefore, a mechanism of fast nucleation followed by modest crystal growth (high supersaturation at spin-coating stage and modest supersaturation at annealing stage) is suggested in the formation of high-quality perovskite films.

16.1% Efficient Hysteresis-Free Mesostructured Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Synergistically Improved ZnO Nanorod Arrays

KAUST Repository

Mahmood, Khalid; Swain, Bhabani Sankar; Amassian, Aram

2015-01-01

Significant efficiency improvements are reported in mesoscopic perovskite solar cells based on the development of a low-temperature solution-processed ZnO nanorod (NR) array exhibiting higher NR aspect ratio, enhanced electron density

O3 perovskite ceramic

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The prepared sample remains as double phases with the perovskite struc- ture. The structure ... Ferroelectric oxides with perovskite structure are the subject of many investigations. ... in optical devices and heterojunction solar cells. 1765 ...

Pt Nanostructures/N-Doped Carbon hybrid, an Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution/Oxidation Reactions: Enhancing its Base Media Activity through Bifunctionality of the Catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Barman, Sudip; Kundu, Manas; Bhowmik, Tanmay; Mishra, Ranjit

2018-06-04

Design and synthesis of active catalyst for HER/HOR are important for the development of hydrogen based renewable technologies. We report synthesis of Pt nanostructures-N-doped carbon hybrid (Pt-(PtO2)-NSs/C) for HER/HOR applications. The HER activity of this Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C catalyst is 4 and 6.5 times better than commercial Pt/C in acid and base. The catalyst exhibits a current density of 10 mA/cm2 at overpotentials of 5 and 51 mV with tafel slopes of 29 and 64mV/dec in in 0.5 M H2SO4 and 0.5 M KOH. This catalyst also showed superior HOR activity at all pH values. The HER/HOR activity of Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C and PtOx-free Pt-Nanostructures/C (PtNSs/C) catalysts are comparable in acid. The presence of PtOx in Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C makes this Pt-catalyst more HER/HOR active in base media. The activity of Pt-(PtOx)NSs/C catalyst is 5 fold higher than that of PtNSs/C catalyst in basic medium although their activity is comparable in acid. Hydrogen binding energy and oxophilicity are the two equivalent descriptors for HER/HOR in basic media. We propose a bi-functional mechanism for the enhanced alkaline HER/HOR activity of Pt(PtOx)-NSs/C catalyst. In bi-functional Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C catalyst, PtOx provide an active site for OH- adsorption to form OHads which reacts with hydrogen intermediate (Hads), present at neighbouring Pt sites to form H2O leading to enhancement of HOR activity in basic medium This work may provide opportunity to develop catalysts for various renewable energy technologies. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Studies on Perovskite-Based Electrodes for Symmetrical SOFCs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dos Santos García, A. J.

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The use of the same material as anode and cathode in symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells (SFCs promises notable benefits as easier fabrication, hence lower cost production and resistance to carbon formation upon fuel cracking. Although chromites and chromo-manganites have been proposed as candidate electrode materials for this novel SOFC configuration, demonstrating promising performances, further work is required to develop compositions exhibiting higher efficiencies. In the present work we evaluate the structural evolution from cubic to orthorhombic unit cells with increasing the Fe content and the performance of La₄Sr₈Ti_12-xFe_xO_38-δ (LSTF phases and compare their response with other symmetrical electrodes. The electrochemical performance is 20% higher when using graded LSTF electrodes than in other perovskite-based systems.

La utilización simultánea de un mismo material cerámico como ánodo y cátodo en pilas de combustible de óxido sólido simétricas (SFCs aporta una serie de beneficios entre los que figura una fabricación más sencilla, reducción de los costes de producción, así como resistencia a la formación de depósitos de carbón por craqueo del combustible. Recientemente, cromitas y cromomanganitas han sido propuestos como materiales capaces de adoptar esta novedosa configuración SOFC y, si bien los resultados obtenidos son prometedores, se requiere de una mayor investigación para el desarrollo de nuevas composiciones que presenten eficiencias más elevadas. En el presente trabajo, se evalúan la evolución de la estructura desde celdas cúbicas a ortorrómbicas al aumentar el contenido en Fe y las prestaciones del sistema La₄Sr₈Ti_12-xFe_xO_38-δ (LSTF y se compara su respuesta con otros electrodos simétricos, observándose que el rendimiento es hasta un 20% mayor en el caso de emplear electrodos LSTF que en

Perovskite classification: An Excel spreadsheet to determine and depict end-member proportions for the perovskite- and vapnikite-subgroups of the perovskite supergroup

Science.gov (United States)

Locock, Andrew J.; Mitchell, Roger H.

2018-04-01

Perovskite mineral oxides commonly exhibit extensive solid-solution, and are therefore classified on the basis of the proportions of their ideal end-members. A uniform sequence of calculation of the end-members is required if comparisons are to be made between different sets of analytical data. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet has been programmed to assist with the classification and depiction of the minerals of the perovskite- and vapnikite-subgroups following the 2017 nomenclature of the perovskite supergroup recommended by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). Compositional data for up to 36 elements are input into the spreadsheet as oxides in weight percent. For each analysis, the output includes the formula, the normalized proportions of 15 end-members, and the percentage of cations which cannot be assigned to those end-members. The data are automatically plotted onto the ternary and quaternary diagrams recommended by the IMA for depiction of perovskite compositions. Up to 200 analyses can be entered into the spreadsheet, which is accompanied by data calculated for 140 perovskite compositions compiled from the literature.

Working Mechanism for Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells with Simplified Architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaobao; Chen, Qi; Hong, Ziruo; Zhou, Huanping; Liu, Zonghao; Chang, Wei-Hsuan; Sun, Pengyu; Chen, Huajun; De Marco, Nicholas; Wang, Mingkui; Yang, Yang

2015-10-14

In this communication, we report an efficient and flexible perovskite solar cell based on formamidinium lead trihalide (FAPbI3) with simplified configuration. The device achieved a champion efficiency of 12.70%, utilizing direct contact between metallic indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and perovskite absorber. The underlying working mechanism is proposed subsequently, via a systematic investigation focusing on the heterojunction within this device. A significant charge storage has been observed in the perovskite, which is believed to generate photovoltage and serves as the driving force for charge transferring from the absorber to ITO electrode as well. More importantly, this simplified device structure on flexible substrates suggests its compatibility for scale-up fabrication, which paves the way for commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic technology.

Light-Responsive Ion-Redistribution-Induced Resistive Switching in Hybrid Perovskite Schottky Junctions

KAUST Repository

Guan, Xinwei; Hu, Weijin; Haque, Mohammed; Wei, Nini; Liu, Zhixiong; Chen, Aitian; Wu, Tao

2017-01-01

Hybrid Perovskites have emerged as a class of highly versatile functional materials with applications in solar cells, photodetectors, transistors, and lasers. Recently, there have also been reports on perovskite-based resistive switching (RS

Fe3C-based oxygen reduction catalysts: synthesis, hollow spherical structures and applications in fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Yang; Jensen, Jens Oluf; Zhang, Wei

2015-01-01

We present a detailed study of a novel Fe3C-based spherical catalyst with respect to synthetic parameters, nanostructure formation, ORR active sites and fuel cell demonstration. The catalyst is synthesized by high temperature autoclave pyrolysis using decomposing precursors. Below 500 °C, melamine...

An Erbium-Based Bifuctional Heterogeneous Catalyst: A Cooperative Route Towards C-C Bond Formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Oliverio

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Heterogeneous bifuctional catalysts are multifunctional synthetic catalysts enabling efficient organic transformations by exploiting two opposite functionalities without mutual destruction. In this paper we report the first Er(III-based metallorganic heterogeneous catalyst, synthesized by post-calcination MW-assisted grafting and modification of the natural aminoacid L-cysteine. The natural acid–base distance between sites was maintained to assure the cooperation. The applicability of this new bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst to C-C bond formation and the supposed mechanisms of action are discussed as well.

Thermal Stability-Enhanced and High-Efficiency Planar Perovskite Solar Cells with Interface Passivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weihai; Xiong, Juan; Jiang, Li; Wang, Jianying; Mei, Tao; Wang, Xianbao; Gu, Haoshuang; Daoud, Walid A; Li, Jinhua

2017-11-08

As the electron transport layer (ETL) of perovskite solar cells, oxide semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) has been attracting great attention due to its relatively high mobility, optical transparency, low-temperature fabrication, and good environment stability. However, the nature of ZnO will react with the patron on methylamine, which would deteriorate the performance of cells. Although many methods, including high-temperature annealing, doping, and surface modification, have been studied to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells with ZnO ETL, devices remain relatively low in efficiency and stability. Herein, we adopted a novel multistep annealing method to deposit a porous PbI 2 film and improved the quality and uniformity of perovskite films. The cells with ZnO ETL were fabricated at the temperature of perovskite film. Interestingly, the PCE of PCBM-passivated cells could reach nearly 19.1%. To our best knowledge, this is the highest PCE value of ZnO-based perovskite solar cells until now. More importantly, PCBM modification could effectively suppress the decomposition of MAPbI 3 and improve the thermal stability of cells. Therefore, the ZnO is a promising candidate of electron transport material for perovskite solar cells in future applications.

Visual and sensitive fluorescent sensing for ultratrace mercury ions by perovskite quantum dots.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Li-Qiang; Tan, Tian; Tian, Xi-Ke; Li, Yong; Deng, Pan

2017-09-15

Mercury ions sensing is an important issue for human health and environmental safety. A novel fluorescence nanosensor was designed for rapid visual detection of ultratrace mercury ions (Hg 2+ ) by using CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) based on the surface ion-exchange mechanism. The synthesized CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 QDs can emitt intense green fluorescence with high quantum yield of 50.28%, and can be applied for Hg 2+ sensing with the detection limit of 0.124 nM (24.87 ppt) in the range of 0 nM-100 nM. Furthermore, the interfering metal ions have no any influence on the fluorescence intensity of QDs, showing the perovskite QDs possess the high selectivity and sensitivity for Hg 2+ detection. The sensing mechanism of perovskite QDs for Hg 2+ is has also been investigated by XPS, EDX studies, showing Pb 2+ on the surface of perovskite QDs has been partially replaced by Hg 2+ . Spot plate test shows that the perovskite QDs can also be used for visual detection of Hg 2+ . Our research indicated the perovskite QDs are promising candidates for the visual fluorescence detection of environmental micropollutants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigating Recombination and Charge Carrier Dynamics in a One-Dimensional Nanopillared Perovskite Absorber.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Hyeok-Chan; Yang, Wooseok; Lee, Daehee; Ahn, Jihoon; Lee, Eunsong; Ma, Sunihl; Kim, Kyungmi; Yun, Seong-Cheol; Moon, Jooho

2018-05-22

Organometal halide perovskite materials have become an exciting research topic as manifested by intense development of thin film solar cells. Although high-performance solar-cell-based planar and mesoscopic configurations have been reported, one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructured perovskite solar cells are rarely investigated despite their expected promising optoelectrical properties, such as enhanced charge transport/extraction. Herein, we have analyzed the 1-D nanostructure effects of organometal halide perovskite (CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3- x Cl x ) on recombination and charge carrier dynamics by utilizing a nanoporous anodized alumina oxide scaffold to fabricate a vertically aligned 1-D nanopillared array with controllable diameters. It was observed that the 1-D perovskite exhibits faster charge transport/extraction characteristics, lower defect density, and lower bulk resistance than the planar counterpart. As the aspect ratio increases in the 1-D structures, in addition, the charge transport/extraction rate is enhanced and the resistance further decreases. However, when the aspect ratio reaches 6.67 (diameter ∼30 nm), the recombination rate is aggravated due to high interface-to-volume ratio-induced defect generation. To obtain the full benefits of 1-D perovskite nanostructuring, our study provides a design rule to choose the appropriate aspect ratio of 1-D perovskite structures for improved photovoltaic and other optoelectrical applications.

Influence of coating steps of perovskite on low-temperature amorphous compact TiO x upon the morphology, crystallinity, and photovoltaic property correlation in planar perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Shahiduzzaman, Md.; Furumoto, Yoshikazu; Yamamoto, Kohei; Yonezawa, Kyosuke; Azuma, Yosuke; Kitamura, Michinori; Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki; Karakawa, Makoto; Kuwabara, Takayuki; Takahashi, Kohshin; Taima, Tetsuya

2018-03-01

The fabrication of high-efficiency solution-processable perovskite solar cells has been achieved using mesostructured films and compact titanium dioxide (TiO2) layers in a process that involves high temperatures and cost. Here, we present an efficient approach for fabricating chemical-bath-deposited, low-temperature, and low-cost amorphous compact TiO x -based planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells by one-step and two-step coatings of the perovskite layer. We also investigate the effect of the number of perovskite coating steps on the compact TiO x layer. The grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering technique is used to clarify the relationship between morphology, crystallinity, and photovoltaic properties of the resulting devices. Analysis of the films revealed that one-step spin-coating of perovskite exhibited an enhancement of film quality and crystallization that correlates to photovoltaic performance 1.5 times higher than that of a two-step-coated device. Our findings show that the resulting morphology, crystallinity, and device performances are strongly dependent on the number of coating steps of the perovskite thin layer on the compact TiO x layer. This result is useful knowledge for the low-cost production of planar perovskite solar cells.

Comparative study of perovskite Pr_(_1_-_x_)Ca_xCoO_3 e Gd_(_1_-_x_)Ca_xCoO_3 (x=0,2) synthesized by gelatin modified route for application in automotive catalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, E.M. de; Medeiros, M.R.A.; Paiva, A.K.O.; Borges, F.M.M.; Ruiz, J.A.C.

2016-01-01

Increased air pollution intensified the search for materials that could convert pollutant gases into less harmful substances. Thus, mixed oxides with perovskite structure began to be developed for presenting important features for the automotive catalysis. In this study has been compared the chemical composition of the materials with Pr_(_1_-_x_)Ca_xCoO_3 and Gd_(_1_-_x_)Ca_xCoO_3 (x = 0.2) synthesized by the method gelatine. The samples were characterized by techniques: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and subjected to the catalytic test in methane combustion reaction. The evaluation of the catalytic activity showed that gadolinium catalyst is more efficient compared with the praseodymium catalyst, although they have similar maximum conversion of methane at high temperature, during the catalytic test the material with gadolinium showed higher catalytic activity and stability. (author)

Room temperature three-photon pumped CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite microlasers

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yisheng; Wang, Shuai; Huang, Can; Yi, Ningbo; Wang, Kaiyang; Xiao, Shumin; Song, Qinghai

2017-03-01

Hybrid lead halide perovskites have made great strides in next-generation light-harvesting and light emitting devices. Recently, they have also shown great potentials in nonlinear optical materials. Two-photon absorption and two-photon light emission have been thoroughly studied in past two years. However, the three-photon processes are rarely explored, especially for the laser emissions. Here we synthesized high quality CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite microstructures with solution processed precipitation method and studied their optical properties. When the microstructures are pumped with intense 1240 nm lasers, we have observed clear optical limit effect and the band-to-band photoluminescence at 540 nm. By increasing the pumping density, whispering-gallery-mode based microlasers have been achieved from CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite microplate and microrod for the first time. This work demonstrates the potentials of hybrid lead halide perovskites in nonlinear photonic devices.

Calcium-based mixed oxide catalysts for methanolysis of Jatropha curcas oil to biodiesel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taufiq-Yap, Y.H.; Lee, H.V.; Hussein, M.Z.; Yunus, R.

2011-01-01

Calcium-based mixed oxides catalysts (CaMgO and CaZnO) have been investigated for the transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) with methanol, in order to evaluate their potential as heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production. Both CaMgO and CaZnO catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation method of the corresponding mixed metal nitrate solution in the presence of a soluble carbonate salt at ∼ pH 8-9. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed desorption of CO 2 (CO 2 -TPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N 2 adsorption (BET). The conversion of JCO by CaMgO and CaZnO were studied and compared with calcium oxide (CaO), magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) catalysts. Both CaMgO and CaZnO catalysts showed high activity as CaO and were easily separated from the product. CaMgO was found more active than CaZnO in the transesterification of JCO with methanol. Under the suitable transesterification conditions at 338 K (catalyst amount = 4 wt. %, methanol/oil molar ratio = 15, reaction time = 6 h), the JCO conversion of more than 80% can be achieved over CaMgO and CaZnO catalysts. Even though CaO gave the highest activity, the conversion of JCO decreased significantly after reused for forth run whereas the conversion was only slightly lowered for CaMgO and CaZnO after sixth run.

Lead-Free Hybrid Perovskite Absorbers for Viable Application: Can We Eat the Cake and Have It too?

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Lusheng; Gao, Peng

2018-02-01

Many years since the booming of research on perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the hybrid perovskite materials developed for photovoltaic application form three main categories since 2009: (i) high-performance unstable lead-containing perovskites, (ii) low-performance lead-free perovskites, and (iii) moderate performance and stable lead-containing perovskites. The search for alternative materials to replace lead leads to the second group of perovskite materials. To date, a number of these compounds have been synthesized and applied in photovoltaic devices. Here, lead-free hybrid light absorbers used in PV devices are focused and their recent developments in related solar cell applications are reviewed comprehensively. In the first part, group 14 metals (Sn and Ge)-based perovskites are introduced with more emphasis on the optimization of Sn-based PSCs. Then concerns on halide hybrids of group 15 metals (Bi and Sb) are raised, which are mainly perovskite derivatives. At the same time, transition metal Cu-based perovskites are also referred. In the end, an outlook is given on the design strategy of lead-free halide hybrid absorbers for photovoltaic applications. It is believed that this timely review can represent our unique view of the field and shed some light on the direction of development of such promising materials.

Cerium luminescence in nd0 perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Setlur, A.A.; Happek, U.

2010-01-01

The luminescence of Ce 3+ in perovskite (ABO 3 ) hosts with nd 0 B-site cations, specifically Ca(Hf,Zr)O 3 and (La,Gd)ScO 3 , is investigated in this report. The energy position of the Ce 3+ excitation and emission bands in these perovskites is compared to those of typical Al 3+ perovskites; we find a Ce 3+ 5d 1 centroid shift and Stokes shift that are larger versus the corresponding values for the Al 3+ perovskites. It is also shown that Ce 3+ luminescence quenching is due to Ce 3+ photoionization. The comparison between these perovskites shows reasonable correlations between Ce 3+ luminescence quenching, the energy position of the Ce 3+ 5d 1 excited state with respect to the host conduction band, and the host composition. - Graphical abstract: Ce 3+ decay times versus temperature for perovskites with nd 0 B-site cations.

Highly Efficient Light-Emitting Diodes of Colloidal Metal-Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals beyond Quantum Size.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Hoon; Wolf, Christoph; Kim, Young-Tae; Cho, Himchan; Kwon, Woosung; Do, Sungan; Sadhanala, Aditya; Park, Chan Gyung; Rhee, Shi-Woo; Im, Sang Hyuk; Friend, Richard H; Lee, Tae-Woo

2017-07-25

Colloidal metal-halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with a dimension less than the exciton Bohr diameter D B (quantum size regime) emerged as promising light emitters due to their spectrally narrow light, facile color tuning, and high photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE). However, their size-sensitive emission wavelength and color purity and low electroluminescence efficiency are still challenging aspects. Here, we demonstrate highly efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on the colloidal perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) in a dimension > D B (regime beyond quantum size) by using a multifunctional buffer hole injection layer (Buf-HIL). The perovskite NCs with a dimension greater than D B show a size-irrespective high color purity and PLQE by managing the recombination of excitons occurring at surface traps and inside the NCs. The Buf-HIL composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and perfluorinated ionomer induces uniform perovskite particle films with complete film coverage and prevents exciton quenching at the PEDOT:PSS/perovskite particle film interface. With these strategies, we achieved a very high PLQE (∼60.5%) in compact perovskite particle films without any complex post-treatments and multilayers and a high current efficiency of 15.5 cd/A in the LEDs of colloidal perovskite NCs, even in a simplified structure, which is the highest efficiency to date in green LEDs that use colloidal organic-inorganic metal-halide perovskite nanoparticles including perovskite QDs and NCs. These results can help to guide development of various light-emitting optoelectronic applications based on perovskite NCs.

Printable organometallic perovskite enables large-area, low-dose X-ray imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong Churl; Kim, Kwang Hee; Son, Dae-Yong; Jeong, Dong-Nyuk; Seo, Ja-Young; Choi, Yeong Suk; Han, In Taek; Lee, Sang Yoon; Park, Nam-Gyu

2017-10-01

Medical X-ray imaging procedures require digital flat detectors operating at low doses to reduce radiation health risks. Solution-processed organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have characteristics that make them good candidates for the photoconductive layer of such sensitive detectors. However, such detectors have not yet been built on thin-film transistor arrays because it has been difficult to prepare thick perovskite films (more than a few hundred micrometres) over large areas (a detector is typically 50 centimetres by 50 centimetres). We report here an all-solution-based (in contrast to conventional vacuum processing) synthetic route to producing printable polycrystalline perovskites with sharply faceted large grains having morphologies and optoelectronic properties comparable to those of single crystals. High sensitivities of up to 11 microcoulombs per air KERMA of milligray per square centimetre (μC mGyair-1 cm-2) are achieved under irradiation with a 100-kilovolt bremsstrahlung source, which are at least one order of magnitude higher than the sensitivities achieved with currently used amorphous selenium or thallium-doped cesium iodide detectors. We demonstrate X-ray imaging in a conventional thin-film transistor substrate by embedding an 830-micrometre-thick perovskite film and an additional two interlayers of polymer/perovskite composites to provide conformal interfaces between perovskite films and electrodes that control dark currents and temporal charge carrier transportation. Such an all-solution-based perovskite detector could enable low-dose X-ray imaging, and could also be used in photoconductive devices for radiation imaging, sensing and energy harvesting.

Printable organometallic perovskite enables large-area, low-dose X-ray imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong Churl; Kim, Kwang Hee; Son, Dae-Yong; Jeong, Dong-Nyuk; Seo, Ja-Young; Choi, Yeong Suk; Han, In Taek; Lee, Sang Yoon; Park, Nam-Gyu

2017-10-04

Medical X-ray imaging procedures require digital flat detectors operating at low doses to reduce radiation health risks. Solution-processed organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have characteristics that make them good candidates for the photoconductive layer of such sensitive detectors. However, such detectors have not yet been built on thin-film transistor arrays because it has been difficult to prepare thick perovskite films (more than a few hundred micrometres) over large areas (a detector is typically 50 centimetres by 50 centimetres). We report here an all-solution-based (in contrast to conventional vacuum processing) synthetic route to producing printable polycrystalline perovskites with sharply faceted large grains having morphologies and optoelectronic properties comparable to those of single crystals. High sensitivities of up to 11 microcoulombs per air KERMA of milligray per square centimetre (μC mGy air -1 cm -2 ) are achieved under irradiation with a 100-kilovolt bremsstrahlung source, which are at least one order of magnitude higher than the sensitivities achieved with currently used amorphous selenium or thallium-doped cesium iodide detectors. We demonstrate X-ray imaging in a conventional thin-film transistor substrate by embedding an 830-micrometre-thick perovskite film and an additional two interlayers of polymer/perovskite composites to provide conformal interfaces between perovskite films and electrodes that control dark currents and temporal charge carrier transportation. Such an all-solution-based perovskite detector could enable low-dose X-ray imaging, and could also be used in photoconductive devices for radiation imaging, sensing and energy harvesting.

Controlling cation segregation in perovskite-based electrodes for high electro-catalytic activity and durability.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yifeng; Zhang, Wenqiang; Zheng, Yun; Chen, Jing; Yu, Bo; Chen, Yan; Liu, Meilin

2017-10-16

Solid oxide cell (SOC) based energy conversion systems have the potential to become the cleanest and most efficient systems for reversible conversion between electricity and chemical fuels due to their high efficiency, low emission, and excellent fuel flexibility. Broad implementation of this technology is however hindered by the lack of high-performance electrode materials. While many perovskite-based materials have shown remarkable promise as electrodes for SOCs, cation enrichment or segregation near the surface or interfaces is often observed, which greatly impacts not only electrode kinetics but also their durability and operational lifespan. Since the chemical and structural variations associated with surface enrichment or segregation are typically confined to the nanoscale, advanced experimental and computational tools are required to probe the detailed composition, structure, and nanostructure of these near-surface regions in real time with high spatial and temporal resolutions. In this review article, an overview of the recent progress made in this area is presented, highlighting the thermodynamic driving forces, kinetics, and various configurations of surface enrichment and segregation in several widely studied perovskite-based material systems. A profound understanding of the correlation between the surface nanostructure and the electro-catalytic activity and stability of the electrodes is then emphasized, which is vital to achieving the rational design of more efficient SOC electrode materials with excellent durability. Furthermore, the methodology and mechanistic understanding of the surface processes are applicable to other materials systems in a wide range of applications, including thermo-chemical photo-assisted splitting of H 2 O/CO 2 and metal-air batteries.

Lead Halide Perovskites as Charge Generation Layers for Electron Mobility Measurement in Organic Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Love, John A; Feuerstein, Markus; Wolff, Christian M; Facchetti, Antonio; Neher, Dieter

2017-12-06

Hybrid lead halide perovskites are introduced as charge generation layers (CGLs) for the accurate determination of electron mobilities in thin organic semiconductors. Such hybrid perovskites have become a widely studied photovoltaic material in their own right, for their high efficiencies, ease of processing from solution, strong absorption, and efficient photogeneration of charge. Time-of-flight (ToF) measurements on bilayer samples consisting of the perovskite CGL and an organic semiconductor layer of different thickness are shown to be determined by the carrier motion through the organic material, consistent with the much higher charge carrier mobility in the perovskite. Together with the efficient photon-to-electron conversion in the perovskite, this high mobility imbalance enables electron-only mobility measurement on relatively thin application-relevant organic films, which would not be possible with traditional ToF measurements. This architecture enables electron-selective mobility measurements in single components as well as bulk-heterojunction films as demonstrated in the prototypical polymer/fullerene blends. To further demonstrate the potential of this approach, electron mobilities were measured as a function of electric field and temperature in an only 127 nm thick layer of a prototypical electron-transporting perylene diimide-based polymer, and found to be consistent with an exponential trap distribution of ca. 60 meV. Our study furthermore highlights the importance of high mobility charge transporting layers when designing perovskite solar cells.

Effects of Fe-Enrichment on the Equation of State and Stability of (Mg,Fe)SiO3 Perovskite and Post-Perovskite

Science.gov (United States)

Dorfman, S. M.; Holl, C. M.; Meng, Y.; Prakapenka, V.; Duffy, T. S.

2010-12-01

Fe-enrichment in the deep lower mantle has been proposed as an explanation for seismic anomalies such as large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) and ultralow velocity zones (ULVZs). In order to resolve the effect of Fe on the stability and equation of state of the lower mantle’s dominant constituent, (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite, we have studied Fe-rich natural orthopyroxenes, (Mg0.61Fe0.37Ca0.02)SiO3 and (Mg0.25Fe0.70Ca0.05)SiO3 (compositions determined by microprobe analysis), at lower mantle P-T conditions. Pyroxene starting materials were mixed with Au (pressure calibrant and laser absorber) and loaded with NaCl or Ne (pressure medium and thermal insulator) in a symmetric diamond anvil cell. X-ray diffraction experiments at pressures up to 122 GPa with in-situ laser heating were performed at the GSECARS (13-ID-D) and HPCAT (16-ID-B) sectors of the Advanced Photon Source. Heating samples to 2000 K produced single-phase orthorhombic GdFeO3-type perovskite at 63 GPa for the Mg# 61 composition and at 72 GPa for the Mg# 25 composition. At lower pressures (56 GPa for Mg# 61, 67 GPa for Mg# 25), heating both compositions resulted in a mixture of perovskite, SiO2 and (Mg,Fe)O. These measurements provide new constraints on the dependence of (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite stability on pressure and composition. Upon further compression to 93 GPa and higher pressures with laser heating, Mg# 25 perovskite transformed to a two-phase mixture of perovskite and post-perovskite. This is consistent with previous findings that Fe substitution destabilizes (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite relative to (Mg,Fe)SiO3 post-perovskite (Mao et al. 2004, Caracas and Cohen 2005). The bulk modulus at 80 GPa (K80) is ~550 GPa for both Fe-rich perovskites, comparable to values measured for MgSiO3 perovskite (Lundin et al. 2008). However, the volume of Fe-rich perovskites increases linearly with Fe-content. The (Mg0.25Fe0.70Ca0.05)SiO3 perovskite is 3% greater at 80 GPa than V80 for the Mg end

Two-Dimensional Halide Perovskites for Emerging New- Generation Photodetectors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Yingying; Cao, Xianyi; Chi, Qijin

2018-01-01

Compared to their conventional three-dimensional (3D) counterparts, two-dimensional (2D) halide perovskites have attracted more interests recently in a variety of areas related to optoelectronics because of their unique structural characteristics and enhanced performances. In general, there are two...... distinct types of 2D halide perovskites. One represents those perovskites with an intrinsic layered crystal structure (i.e. MX6 layers, M = metal and X = Cl, Br, I), the other defines the perovskites with a 2D nanostructured morphology such as nanoplatelets and nanosheets. Recent studies have shown that 2D...... halide perovskites hold promising potential for the development of new-generation photodetectors, mainly arising from their highly efficient photoluminescence and absorbance, color tunability in the visible-light range and relatively high stability. In this chapter, we present the summary and highlights...

Meniscus-assisted solution printing of large-grained perovskite films for high-efficiency solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

He, Ming; Li, Bo; Cui, Xun; Jiang, Beibei; He, Yanjie; Chen, Yihuang; O'Neil, Daniel; Szymanski, Paul; Ei-Sayed, Mostafa A.; Huang, Jinsong; Lin, Zhiqun

2017-07-01

Control over morphology and crystallinity of metal halide perovskite films is of key importance to enable high-performance optoelectronics. However, this remains particularly challenging for solution-printed devices due to the complex crystallization kinetics of semiconductor materials within dynamic flow of inks. Here we report a simple yet effective meniscus-assisted solution printing (MASP) strategy to yield large-grained dense perovskite film with good crystallization and preferred orientation. Intriguingly, the outward convective flow triggered by fast solvent evaporation at the edge of the meniscus ink imparts the transport of perovskite solutes, thus facilitating the growth of micrometre-scale perovskite grains. The growth kinetics of perovskite crystals is scrutinized by in situ optical microscopy tracking to understand the crystallization mechanism. The perovskite films produced by MASP exhibit excellent optoelectronic properties with efficiencies approaching 20% in planar perovskite solar cells. This robust MASP strategy may in principle be easily extended to craft other solution-printed perovskite-based optoelectronics.

Perovskite Solar Cells: Progress and Advancements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naveen Kumar Elumalai

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs have emerged as a new class of optoelectronic semiconductors that revolutionized the photovoltaic research in the recent years. The perovskite solar cells present numerous advantages include unique electronic structure, bandgap tunability, superior charge transport properties, facile processing, and low cost. Perovskite solar cells have demonstrated unprecedented progress in efficiency and its architecture evolved over the period of the last 5–6 years, achieving a high power conversion efficiency of about 22% in 2016, serving as a promising candidate with the potential to replace the existing commercial PV technologies. This review discusses the progress of perovskite solar cells focusing on aspects such as superior electronic properties and unique features of halide perovskite materials compared to that of conventional light absorbing semiconductors. The review also presents a brief overview of device architectures, fabrication methods, and interface engineering of perovskite solar cells. The last part of the review elaborates on the major challenges such as hysteresis and stability issues in perovskite solar cells that serve as a bottleneck for successful commercialization of this promising PV technology.

Hydrophobic catalyst applications in the nuclear field and in environmental studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ionita, Gheorghe; Popescu, Irina; Stefanescu, Ioan; Varlam, Carmen

2002-01-01

The paper presents methods of preparation and applications of hydrophobic platinum catalysts in nuclear field and environmental protection. These catalysts allow the transport of gaseous reactants and reaction products to and from catalytic active centers since the pore blocking by water is avoided. Hence the activity and stability of the catalysts increase and isotopic exchange columns with simpler internal structure can be achieved. The aim of the paper is: 1. to give a data base regarding the preparation methods of the optimal catalyst type; 2. to indicate the utilization and operation procedures of hydrophobic catalysts with mixed and simple packings; 3. to evaluate the performances and applications of hydrophobic catalysts. Over one hundred of hydrophobic catalysts of the active metal/support type were prepared in our laboratory. Hydrophobic features were obtained by different methods like these: - coating a hydrophilic conventional catalyst with a hydrophobic agent such as silicone or teflon; - supporting the active metal directly into the pores of a hydrophobic support; - mixing the teflon powder with a hydrophilic conventional catalyst; coating the support with teflon followed by the impregnation with the precursor of the active metal. The most important application of these catalysts is detritiation of the heavy water used as moderator and coolant in CANDU type reactors. Build-up of tritium in heavy water following the neutron capture by deuterium leads to a reduction in the moderating properties and at the same time leads to a contamination hazard for both operation personnel and environment. Tritium recovery leads this way to both improving the moderating qualities of the heavy water and obtaining valuable pure tritium of high importance in fusion research and other laboratory studies. One gram of tritium costs about USD 10,000. The physical chemical process is water-hydrogen catalyzed isotopic exchange. Also discussed in the paper is the separation of

Basic study of catalyst aging in the H-coal process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cable, T.L.; Massoth, F.E.; Thomas, M.G.

1985-04-01

Samples of CoMo/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ catalysts used in an H-coal process demonstration run were studied to determine causes of catalyst deactivation. Physical and surface properties of the aged and regenerated catalysts were examined. Model compounds were used to assess four catalyst activity functions, viz., hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrogenation, cracking and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). Other tests were performed to study the effects of coke and metals separately on the four catalyst activity functions. Catalyst coke content and metal deposits first increased rapidly, then more gradually with exposure time in the process run. Surface area and pore volume markedly decreased with exposure time. Catalyst activities of aged catalysts showed a rapid decline with exposure time. One-day exposure to coal resulted in significant losses in HDS and hydrogenation activities and nearly complete loss in cracking and HDO activities. Although metal deposits caused some permanent catalyst deactivation, coke had a much greater effect. Regenerated catalysts showed less recovery of catalytic activity as processing time increased. These results agreed well with product inspections from the process run. Oxygen chemisorption on aged-regenerated catalysts decreased with catalyst exposure time, indicating a significant loss of active sites. However, ESCA results showed no evidence of extensive sintering of the active MoS/sub 2/ phase. Permanent deactivation of the longer-time exposed catalysts can be ascribed, at least partly, to lateral growth of the active molybdenum sulfide phase. In addition, some loss in cobalt promotion occurred early in the process, which may account for the rapid loss in HDS and HDO activity in regenerated catalysts. 24 references.

Meso-Molding Three-Dimensional Macroporous Perovskites: A New Approach to Generate High-Performance Nanohybrid Catalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arandiyan, Hamidreza; Scott, Jason; Wang, Yuan

2016-01-01

Newly designed 3D highly ordered macro/mesoporous multifunctional La1-xCexCoO3 nanohybrid frameworks with a 2D hexagonal mesostructure were fabricated via facile meso-molding in a three-dimensionally macroporous perovskite (MTMP) route. The nanohybrid framework exhibited excellent catalytic...... activity for methane combustion, which derived from the MTMP providing a larger surface area and pore volume, uniform pore sizes, higher accessible surface oxygen concentration, better low-temperature reducibility, and a unique nanovoid 3D structure....

Light-trapping in perovskite solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Qing Guo, E-mail: duqi0001@e.ntu.edu.sg [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 ST. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 (Canada); Institute of High Performance Computing, A* STAR, Singapore, 138632 (Singapore); Shen, Guansheng [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 ST. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 (Canada); School of Information and Communication Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); John, Sajeev [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 ST. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 (Canada); Department of Physics, Soochow University, Suzhou (China)

2016-06-15

We numerically demonstrate enhanced light harvesting efficiency in both CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} and CH(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}PbI{sub 3}-based perovskite solar cells using inverted vertical-cone photonic-crystal nanostructures. For CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} perovskite solar cells, the maximum achievable photocurrent density (MAPD) reaches 25.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, corresponding to 92% of the total available photocurrent in the absorption range of 300 nm to 800 nm. Our cell shows 6% absorption enhancement compared to the Lambertian limit (23.7 mA/cm{sup 2}) and has a projected power conversion efficiency of 12.9%. Excellent solar absorption is numerically demonstrated over a broad angular range from 0 to 60 degree for both S- and P- polarizations. For the corresponding CH(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}PbI{sub 3} based perovskite solar cell, with absorption range of 300 nm to 850 nm, we find a MAPD of 29.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, corresponding to 95.4% of the total available photocurrent. The projected power conversion efficiency of the CH(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}PbI{sub 3} based photonic crystal solar cell is 23.4%, well above the current world record efficiency of 20.1%.

The impact of copper in LaNi{sub 1-x}Cu{sub x}O{sub 3} perovskite-like structures used as catalyst precursors for dry reforming of methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vlach, K.; Hoang, D.L.; Armbruster, U.; Martin, A. [Leibniz-Institut fuer Katalyse e.V. an der Universitaet Rostock (Germany)

2013-11-01

This work deals with the synthesis of perovskite-like catalyst precursors (LaNi{sub 1-x}Cu{sub x}O{sub 3} with x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1). These precursors were used to catalyse the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction carried out at 973 K, CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} = 1 and a GHSV = 18,000 ml/g/h. The precursors were transformed during the course of the reaction to give Ni-Cu/La{sub 2}O{sub 3} solids. We found out that the activity increases with raising Ni content but small Cu admixture suppresses the coke formation substantially. XRD and TEM measurements showed that the transformation led to the formation of small metallic Ni and/or Cu particles. In addition also alloying can be observed. The best catalytic system with respect to activity and suppressed carbon deposition was Ni{sub 0.8}-Cu{sub 0.2}/La{sub 2}O{sub 3} (X{sub CH4} = 61%, X{sub CO2} = 67%). (orig.)

Development of Perovskite-Type Materials for Thermoelectric Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tingjun Wu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Oxide perovskite materials have a long history of being investigated for thermoelectric applications. Compared to the state-of-the-art tin and lead chalcogenides, these perovskite compounds have advantages of low toxicity, eco-friendliness, and high elemental abundance. However, because of low electrical conductivity and high thermal conductivity, the total thermoelectric performance of oxide perovskites is relatively poor. Variety of methods were used to enhance the TE properties of oxide perovskite materials, such as doping, inducing oxygen vacancy, embedding crystal imperfection, and so on. Recently, hybrid perovskite materials started to draw attention for thermoelectric application. Due to the low thermal conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient feature of hybrid perovskites materials, they can be promising thermoelectric materials and hold the potential for the application of wearable energy generators and cooling devices. This mini-review will build a bridge between oxide perovskites and burgeoning hybrid halide perovskites in the research of thermoelectric properties with an aim to further enhance the relevant performance of perovskite-type materials.

Recent Advances of Rare-Earth Ion Doped Luminescent Nanomaterials in Perovskite Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Qiao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Organic-inorganic lead halide based perovskite solar cells have received broad interest due to their merits of low fabrication cost, a low temperature solution process, and high energy conversion efficiencies. Rare-earth (RE ion doped nanomaterials can be used in perovskite solar cells to expand the range of absorption spectra and improve the stability due to its upconversion and downconversion effect. This article reviews recent progress in using RE-ion-doped nanomaterials in mesoporous electrodes, perovskite active layers, and as an external function layer of perovskite solar cells. Finally, we discuss the challenges facing the effective use of RE-ion-doped nanomaterials in perovskite solar cells and present some prospects for future research.

3,4-Phenylenedioxythiophene (PheDOT) Based Hole-Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Chen, Bai-Xue; Zhang, Fang-Shuai; Yu, Hui-Juan; Ma, Shuang; Kuang, Dai-Bin; Shao, Guang; Su, Cheng-Yong

2016-04-05

Two new electron-rich molecules based on 3,4-phenylenedioxythiophene (PheDOT) were synthesized and successfully adopted as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). X-ray diffraction, absorption spectra, photoluminescence spectra, electrochemical properties, thermal stabilities, hole mobilities, conductivities, and photovoltaic parameters of PSCs based on these two HTMs were compared with each other. By introducing methoxy substituents into the main skeleton, the energy levels of PheDOT-core HTM were tuned to match with the perovskite, and its hole mobility was also improved (1.33×10(-4)  cm(2)  V(-1)  s(-1) , being higher than that of spiro-OMeTAD, 2.34×10(-5)  cm(2)  V(-1)  s(-1)). The PSC based on MeO-PheDOT as HTM exhibits a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 18.31 mA cm(-2) , an open-circuit potential (Voc ) of 0.914 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.636, yielding an encouraging power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.64 % under AM 1.5G illumination. These results give some insight into how the molecular structures of HTMs affect their performances and pave the way for developing high-efficiency and low-cost HTMs for PSCs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The application of aberration-corrected electron microscopy to the characterization of gold-based catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Herzing, Andrew A.

Electron microscopy has long been used to study the morphology of heterogeneous catalysts. Recent advances in electron optics now allow for the correction of the inherent spherical aberration (Cs) produced by the objective lens in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM, resulting in a significantly improved spatial resolution as well as the ability to use a much larger probe-current than was previously possible. In this thesis, the combination of high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging and microanalysis by x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) in an aberration-corrected STEM has been applied for the first time to the characterization of gold-based heterogeneous catalysts. Multi-variate statistical analysis (MSA) has been employed in order to further improve the STEM-XEDS spectrum image data acquired with this technique. In addition, supplemental analysis using electron-energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) in an aberration-corrected instrument has also been attempted. These techniques have proven extremely valuable in providing complimentary information to more traditional catalyst characterization techniques such as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction in four specific problems relating to catalysis. Firstly, the atomic-scale resolution of Cs-corrected HAADF imaging has been utilized to study Au/FeOx catalysts in order to determine the size and structure of the Au clusters present on the support surface. It was discovered that, while both inactive and active catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation contained large Au particles (> 5 nm) and individual Au atoms, the active catalyst also contained sub-nm clusters comprised of only a few Au atoms. Secondly, novel CeO2 support materials for Au and Au-Pd catalysts were synthesized by precipitation with supercritical CO2. These supports were found to produce significantly more active catalysts than those based on CeO2

16.1% Efficient Hysteresis-Free Mesostructured Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Synergistically Improved ZnO Nanorod Arrays

KAUST Repository

Mahmood, Khalid

2015-06-01

Significant efficiency improvements are reported in mesoscopic perovskite solar cells based on the development of a low-temperature solution-processed ZnO nanorod (NR) array exhibiting higher NR aspect ratio, enhanced electron density, and substantially reduced work function than conventional ZnO NRs. These features synergistically result in hysteresis-free, scan-independent, and stabilized devices with an efficiency of 16.1%. Electron-rich, nitrogen-doped ZnO (N:ZnO) NR-based electron transporting materials (ETMs) with enhanced electron mobility produced using ammonium acetate show consistently higher efficiencies by one to three power points than undoped ZnO NRs. Additionally, the preferential electrostatic interaction between the -nonpolar facets of N:ZnO and the conjugated polyelectrolyte polyethylenimine (PEI) has been relied on to promote the hydrothermal growth of high aspect ratio NR arrays and substantially improve the infiltration of the perovskite light absorber into the ETM. Using the same interactions, a conformal PEI coating on the electron-rich high aspect ratio N:ZnO NR arrays is -successfully applied, resulting in a favorable work function shift and altogether leading to the significant boost in efficiency from <10% up to >16%. These results largely surpass the state-of-the-art PCE of ZnO-based perovskite solar cells and highlight the benefits of synergistically combining mesoscale control with doping and surface modification. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

SISGR-Fundamental Experimental and Theoretical Studies on a Novel Family of Oxide Catalyst Supports for Water Electrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumta, Prashant [University of Pittsburgh

2014-10-03

Identification and development of non-noble metal based electro-catalysts or electro-catalysts with significant reduction of expensive noble metal contents (E.g. IrO2, Pt) with comparable electrochemical performance as the standard noble metal/metal oxide for proton exchange membrane (PEM) based water electrolysis would constitute a major breakthrough in the generation of hydrogen by water electrolysis. Accomplishing such a system would not only result reduction of the overall capital costs of PEM based water electrolyzers, but also help attain the targeted hydrogen production cost [< $ 3.0 / gallon gasoline equivalent (gge)] comparable to conventional liquid fuels. In line with these goals, it was demonstrated that fluorine doped IrO2 thin films and nanostructured high surface area powders display remarkably higher electrochemical activity, and comparable durability as pure IrO2 electro-catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in PEM based water electrolysis. Furthermore, corrosion resistant SnO2 and NbO2 support has been doped with F and coupled with IrO2 or RuO2 for use as an OER electro-catalyst. A solid solution of SnO2:F or NbO2:F with only 20 - 30 mol.% IrO2 or RuO2 yielding a rutile structure in the form of thin films and bulk nanoparticles displays similar electrochemical activity and stability as pure IrO2/RuO2. This would lead to more than 70 mol.% reduction in the noble metal oxide content. Novel nanostructured ternary (Ir,Sn,Nb)O2 thin films of different compositions FUNDAMENTAL STUDY OF NANOSTRUCTURED ELECTRO-CATALYSTS WITH REDUCED NOBLE METAL CONTENT FOR PEM BASED WATER ELECTROLYSIS 4 have also been studied. It has been shown that (Ir0.40Sn0.30Nb0.30)O2 shows similar electrochemical activity and enhanced chemical robustness as compared to pure IrO2. F doping of the ternary (Ir,Sn,Nb)O2 catalyst helps in further decreasing the noble metal oxide content of the catalyst. As a result, these reduced noble metal oxide catalyst systems would