Electronic properties of 2D materials and their junctions

With an extensive range of distinctive features at nano meter-scale thicknesses,two-dimensional(2D)materials drawn the attention of the scientific community.Despite tremendous advancements in exploratory research on 2D materials,knowledge of 2D electrical transport and carrier dynamics still in its infancy.Thus,here we highlighted the electrical characteristics of 2D materials with electronic band structure,electronic transport,dielectric constant,carriers mobility.The atomic thinness of 2D materials makes substantially scaled field-effect transistors(FETs)with reduced short-channel effects conceivable,even though strong carrier mobility required for high performance,low-voltage device operations.We also discussed here about factors affecting 2D materials which easily enhanced the activity of those materials for various applications.Presently,Those 2D materials used in state-of-the-art electrical and optoelectronic devices because of the extensive nature of their electronic band structure.2D materials offer unprecedented freedom for the design of novel p-n junction device topologies in contrast to conventional bulk semiconductors.We also,describe the numerous 2D p-n junctions,such as homo junction and hetero junction including mixed dimensional junctions.Finally,we talked about the problems and potential for the future.

Toward high-efficiency perovskite solar cells with one-dimensional oriented nanostructured electron transport materials

The unique advantages of one-dimensional(1D)oriented nanostructures in light-trapping and chargetransport make them competitive candidates in photovoltaic(PV)devices.Since the emergence of perovskite solar cells(PSCs),1D nanostructured electron transport materials(ETMs)have drawn tremendous interest.However,the power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)of these devices have always significantly lagged behind their mesoscopic and planar counterparts.High-efficiency PSCs with 1D ETMs showing efficiency over 22%were just realized in the most recent studies.It yet lacks a comprehensive review covering the development of 1D ETMs and their application in PSCs.We hence timely summarize the advances in 1D ETMs-based solar cells,emphasizing on the fundamental and optimization issues of charge separation and collection ability,and their influence on PV performance.After sketching the classification and requirements for high-efficiency 1D nanostructured solar cells,we highlight the applicability of 1D TiO_(2)nanostructures in PSCs,including nanotubes,nanorods,nanocones,and nanopyramids,and carefully analyze how the electrostatic field affects cell performance.Other kinds of oriented nanostructures,e.g.,ZnO and SnO_(2)ETMs,are also described.Finally,we discuss the challenges and propose some potential strategies to further boost device performance.This review provides a broad range of valuable work in this fast-developing field,which we hope will stimulate research enthusiasm to push PSCs to an unprecedented level.

Unleashing the Potential of Unidirectional Mechanical Materials: Breakthroughs and Promising Applications

The emergence of mechanically one-way materials presents an exciting opportunity for materials science and engineering. These substances exhibit unique nonreciprocal mechanical responses, enabling them to selectively channel mechanical energy and facilitate directed sound propagation, controlled mass transport, and concentration of mechanical energy amidst random motion. This article explores the fundamentals of mechanically one-way materials, their potential applications across various industries, and the economic and environmental considerations related to their production and use.

Benzothiadiazole-based hole transport materials for high-efficiency dopant-free perovskite solar cells: Molecular planarity effect

A new benzothiadiazole-based D-A-D hole transport material(DTBT)has been designed and synthesized with a more planar structure by introducing of thiophene bridges.The results indicate a lower band gap and quite higher hole mobility for the DTBT.Furthermore,the enhancement in molecular planarity with simple thiophene unit increases the hole mobility of DTBT(8.77×10^-4cm^2 V^-1s^-1)by about 40%.And when DTBT is used as hole transport material in perovskite solar cells,the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the corresponding dopant-free devices is also significantly improved compared with that of the conventional BT model molecule without thiophene.In terms of device stability,DTBT-based devices show a favorable long-term stability,which keep 83%initial efficiency after 15 days.Therefore,the introducing of thiophene bridges in D-A-D typed HTMs can improve the molecular planarity effectively,thereby increasing the hole mobility and improving device performance.

Review of current progress in hole-transporting materials for perovskite solar cells

Recent advancements in perovskites’ application as a solar energy harvester have been astonishing. The power conversion efficiency(PCE) of perovskite solar cells(PSCs) is currently reaching parity(>25 percent), an accomplishment attained over past decades. PSCs are seen as perovskites sandwiched between an electron transporting material(ETM) and a hole transporting material(HTM). As a primary component of PSCs, HTM has been shown to have a considerable effect on solar energy harvesting, carrier extraction and transport, crystallization of perovskite, stability, and price. In PSCs, it is still necessary to use a HTM.While perovskites are capable of conducting holes, they are present in trace amounts, necessitating the use of an HTM layer for efficient charge extraction. In this review, we provide an understanding of the significant forms of HTM accessible(inorganic, polymeric and small molecule-based HTMs), to motivate further research and development of such materials. The identification of additional criteria suggests a significant challenge to high stability and affordability in PSC.

Recent advances of Cu-based hole transport materials and their interface engineering concerning different processing methods in perovskite solar cells

In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have become a much charming photovoltaic technology and have triggered enormous studies worldwide, owing to their high efficiency, low cost and ease of preparation. The power conversion efficiency has rapidly increased by more than 6 times to the current 25.5% in the past decade. Hole transport materials (HTMs) are an indispensable part of PSCs, which great affect the efficiency, the cost and the stability of PSCs. Inorganic Cu-based p-type semiconductors are a kind of representative inorganic HTMs in PSCs due to their unique advantages of rich variety, low cost, excellent hole mobility, adjustable energy levels, good stability, low temperature and scalable processing ability. In this review, the research progress in new materials and the control of photoelectric properties of Cu-based inorganic HTMs were first summarized systematically. And then, concerning different processing methods, advances of the interface engineering of Cu-based hole transport layers (HTLs) in PSCs were detailly discussed. Finally, the challenges and future trends of Cu-based inorganic HTMs and their interface engineering in PSCs were analyzed.

Improving the performance of arylamine-based hole transporting materials in perovskite solar cells： Extending π-conjugation length or increasing the number of side groups？

In this work, we prepared three simple arylamine-based hole transporting materials from commercially available starting materials. The effect of extending z-conjugation length or increasing the number of side groups compared with reference compound on the photophysical, electrochemical, hole mobility properties and performance in perovskite solar cells were further studied. It is noted that these two kinds of molecular modifications can significantly lower the HOMO level and improve the hole mobility, thus improving the hole injection from valence band of perovskite. On the other hand, the compound with more side groups showed higher hole injection efficiency due to lower HOMO level and higher hole mo- bility compared with the compound with extending π-conjugation length. The perovskite solar cells with the modified molecules as hole transporting materials showed a higher efficiency of 15.40% and 16.95%, respectively, which is better than that of the reference compound （13.18%）. Moreover, the compound with increasing number of side groups based devices showed comparable photovoltaic performance with that of conventional spiro-OMeTAD （16.87%）.

Diketopyrrolopyrrole based D-π-A-π-D type small organic molecules as hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells

Three novel diketopyrrolopyrrole （DPP） based small organic molecules were synthesized as hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells. The effects of different donors and zr bridges on the performance of perovskite solar cells （PSCs） were discussed. The efficiency of TPADPP-1, TPADPP-2. PTZDPP-2 was 5.10%, 9.85% and 8.16% respectively. Compared to TPADPP-2, the voltage of PTZDPP-2 was higher. Because the electron-donatingability of phenothiazine based donor was larger than that of triphenylamine based donor, the HOMO level of PTZDPP-2 was lower than that of TPADPP-2. The results indicated that the diketopyrrolopyrrole based D-π-A-π-D type small organic molecule might be a promising hole trans- porting material in the perovskite solar cells.

Effect of hole-transporting materials on the photovoltaic performance and stability of all-ambient-processed perovskite solar cells

High-efficiency perovskite solar cells（PSCs） reported hitherto have been mostly prepared in a moisture and oxygen-free glove-box atmosphere, which hampers upscaling and real-time performance assessment of this exciting photovoltaic technology. In this work, we have systematically studied the feasibility of allambient-processing of PSCs and evaluated their photovoltaic performance. It has been shown that phasepure crystalline tetragonal MAPbI;perovskite films are instantly formed in ambient air at room temperature by a two-step spin coating process, undermining the need for dry atmosphere and post-annealing.All-ambient-processed PSCs with a configuration of FTO/TiO;/MAPbI;/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au achieve opencircuit voltage（990 mV） and short-circuit current density（20.31 mA/cm;） comparable to those of best reported glove-box processed devices. Nevertheless, device power conversion efficiency is still constrained at 5% by the unusually low fill-factor of 0.25. Dark current–voltage characteristics reveal poor conductivity of hole-transporting layer caused by lack of oxidized spiro-OMe TAD species, resulting in high seriesresistance and decreased fill-factor. The study also establishes that the above limitations can be readily overcome by employing an inorganic p-type semiconductor, copper thiocyanate, as ambient-processable hole-transporting layer to yield a fill-factor of 0.54 and a power conversion efficiency of 7.19%. The present findings can have important implications in industrially viable fabrication of large-area PSCs.

Progress in hole-transporting materials for perovskite solar cells

In recent years the photovoltaic community has witnessed the unprecedented development of perovskite solar cells（PSCs） as they have taken the lead in emergent photovoltaic technologies. The power conversion efficiency of this new class of solar cells has been increased to a point where they are beginning to compete with more established technologies. Although PSCs have evolved a variety of structures, the use of hole-transporting materials（HTMs） remains indispensable. Here, an overview of the various types of available HTMs is presented. This includes organic and inorganic HTMs and is presented alongside recent progress in associated aspects of PSCs, including device architectures and fabrication techniques to produce high-quality perovskite films. The structure, electrochemistry, and physical properties of a variety of HTMs are discussed, highlighting considerations for those designing new HTMs. Finally, an outlook is presented to provide more concrete direction for the development and optimization of HTMs for highefficiency PSCs.

Non-peripherally octaalkyl-substituted nickel phthalocyanines used as non-dopant hole transport materials in perovskite solar cells

This report presents two non-perihperally octaalkyl-substituted nickel phthalocyanines(NiPcs),namely,NiEt2Pc and NiPr_(2)Pc,for use as dopant-free hole transport materials in perovskite solar cells(PSCs).The length extension of the alkyl chains from ethyl to propyl significantly tunes the NiPcs’energy levels,thus reducing charge carrier recombination at the perovskite/hole transport layer(HTL)interface and leading to higher open-circuit voltage(VOC)and short-circuit current density(JSC)observed for the NiPr_(2)Pc-based PSC.And higher charge carrier mobility,higher thin film crystallinity,and lower surface roughness of the NiPr_(2)Pc HTL compared with that of the NiEt2Pc one also lead to higher JSC and fill factor(FF)observed for the NiPr_(2)Pc-based device.Consequently,the NiPr_(2)Pc-based PSC exhibits a higher power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 14.07%than that of the NiEt2Pc-based device(8.63%).

Novel donor-acceptor-donor structured small molecular hole transporting materials for planar perovskite solar cells

Novel donor-acceptor-donor structured small molecular hole transporting materials are developed through a facile route by crosslinking dithienopyrrolobenzothiadiazole and phenothiazine or triarylamine-based donor units. The strong push/pull electron capability of dithienopyrrolobenzothiadiazole/ phenothiazine and large π-conjugated dithienopyrrolobenzothiadiazole facilitate hole mobility and high conductivity. The devices using the dithienopyrrolobenzothiadiazole/phenothiazine-based hole trans-porting material achieved a power conversion efficiency of 14.2% under 1 sun illumination and improved stability under 20% relative humidity at room temperature without encapsulation. The present finding highlights the potential of dithienopyrrolobenzothiadiazole-based donor-acceptor-donor small molecular hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells.

High isotropic dispiro structure hole transporting materials for planar perovskite solar cells

Two novel fluorene-based hole transporting materials (HTMs) were synthesized to be used in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). C102 was designed based on C101 by simply linking the two carb on-carbon single bonds to compose a "dispiro" structure. Their typically similar structures cause them sharing almost the same energy levels. However, their photovoltaic performances are quite different due to the small variations. The PSC that contained the "dispiro" structure, C102, reached a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.4%, while the device contained C101, obtained a lower PCE of 15.5%. Electrochemical properties and Photovoltaic characterization of the two materials have been investigated to explain the result. It is shown that C102 has a stronger ability to transport holes and resist the charge recombination. Thus, the dispiro structure should be more appropriate being used as HTM in PSCs.

Tetrabenzotriazacorrole and its derivatives as undopea hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells:Synthesis,device fabrication,and device performance

Phosphorous tetrabenzotriazacorrole(TBC)and its two soluble derivatives(TBC-1 and TBC-2)were synthesized and used for the first time as undoped hole transporting materials(HTMs)in MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Their performance in PSCs was measured and compared with that of SpiroOMeTAD and phthalocyanine precursor.The fundamental properties related to HTMs are also examined.These novel HTMs are easily prepared,cost-effective,and solution processable.The materials exhibited much higher hole transport mobility and broader light absorption than pristine Spiro-OMeTAD and phthalocyanine precursor.They can work efficiently in the absence of any dopant for devices composed of FTO/cp-TiO2/mp-TiO2/MAPbI3/HTM/Au.The undoped mesoscopic solar cell devices based on TBC exhibited a promising power conversion efficiency(PCE)of up to 16.2%(measured at 100 mWcm2 illumination,AM 1.5 G),together with good long-term stability under ambient conditions.This PCE of 16.2%observed using TBC is remarkably higher than the 11.2%observed using undoped Spiro-OMeTAD and also much better than the 8.70%observed using its phthalocyanine precursor.As to substitution effects,α-substituted TBC-1 was found to be a better HTM thanβ-substituted TBC-2(PCE 11.4%)and unsubstituted TBC-3(PCE 6.81%)under the same conditions.These results provide the basis for further exploiting TBC compounds as a new type of low-cost and effective HTM for PSCs.

Synthesis and Characteristics of Hole-transporting Materials Based on Biphenyl Diamine Derivatives with Carbazole Groups

Two hole-transporting materials containing carbazole moieties with TPD- and NPB-like structures, 4,4′-bis [ N- （4-carbazolylphenyl） -N-phenylamino ] biphenyl （ CPB ） and 4,4′-bis [ N- （ 4-carbazolylphenyl ） -N- （ 1-naphthyl ） amino] biphenyl（ CNB）, were synthesized via a modified Ullmann reaction. The resulting compounds were thermally stable with high glass transition temperatures ranging from 145 to 147 ℃ and possessed a good electrochemical reversibility and hole-transporting properties. Typical double-layer device evaluation with the structure ITO/CPB（40 nm）/ Alq3 （60 nm）/LiF/Al demonstrated that they were promising hole-transporting materials with a current efficiency of 5.25 cd/A and a power efficiency of 2.00 lm/W.

Heteroatom engineering on spiro-type hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells

A series of spiro-type hole transporting materials, spiro-OMe TAD, spiro-SMe TAD and spiro-OSMe TAD,with methoxy, methylsulfanyl or half methoxy and half methylsulfanyl terminal groups are designed and prepared. The impact of varied terminal groups on bulk properties, such as photophysical, electrochemical, thermal, hole extraction, and photovoltaic performance in perovskite solar cells is investigated.It is noted that the terminal groups of the hole transporting material with half methoxy and half methylsulfanyl exhibit a better device performance and decreased hysteresis compared with all methoxy or methylsulfanyl counterparts due to better film-forming ability and improved hole extraction capability.Promisingly, the spiro-OSMe TAD also shows comparable performance than high-purity commercial spiro-OMe TAD. Moreover, the highest power conversion efficiency of the optimized device employing spiro-OSMe TAD exceeding 20% has been achieved.

Truxene-based Hole-transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells

Three star-shaped truxene-based small molecules（namely TXH,TXM,TXO） were synthesized,characterized and used as hole-transporting materials（HTMs） for perovskite solar cells（Pv SCs）. The device based on TXO delivered a respectable power conversion efficiency（PCE） of 7.89% and a high open-circuit voltage（Voc） of 0.97 V,which far exceeded the values of the devices based on other two small molecules. The highest PCE for the device based on TXO is mainly contributed from its lowest series resistance（Rs） value and largest short-circuit current（Jsc） value under the same circumstances. All these results indicate that TXO is a promising HTM candidate for Pv SCs.

C≡N-based carbazole-arylamine hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells: Substitution position matters

Hole transporting materials(HTMs)containing passivating groups for perovskite materials have attracted much attention for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Among them,C≡N-based molecules have been proved as efficient HTMs.Herein,a series of novel C≡N functionalized carbazole-arylamine derivatives with variable C≡N substitution positions(para,meta,and ortho)on benzene-carbazole skeleton(on the adjacent benzene of carbazole)were synthesized(p-HTM,m-HTM and o-HTM).The experimental results exhibit that the substitution positions of the Ctriple bondN unit on HTMs have minor difference on the HOMO energy level and hydrophobicity.m-HTM has a relatively lower glass transition temperature compared with that of p-HTM and o-HTM.The functional theory calculations show that the C≡N located on meta position exposed very well,and the exposure direction is also the same with the methoxy.Upon applying these molecules as HTMs in PSCs,their device performance is found to sensitively depend on the substitution position of the C≡N unit on the molecule skeleton.The devices using m-HTM and o-HTM exhibit better performance than that of p-HTM.Moreover,m-HTM-based devices exhibit better light-soaking performance and long-term stability,which could be resulted from better interaction with the perovskite according to DFT results.Moreover,we further prepared a HTM with two C≡N units on the symmetrical meta position of molecular skeleton(2m-HTM).Interestingly,2m-HTM-based devices exhibit relatively inferior performance compared with that of the m-HTM,which could be resulted from weak negative electrical character of C≡N unit on 2m-HTM.The results give some new insights for designing ideal HTM for efficient and stable PSCs.

Dopant-free small molecule hole transport materials based on triphenylamine derivatives for perovskite solar cells

In the past decade,perovskite solar cells have become a promising candidate in the photovoltaic industry owing to their high power conversion efficiency that surpasses 25%.However,there are certain limitations that have hindered the development and full-scale practical application of these cells,including the high cost and degradation of perovskite caused by the dopants.Hence,there is an urgent need to develop dopant-free hole transport materials(HTMs).In recent years,HTMs based on triphenylamine(TPA-HTMs)are receiving growing interest owing to their high hole mobility,excellent film formation,and suitable energy levels.The literature here covers work relevant to TPA-HTMs in the last five years.They have been classified according to different core types.The correlations between performance and structure are summarized,and the future development trend of TPA-HTMs is highlighted.

Application of phenonaphthazine derivatives as hole-transporting materials for perovskite solar cells

Two electron-rich, solution-processable phenonaphthazine derivatives, 5,12-bis(N-[4,4'-bis-(phenyl) aminophen-4 ''-yl]}-phenonaphthazine (BPZTPA) and 5,12-bis{N-[4,4'-bis(methoxy-phenyl)aminophen-4'-phenonaphthazine (MeO-BPZTPA) have been designed and employed in the fabrication of perovskite solar cells. BPZTPA and MeO-BPZTPA exhibit excellent thermal stabilities, hole mobilities (similar to 10(-4) cm(2)/(V.s)) and suitable HOMO levels (-5.34 and-5.29 eV, respectively) relative to the valence band of the CH3NH3PbI3 and Au work function, showing their potential as alternative hole-transporting materials (HTMs). Meanwhile, the corresponding mesoporous TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3/HTM/Au devices are investigated, and the best power conversion efficiency of 10.36% has been achieved for MeO-BPZTPA without using p-type dopant. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.