Browsing by Author "Jain, Sagar M."

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    Additive engineering for improving the stability of tin-based perovskite (FASnI3) solar cells
    (Elsevier, 2022-08-05) Li, Shaojie; Yang, Feng; Chen, Mengmeng; Yang, Jien; Jiang, Lulu; Sun, Yunjuan; Grace, Andrews Nirmala; Jain, Sagar M.; Liu, Hairui
    During the past few years, Tin (Sn)-based perovskites have been extensively investigated in the field of photovoltaics as promising candidates for new generation lead-free perovskite. Tin-based perovskites (ASnI3) present excellent photoelectric properties. However, there still remains a big concern over unsatisfactory stability. In reality, extensive efforts have been committed to improve the stability of perovskite active layer. In this review, a comprehensive understanding on defect formation, oxidation mechanism of Sn2+. Then, a detailed discussion on the recent advance the effect of additive engineering for the stability of FASnI3 PSCs, including antioxidants, 2D perovskite materials and functional passive molecular. Lastly, several key scientific issues and future research prospectives are proposed for achieving stable and high-performance Sn-based perovskite photovoltaics.
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    Dopants for enhanced performance of tin-based perovskite solar cells—a short review
    (MDPI, 2021-08-30) Liu, Hairui; Zhang, Zuhong; Yang, Feng; Yang, Jien; Grace, Andrews Nirmala; Li, Junming; Tripathi, Sapana; Jain, Sagar M.
    Lead-based perovskite solar cells had reached a bottleneck and demonstrated significant power conversion efficiency (PCE) growth matching the performance of traditional polycrystalline silicon solar cells. Lead-containing perovskite solar cell technology is on the verge of commercialization and has huge potential to replace silicon solar cells, but despite the very promising future of these perovskite solar cells, the presence of water-soluble toxic lead content is a growing concern in the scientific community and a major bottleneck for their commercialization. The less toxic, tin-based perovskite solar cells are promising alternatives for lead-free perovskite solar cells. Like lead-based perovskite, the general chemical formula composition of tin-based perovskite is ASnX3, where A is a cation and X is an anion (halogen). It is evident that tin-based perovskites, being less-toxic with excellent photoelectric properties, show respectable performance. Recently, numerous studies reported on the fabrication of Sn-based perovskite solar cells. However, the stability of this novel lead-free alternative material remains a big concern. One of the many ways to stabilize these solar cells includes addition of dopants. In this context, this article summarizes the most important fabrication routes employing dopants that have shown excellent stability for tin-based perovskite photovoltaics and elaborates the prospects of lead-free, tin based stable perovskite photovoltaics.
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    Dual-edged sword of ion migration in perovskite materials for simultaneous energy harvesting and storage application [Perspective]
    (Elsevier, 2023-10-20) Kumar, Ramesh; Bag, Monojit; Jain, Sagar M.
    Portable electronic devices and Internet of Things (IoT) require an uninterrupted power supply for their optimum performance and are key ingredients of the futuristic smart buildings - cities. The off-grid photovoltaic cells and photo-rechargeable energy storage devices meet the requirements for continuous data processing and transmission. In addition, these off-grid devices can solve the energy mismanagement problem famously called as “duck curve”. The conventional approach is the external integration of a photovoltaic cell and an energy storage device through a complex multi-layered structure. However, this approach causes ohmic transport losses and requires additional complex device packaging leading to increased weight and high cost. Toward this narrative, in this viewpoint, we shed light on application of disruptive organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskite bifunctional materials employed as smart photo-rechargeable energy devices. We also present hybrid halide lead-free perovskite materials for off-grid energy storage systems for indoor lighting applications.
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    Enhanced performance of CsPbIBr2 perovskite solar cell by modified zinc oxide nanorods array with [6,6]‐Phenyl C61 butyric acid
    (Wiley, 2023-04-12) Yang, Jien; Zhang, Meng; Zhang, Qiong; Qin, Chaochao; Qin, Ruiping; Jain, Sagar M.; Liu, Hairui
    Although Metal oxide ZnO is widely used as electron transport layers in all-inorganic PSCs due to high electron mobility, high transmittance, and simple preparation processing, the surface defects of ZnO suppress the quality of perovskite film and inhibit the solar cells’ performance. In this work, [6,6]-Phenyl C61 butyric acid (PCBA) modified zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) is employed as electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells. The resulting perovskite film coated on the zinc oxide nanorods has better crystallinity and uniformity, facilitating charge carrier transportation, reducing recombination losses, and ultimately improving the cells’ performance. The perovskite solar cell with the device configuration of ITO/ZnO nanorods/PCBA/CsPbIBr2/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au delivers a high short circuit current density of 11.83 mA cm-2 and power conversion efficiency of 12.05 %.
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    Graphene-like dispersion and strong optical absorption in two-dimensional RP-type Sr3Ti2S7 perovskite
    (American Chemical Society, 2023-11-15) Liu, Hairui; Gao, Rui; Yang, Jien; Banthia, Rohan Dinesh; Yang, Feng; Wang, Tianxing; Upadhyaya, Hari; Jain, Sagar M.
    Two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) perovskite alloys have recently become attractive due to many desired physical properties originating from distinct van der Waals-type layered structures. In this work, a novel 2D RP-type Sr3Ti2S7 perovskite material design is proposed by using first-principles calculations. Our results reveal that the 2D Sr3Ti2S7 perovskite possesses dynamically stable structures, direct band structures with a band gap value of 0.86 eV, and a smaller effective mass (0.15/0.25 m0 for electron/hole) than MAPbI3 and phosphorene. More importantly, 2D Sr3Ti2S7 possesses wide optical spectra (from infrared-to ultraviolet-light region) and a higher absorption coefficient (105 cm–1) than MAPbI3, silicon, and MoS2 in the visible-light region. Interestingly, we also find that the ideal Dirac-like linear dispersion can appear near the Fermi level in the electronic band structures when compressive strain is applied. Especially, the Dirac-cone-like band structures can be realized when compressive strain is enhanced to −6%, indicating ultrahigh carrier mobility. These properties make the 2D Sr3Ti2S7 perovskite a promising candidate for future applications in solar cells and optoelectronic devices.
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    Investigating performance of hybrid photovoltaic–thermal collector for electricity and hot water production in Nigeria
    (MDPI, 2024-06-05) Awai, Kar R.; King, Peter; Patchigolla, Kumar; Jain, Sagar M.
    The research work explores the impact of temperature on Silicon photovoltaic (PV) panels, considering Nigeria as a case study. It is found that high solar radiation in Nigeria increases the surface temperature of PV panels above 25 °C of the optimal operating temperature. The redundant energy gain from solar irradiance creates heat at the rear of solar panels and reduces their efficiency. Cooling mechanisms are therefore needed to increase efficiency. In this study, we demonstrated a unique hybrid system design employing a heat exchanger at the back of the panel, with water circulated through the back of the PV panel to cool the system. The system was simulated using TRNSYS at three locations in Nigeria—Maiduguri, Makurdi, and Port Harcourt. The results of the peak annual electrical power output in Maiduguri give a power yield of 1907 kWh/kWp, which is the highest, due to a high solar radiation average of 727 W/m2 across the year. For Makurdi, the peak annual electrical power output is 1542 kWh/kWp, while for Port Harcourt the peak power output is 1355 kWh/kWp. It was observed that the surface temperature of Polycrystalline Si-PV was decreased from 49.25 °C to 38.38 °C. The electrical power was increased from 1526.83 W to 1566.82 W in a day, and efficiency increased from 13.99% to 15.01%.
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    Performance evaluation of a low-cost, novel vanadium nitride xerogel (VNXG) as a platinum-free electrocatalyst for dye-sensitized solar cells
    (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020-11-11) Gnanasekar, Subashini; Sonar, Prashant; Jain, Sagar M.; Jeong, Soon Kwan; Grace, Andrews Nirmala
    A vanadium nitride xerogel (VNXG) was synthesised by a simple and effective method of ammonialising a vanadium pentoxide xerogel at a higher temperature. Xerogel-structured materials possess salient features such as high surface area, tunable porosity and pore size that result in enhancing the catalytic activity by a fast electron-transport pathway and increase electrolyte diffusion channels. Metal nitrides are reported as promising alternate low-cost counter electrodes to replace the conventional and expensive platinum (Pt) counter electrode. Though few studies are reported on aerogel-based CEs for DSSCs, the present work is the first attempt to synthesize and evaluate the performance of xerogel-structured metal nitrides as counter electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells. The synthesized material was well characterized for its structural and morphological characteristics and chemical constituents by photoelectron spectroscopy. Finally, the VNXG was tested for its electrocatalytic performance as a choice of counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The photo-current studies were performed under standard 1 SUN, class AAA-simulated illumination with AM1.5G. The consolidated results revealed that the vanadium nitride xerogel exhibited good photocatalytic activity and low charge transfer resistance. This identified it as a promising low-cost counter electrode (CE) material for dye-sensitized solar cells. The photo-current conversion efficiency of the vanadium nitride xerogel CE-based DSSC reached 5.94% comparable to that of the conventional thermal decomposed Pt CE-based DSSC, 7.38% with the same iodide/triiodide electrolyte system. Moreover, the 28 days stability study of VNXG CE DSSCs provided an appreciably stable performance with 37% decrement in the PCE under the same test condition.
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    Phosphorene, antimonene, silicene and siloxene based novel 2D electrode materials for supercapacitors - A brief review
    (Elsevier, 2022-01-21) Venkateshalu, Sandhya; Subashini, G.; Bhardwaj, Preetam; Jacob, George; Sellappan, Raja; Raghavan, Vimala; Jain, Sagar M.; Pandiaraj, Saravanan; Natarajan, Varagunapandiyan; Al Alwan, Basem Abdullah M.; Al Mesfer, Mohammed Khaloofah Mola; Alodhayb, Abdullah; Khalid, Mohamad; Grace, Andrews Nirmala
    In the past decade, 2D materials such as graphitic carbon nitride, transition metal dichalcogenides, layered metal oxides and hydroxides, hexagonal boron nitride and MXenes have garnered a great attention with the discovery of graphene. Very recently, novel 2D materials analogous to graphene such as phosphorene, antimonene, silicene, siloxene, germanene etc., were discovered and are emerging as strong competitors to the existing 2D materials. These materials pose explicit properties making them suitable for various applications. This article reviews the properties, synthesis techniques and the supercapacitive nature of phosphorene, antimonene, silicene and siloxene while briefing the properties of other 2D materials viz. germanene, stanene, arsenene and bismuthene. With the successful implementation of phosphorene as supercapacitor electrode, research is progressing in exploring the supercapacitive nature of other novel 2D materials. The investigations on these materials are still in its infancy and most of the properties lack experimental evidence. The current research trends on these novel materials are discussed in this review.