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The formation of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI(3)) from its precursors is probably the most significant step in the control of the quality of this semiconductor perovskite material, which is highly promising for photovoltaic applications. Here we investigated the transformation of spin coated PbI2 films to MAPbI(3) using a reaction with MAI in vapor phase, referred to as vapor assisted solution process (VASP). The presence of a mesoporous TiO2 scaffold on the substrate was found to speed up reaction and led to complete conversion of PbI2, while reaction on glass substrates was slower, with some PbI2 remaining even after prolonged reaction time. Based on data from UV-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the formation of an X-ray amorphous intermediate phase is proposed, which is identified by an increasing absorption from 650 to 500 nm in the absorption spectrum. This feature disappears upon long reaction times for films on planar substrates, but persists for films on mesoporous TiO2. Poor solar cell performance of planar VASP prepared devices was ascribed to PbI2 remaining in the film, forming a barrier between the perovskite layer and the compact TiO2/FTO contact. Good performance, with efficiencies up to 13.3%, was obtained for VASP prepared devices on mesoporous TiO2.

Organo-metal halide perovskites (OMHPs) are materials with attractive properties for optoelectronics. They made a recent introduction in the photovoltaics world by methylammonium (MA) lead triiodide and show remarkably improved charge separation capabilities when chloride and bromide are added. Here we show how halide substitution in OMHPs with the nominal composition CH3NH3PbI2X, where X is I, Br, or Cl, influences the morphology, charge quantum yield, and local interaction with the organic MA cation. X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence data demonstrate that halide substitution affects the local structure in the OMHPs with separate MAPbI3 and MAPbCl(3) phases. Raman spectroscopies as well as theoretical vibration calculations reveal that this at the same time delocalizes the charge to the MA cation, which can liberate the vibrational movement of the MA cation, leading to a more adaptive organic phase. The resonance Raman effect together with quantum chemical calculations is utilized to analyze the change in charge transfer mechanism upon electronic excitation and gives important clues for the mechanism of the much improved photovoltage and photocurrent also seen in the solar cell performance for the materials when chloride compounds are included in the preparation.

The past few years, two perovskite materials have attracted much attention in the solar cell community: CH3NH3PbI3 and CH3NH3PbI3xClx. While these materials are usually characterized using their structure (via X-ray diffraction (XRD)) and performance within solar cell communities, not so much attention has been devoted to their surface chemical composition and, specifically, the surface composition. Photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) can easily fulfill this task, and, in addition to chemical information, PES provides an overall picture of the electronic structure of the perovskite and its relation to mesoporous TiO2 when studied with hard X-rays. In this work, CH3NH3PbI3 and CH3NH3PbI3xClx have been compared with each other and also to CH3NH3PbI3, and it appears that, despite very different morphologies and kinetics of formation, the two former materials present a very similar electronic structure and chemical composition (i.e., no chlorine is observed in the final CH3NH3PbI3xClx materials). Nevertheless, chlorine is very important during the preparation, because it affects the formation of crystalline CH3NH3PbI3. We have also exposed the classical CH3NH3PbI3 to various environments, such as water, temperature, and long-time storage in air and argon, and followed changes of the surface composition with PES. The main result of the different exposures is that the perovskite is decomposed into PbI2, but an important point is that this degradation seems to occur already at 100 degrees C and is not only related to large humidity. Indeed, even in an inert atmosphere such as argon, a slow degradation to PbI2 is observed. The results obtained are crucial for a better understanding of this material and will help to improve not only the post-conditioning of the cells but also their synthesis.

With [Ru-II(bpyMeP)(2)tpphzPtCl(2)](2+) (4) a molecular photocatalyst has been synthesized for visible-light-driven H-2-evolution. It contains the ligand bpyMeP (4,4'-bis(diethyl-(methylene)-phosphonate)-2,2'-bipyridine) with phosphate ester groups as precursors for the highly potent phosphonate anchoring groups, which can be utilized for immobilization of the catalyst on metal-oxide semiconductor surfaces. The synthesis was optimized with regard to high yields, bpyMeP was fully characterized and a solid-state structure could be obtained. Photophysical studies showed that the photophysical properties and the localization of the excited states are not altered compared to similar Ru-complexes without anchoring group precursors. (4) was even more active in homogenous catalysis experiments than [RuII(tbbpy)(2)tpphzPtCl(2)](2+) (6) with tbbpy (4,4'-bis(tbutyl)-2,2'-bipyridine) as peripheral ligands. After hydrolysis (4) was successfully immobilized on NiO, suggesting that an application in photoelectrosynthesis cells is feasible.

Hybrid (organic-inorganic) lead trihalide perovskites have attracted much attention in recent years due to their exceptionally promising potential for application in solar cells. Here a controlled one-step method is presented where PbCl2 is combined with three equivalents methylammonium halide (MAX, with X = land/or Br) in polar solvents to form MAPb(I-xBr(x))(3) perovskite films upon annealing in air at 145 degrees C. The procedure allows for a linear increment of the semiconductor bandgap from 1.60 eV to 2.33 eV by increasing the Br content. A transition from a tetragonal to a cubic structure is found when the Br fraction is larger than 0.3. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations shows that the increase of Br content is accompanied by a shift of the valence band edge to lower energy. Simultaneously, the conduction band moves to higher energy, but this shift is less pronounced. Time-resolved single-photon counting experiments of the perovskite materials on mesoporous TiO2 show faster decay kinetics for Br containing perovskites, indicative of improved electron injection into TiO2. Interestingly, kinetics of MAPb(12.7)Br(0.30)Cl(y) on TiO2 scaffold became faster after prolonged excitation during the measurement. In solar cell devices, MAPb(12.7)Br(0.30)), yielded best performance, giving more than 14% power conversion efficiency when used in combination with an n-type contact consisting of fluorine-doped tinoxide glass coated with dense TiO2 and a mesoporous Al2O3 scaffold, and a p-type contact, spiro-MeOTAD/Ag.

Low-toxic bismuth-based perovskites are prepared for the possible replacement of lead perovskite in solar cells. The perovskites have a hexagonal crystalline phase and light absorption in the visible region. A power conversion efficiency of over 1% is obtained for a solar cell with Cs3Bi2I9 perovskite, and it is concluded that bismuth perovskites have very promising properties for further development in solar cells.

We applied organic donor-pi-acceptor (D-pi-A) sensitizers for photoelectrochemical polymerization (PEP) because of their appropriate energy levels and high light absorption. The polymerized conducting polymer PEDOT was used as hole conductor in all-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ssDSCs). By combination of the D-pi-A sensitizers and the generated PEDOT from PEP of bis-EDOT in acetonitrile, the resulting device showed an average power conversion efficiency of 5.6%. Furthermore, the PEP in aqueous micellar electrolytic medium was also employed because of the ability to decrease oxidation potential of the precursor, thereby making the polymerization process easier. The latter method is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach. Using as hole conductor the so-obtained PEDOT from PEP of bis-EDOT in aqueous electrolyte, the devices exhibited impressive power conversion efficiency of 5.2%. To compare the properties of the generated polymer from bis-EDOT in these two PEP methods, electron lifetime, photoinduced absorption (PIA) spectra, and UV-vis-NIR spectra were measured. The results showed that PEDOT from organic PEP exhibits a delocalized conformation with high conductivity and a smooth and compact morphology; a rough morphology with high porosity and polymer structure of relatively shorter chains was assumed to be obtained from aqueous PEP. Therefore, better dye regeneration but faster charge recombination was observed in the device based on PEDOT from aqueous PEP of bis-EDOT. Subsequently, to extend the aqueous PEP approach in consideration of the ability to decrease the oxidation potential of the precursor, the easily available precursor EDOT was for the first time used for PEP in aqueous medium in a variant of the aforementioned procedure, and the device based on the so-obtained PEDOT shows a more than 70-fold increase in efficiency, 3.0%, over that based on the polymer generated from EDOT by PEP in organic media. It was demonstrated that aqueou

Conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with iron(111) tris-p-toluenesulfonate (PEDOT:Tos) having metallic conductivity was coated onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass and plain glass substrates and used as a counter electrode (CE) in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) with a [Co(bpy)(3)](3+/2+) complex redox shuttle. DSCs with PEDOT:Tos/glass CE yielded power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 6.3%, similar to that of DSCs with platinized FTO glass CE (6.1%). The PEDOT:Tos-based counter electrodes had 5 to 10 times lower charge-transfer resistance than the Pt/FTO CE in DSCs, as analyzed by impedance spectroscopy. More detailed studies in symmetrical CE-CE cells showed that the PEDOT:Tos layers are nanoporous. Not all internal area can be used catalytically under solar cell conditions and effective charge-transfer resistance was similar to that of Pt/FTO.

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite (OIHP) compounds are very interesting materials for device application in, for example, solar cells, electro-optics, and electronic circuits. In this report, we investigated OIHPs reported as CH3NH3PbI3-xClx (MAPbI(3-x)Cl(x)) and CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI(3)) prepared from solution on mesoporous TiO2/glass substrates. A long-term conversion from disordered to more crystalline OIHPs was observed for both types of samples from XRD patterns over 5 weeks. The conversion rate to more crystalline OIHPs could be increased by increasing the temperature of the sample. SEM analyses of the two types of OIHPs show remarkably different surface microstructures. The X-ray diffractograms suggest that both samples are dominated by the similar crystal structure, although the preferential orientation for the crystal structure is different. Moreover, the results suggest that the material reported as MAPbI(3-x)Cl(x) is a combination of MAPbI(3) and MAPbCl(3). The crystal structure and exact nature of the material is important for the understanding and optimization of devices, and the possibility for enhanced crystallinity of the OIHPs shown in this report will therefore be important for further improvement and understanding of the devices.

The electronic structure and chemical composition of efficient CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cell materials deposited onto mesoporous TiO2 were studied using photoelectron spectroscopy with hard X-rays. With this technique, it is possible to directly measure the occupied energy levels of the perovskite as well as the TiO2 buried beneath and thereby determine the energy level matching of the interface. The measurements of the valence levels were in good agreement with simulated density of states, and the investigation gives information on the character of the valence levels. We also show that two different deposition techniques give results indicating similar electronic structures.

Mesoporous TiO2 microbead films have been investigated as working electrodes for solid state dye sensitized solar cells and 3.5% efficiency was achieved for 4 micrometer thick films under 1 sun illumination. Compared to conventional mesoporous solar cells, microbead films have higher porosity, increased open circuit voltage, lower fill factor and current density, faster transport time and lower electron lifetime. Cross sectional scanning electron microscopy results show that the pore filling of a solid hole conductor (spiro-OMeTAD) inside the entire mesoporous bead film is very good even for 4 micrometer thick films. The high porosity of the microbead film allows good penetration of spiro in thick films, while its high surface area ensures good dye coverage. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data reveals a lower density of intra-bandgap trap states for microbead films compared to conventional mesoporous TiO2 films, which could be in part responsible for faster transport of electrons and higher voltage in microbead films. Optimization of microbead films for solid state dye sensitized solar cells can be an interesting possibility for highly efficient and relatively thick film solid state solar cells.

The electronic structure and chemical composition of efficient CH(3)NH(3)Pbl(3) perovskite solar cell materials deposited onto mesoporous TiO2 were studied using photoelectron spectroscopy with hard X-rays. With this technique, it is possible to directly measure the occupied energy levels of the perovskite as well as the TiO2 buried beneath and thereby determine the energy level matching of the interface. The measurements of the valence levels were in good agreement with simulated density of states, and the investigation gives information on the character of the valence levels. We also show that two different deposition techniques give results indicating similar electronic structures., AuthorCount:9

We investigate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on PEDOT as hole conductor and prepared by photoelectrochemical polymer deposition at different light intensities. We specifically investigate the effect of light intensity on the PEDOT polymer and in turn the efficiency of the solar cells. We find that the PEDOT prepared by this method is largely oxidized and contains significant amounts of polarons and bipolarons and only a small fraction of neutral PEDOT. Photoelectrochemical polymer deposition under low light intensity leads to a particularly low fraction of neutral PEDOT and a high fraction of bipolarons as measured in the UV-vis spectra. The solar cells based on PEDOT as a hole conductor prepared under these conditions are the most efficient with a higher power conversion efficiency, which can be explained by a longer electron lifetime, faster charge transport, and higher transparency of the PEDOT. Interestingly, we conclude that in this type of solid-state DSSCs the mechanism of dye regeneration occurs from PEDOT polarons that then form bipolarons, which is different from the mechanism of dye regeneration proposed in standard solid-state DSSCs.

Hereby, we present a new, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method of preparing an efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (sDSC) using a PEDOT conducting polymer as the hole conductor and a recently developed organic sensitizer. PEDOT is generated and deposited on the dye-sensitized TiO2 electrode by in situ photoelectropolymerization of bis-EDOT in aqueous micellar solution. The advantages of this approach are the use of water as the solvent and the obtainment of a sDSC simply by adding a silver layer on the as-obtained polymer film deposited on dye/TiO2 without the need for electrolytic solution. The sDSC containing the film prepared as above is compared to those where the organic dye is used to generate the same polymer film but in organic solvent. The energy conversion efficiency values of the two cells appear comparable, 4.8% for sDSC prepared in the aqueous-phase polymerized PEDOT and 6% for the sDSC prepared with in organic-phase polymerized PEDOT.