Ceramics Science of New Solid-State Solar Cells

非技术描述：该项目为一种新型高效固态太阳能电池奠定了科学基础，这种电池可以使用相对廉价的材料和工艺制造。这些太阳能电池具有显著推进光伏领域的潜力，并对降低可再生能源的成本产生影响，使其更具竞争力。在当前全球能源/环境危机的背景下，迫切需要一种高效、低成本、耐用的方式来利用太阳能等可再生能源发电，因此该项目具有很强的时效性和相关性。目前正在研究用于太阳能电池的新能源材料及其性能，所需的复杂纳米结构，以及用于实现这些结构的新型陶瓷合成/加工方法。材料和纳米结构对太阳能电池性能的影响也得到了阐明，以便更好地理解基本现象。在这里进行的陶瓷合成/加工科学研究也影响了太阳能电池以外应用的新型纳米复合材料的创造。技术细节：该项目解决了与新型高效固态染料敏化太阳能电池（ssdsc）相关的关键陶瓷科学问题。溶液处理、空穴导电的铯锡碘化钙钛矿半导体被用于ssdsc中导电钛薄膜的连续纳米孔中，以取代传统使用的液体电解质和铂。正在解决的关键问题包括了解ssdsc中的新成分-碘化铯锡钙钛矿本身，钙钛矿通过陶瓷合成/加工纳入ssdsc纳米级结构的方式，以及钛-敏化剂-钙钛矿纳米级结构和界面的性质。纳米结构对光伏特性/性能的影响也被阐明，有助于新的ssdsc的科学和工程的进步。考虑到近年来人们对卤化物钙钛矿在光伏和拓扑绝缘体领域的广泛应用的兴趣，本项目对这些材料进行的基础研究是及时和高度相关的。作为该项目的一部分，两名本科生，一名研究生和一名博士后研究员正在接受能源材料广泛领域的教育和培训。面向K-12学生的推广活动也在进行中，利用太阳能电池演示让他们对STEM（科学-技术-工程-数学）领域产生兴趣。这项资助是由陶瓷（CER）和电子和光子材料（EPM）项目共同资助的。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This project lays the scientific foundation for a new type of high-efficiency solid-state solar cells that can be fabricated using relatively inexpensive materials and processes. These solar cells have the potential to advance the field of photovoltaics significantly, and to have an impact on reducing the cost of renewable energy to make it more competitive. This project is timely and highly relevant as there is an urgent need for efficient, low-cost, and durable way to generate electricity from renewable sources, such as the sun, in these times of global energy/environment crisis. New energy materials used in these solar cells and their properties, the complex nanoscale architectures needed, and the novel ceramics synthesis/processing methods used to achieve those architectures are being investigated. The effects of the materials and the nanoscale architectures on the solar cells performance are also elucidated to gain a better understanding of fundamental phenomena. The ceramics synthesis/processing science studies conducted here also impact the creation of novel nano-composites for applications beyond solar cells. TECHNICAL DETAILS: This project addresses key ceramics science issues pertaining to the new high-efficiency solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (SSDSCs). Solution-processed, hole-conducting cesium tin iodide perovskite semiconductors are used within continuous nanopores of electron-conducting titania films in SSDSCs in place of the conventionally used liquid electrolytes and platinum. The key issues that are being addressed include understanding the new ingredient in the SSDSCs -- the cesium tin iodide perovskites themselves, the way the perovskites are incorporated into the SSDSCs nanoscale architecture through ceramics synthesis/processing, and the nature of the titania-sensitizer-perovskite nanoscale architecture and interfaces. The effect of the nanoscale architecture on photovoltaic properties/performance are also elucidated, contributing to the advancement of the science and engineering of the new SSDSCs. Considering the recent interest in halide perovskites in general for application in fields of photovoltaics and topological insulators, the basic studies conducted in this project on these materials are timely and highly relevant. As part of this project two undergraduates, one graduate student and one post-doctoral researcher are being educated and trained in the broad area of energy materials. Outreach to K-12 students is also underway using solar cells demonstrations to get them excited about STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) fields.This grant is funded jointly by the Ceramics (CER) and Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM) Programs.