EAPSI: Investigating the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells Integrated with Graphene-Based Supercapacitors for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

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The objective of this work is to integrate next generation perovskite thin-film solar cells with solid-state graphene-based supercapacitor storage devices. This research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Hongzhi Wang at Donghua University in Shanghai, China. Wang?s expertise with graphene materials, specifically for energy storage devices, will allow the PI to evolve this particular solar cell enormously with this 8-week program. Low-cost, ubiquitous, environmentally sustainable solar cells with storage technology could transform the world in which we live. In addition to providing access to sustainable energy harvesting and storage devices, the current project provides opportunities for the integration of research and education in technologies of societal significance.If the PI combines his knowledge and background on perovskite photovoltaics, with the knowledge and expertise on highly crystalline photo-reduced graphene oxide supercapacitors from the Wang Group, then an integrated device will be developed in a timely manner. This work will continue after the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program with the PI optimizing the photovoltaic layers through his thesis project, and the Wang group optimizing the supercapacitor layers. The perovskite photovoltaic component will be fabricated using simple spin-coating techniques, which will be followed by the assembly of the supercapacitor layers using blade-coating techniques. In this device, during the charging process, photons are absorbed by the perovskite active layer, and the generated excitons dissociate to produce free charges. The difference in the work function between the electrodes drives the holes along the valence band of the perovskite, to the indium-tin-oxide anode. Simultaneously, electrons from the conduction band of the perovskite are transported towards the low work function hole transport layer (which will be in the range of 3.75-4.5 eV). Upon reaching the electrodes, both electrons and holes are further transferred to the photo-reduced graphene oxide electrodes, which then charges the supercapacitor.This award under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.