Linfeng Pan

Related publications (15)

A universal co-solvent dilution strategy enables facile and cost-effective fabrication of perovskite photovoltaics

Paramvir Ahlawat, Masaud Hassan S Almalki, Viacheslav Bolnykh, Ulf Anders Hagfeldt, Anurag Krishna, Linfeng Pan, Dan Ren, Ursula Röthlisberger, Sandy Sanchez Alonso, Tzu-Sen Su, Narges Yaghoobi Nia, Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin, Hong Zhang

Cost management and toxic waste generation are two key issues that must be addressed before the commercialization of perovskite optoelectronic devices. We report a ground-breaking strategy for eco-friendly and cost-effective fabrication of highly efficient perovskitesolar cells. This strategy involves the usage of a high volatility co-solvent, which dilutesperovskite precursors to a lower concentration (1.4 M) solution. More than 70% of toxicwaste and material cost can be reduced. Mechanistic insights reveal ultra-rapid evaporationof the co-solvent together with beneficial alteration of the precursor colloidal chemistryupon dilution with co-solvent, which in-situ studies and theoretical simulations confirm.The co-solvent tuned precursor colloidal properties also contribute to the enhancement ofthe stability of precursor solution, which extends its processing window thus minimizing thewaste. This strategy is universally successful across different perovskite compositions, andscales from small devices to large-scale modules using industrial spin-coating, potentiallyeasing the lab-to-fab translation of perovskite technologies.

2022

Anchoring single platinum atoms onto nickel nanoparticles affords highly selective catalysts for lignin conversion

Lichen Bai, Lu Chen, Paul Joseph Dyson, Zhaofu Fei, Ulf Anders Hagfeldt, Gabor Laurenczy, Jun Li, Linfeng Pan, Yun Tong, Antoine Philippe Van Muyden

Due to the highly complex polyphenolic structure of lignin, depolymerization without a prior chemical treatment is challenging, and new catalysts are required. Atomically dispersed catalysts are able to maximize the atomic efficiency of noble metals, simultaneously providing an alternative strategy to tune the activity and selectivity by alloying with other abundant metal supports. Here, we report a highly active and selective catalyst comprising monodispersed (single) Pt atoms on Ni nanoparticles supported on carbon (denoted as Pt1Ni/C, where Pt-1 represents single Pt atoms), designed for the reductive depolymerization of lignin. Selectivity toward 4-n-propylsyringol and 4-n-propylguaiacol exceeds 90%. The activity and selectivity of the Pt1Ni/C catalyst in the reductive depolymerization of lignin may be attributed to synergistic effects between the Ni nanoparticles and the single Pt atoms.

ELSEVIER2021

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The performance of perovskite solar cells is highly dependent on the fabrication method; thus, controlling the growth mechanism of perovskite crystals is a promising way towards increasing their efficiency and stability. Herein, a multi-cation halide composition of perovskite solar cells is engineered via the two-step sequential deposition method. Strikingly, it is found that adding mixtures of 1D polymorphs of orthorhombic delta-RbPbI3 and delta-CsPbI3 to the PbI2 precursor solution induces the formation of porous mesostructured hexagonal films. This porosity greatly facilitates the heterogeneous nucleation and the penetration of FA (formamidinium)/MA (methylammonium) cations within the PbI2 film. Thus, the subsequent conversion of PbI2 into the desired multication cubic alpha-structure by exposing it to a solution of formamidinium methylammonium halides is greatly enhanced. During the conversion step, the delta-CsPbI3 also is fully integrated into the 3D mixed cation perovskite lattice, which exhibits high crystallinity and superior optoelectronic properties. The champion device shows a power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 22%. Furthermore, these devices exhibit enhanced operational stability, with the best device retaining more than 90% of its initial value of PCE under 1 Sun illumination with maximum power point tracking for 400 h.

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH2021

Methylammonium Triiodide for Defect Engineering of High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells

Paramvir Ahlawat, Essa Awadh R Alharbi, Claudia Esther Avalos, Thomas Paul Baumeler, Mathias Dankl, Felix Thomas Eickemeyer, George Cameron Fish, Michael Graetzel, Ulf Anders Hagfeldt, Elsa John, Anurag Krishna, Mounir Driss Mensi, Jacques-Edouard Moser, Olivier Ouellette, Linfeng Pan, Lukas Pfeifer, Ursula Röthlisberger, Pascal Alexander Schouwink, Viktor Skorjanc, Bowen Yang, Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin

The defects present in metal halide perovskite are deleterious to both the performance and stability of photovoltaic devices. Consequently, there is an intense focus on developing defect mitigation strategies. Herein we report a facile strategy that employs methylammonium triiodide (MAI3) as an additive to the perovskite precursor solution. We examine the effect of MAI3 on the structural and optoelectronic properties by X-ray diffraction, density functional theory calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, steady-state, time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), and time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy (TRTS). Specifically, TRPL and TRTS show that MAI3 suppresses nonradiative recombination and increases the charge carrier mobility. As a result, the champion device shows a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.46% with a high fill factor of >80%. Furthermore, these devices exhibit enhanced operational stability, with the best device retaining ∼90% of its initial PCE under 1 sun illumination with maximum power point tracking for 350 h.

2021

Cu2O photocathodes with band-tail states assisted hole transport for standalone solar water splitting

Michael Graetzel, Ulf Anders Hagfeldt, Yuhang Liu, Linfeng Pan, Dan Ren, Kevin Sivula, Liang Yao

Photoelectrochemical water splitting provides a promising solution for harvesting and storing solar energy. As the best-performing oxide photocathode, the Cu2O photocathode holds the performance rivaling that of many photovoltaic semiconductor-based photocathodes through continuous research and development. However, the state-of-the-art Cu2O photocathode employs gold as the back contact which can lead to considerable electron-hole recombination. Here, we present a Cu2O photocathode with overall improved performance, enabled by using solution-processed CuSCN as hole transport material. Two types of CuSCN with different structures are synthesized and carefully compared. Furthermore, detailed characterizations reveal that hole transport between Cu2O and CuSCN is assisted by band-tail states. Owing to the multiple advantages of applying CuSCN as the hole transport layer, a standalone solar water splitting tandem cell is built, delivering a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 4.55%. Finally, approaches towards more efficient dual-absorber tandems are discussed.

2020

Guanine‐Stabilized Formamidinium Lead Iodide Perovskites

Paramvir Ahlawat, David Lyndon Emsley, Ulf Anders Hagfeldt, Li Hong, Dominik Józef Kubicki, Yuhang Liu, Jovana Milic, Marko Mladenovic, Linfeng Pan, Dan Ren, Ursula Röthlisberger, Marco Alejandro Ruiz Preciado, Amita Ummadisingu, Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin

Formamidinium (FA) lead iodide perovskite materials feature promising photovoltaic performances and superior thermal stabilities. However, conversion of the perovskite α‐FAPbI3 phase to the thermodynamically stable yet photovoltaically inactive δ‐FAPbI3 phase compromises the photovoltaic performance. A strategy is presented to address this challenge by using low‐dimensional hybrid perovskite materials comprising guaninium (G) organic spacer layers that act as stabilizers of the three‐dimensional α‐FAPbI3 phase. The underlying mode of interaction at the atomic level is unraveled by means of solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X‐ray crystallography, transmission electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, and DFT calculations. Low‐dimensional‐phase‐containing hybrid FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells are obtained with improved performance and enhanced long‐term stability.

2020

Tailored Amphiphilic Molecular Mitigators for Stable Perovskite Solar Cells with 23.5% Efficiency

Brian Irving Carlsen, Mohammad Ibrahim Dar, Xiaofei Dong, Felix Thomas Eickemeyer, Ulf Anders Hagfeldt, Xiong Li, Yuhang Liu, Linfeng Pan, Dan Ren, Marco Alejandro Ruiz Preciado, Zaiwei Wang, Bowen Yang, Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin, Hongwei Zhu

Passivation of interfacial defects serves as an effective means to realize highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, most molecular modulators currently used to mitigate such defects form poorly conductive aggregates at the perovskite interface with the charge collection layer, impeding the extraction of photogenerated charge carriers. Here, a judiciously engineered passivator, 4‐tert‐butyl‐benzylammonium iodide (tBBAI), is introduced, whose bulky tert‐butyl groups prevent the unwanted aggregation by steric repulsion. It is found that simple surface treatment with tBBAI significantly accelerates the charge extraction from the perovskite into the spiro‐OMeTAD hole‐transporter, while retarding the nonradiative charge carrier recombination. This boosts the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSC from ≈20% to 23.5% reducing the hysteresis to barely detectable levels. Importantly, the tBBAI treatment raises the fill factor from 0.75 to the very high value of 0.82, which concurs with a decrease in the ideality factor from 1.72 to 1.34, confirming the suppression of radiation‐less carrier recombination. The tert‐butyl group also provides a hydrophobic umbrella protecting the perovskite film from attack by ambient moisture. As a result, the PSCs show excellent operational stability retaining over 95% of their initial PCE after 500 h full‐sun illumination under maximum‐power‐point tracking under continuous simulated solar irradiation.

2020

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Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, if powered by renewable electricity, could serve as a sustainable technology for carbon recycling and energy storage. Among all the products, ethanol is an attractive liquid fuel. However, the maximum faradaic efficiency of ethanol is only approximate to 10 % on polycrystalline Cu. Here, CuZn bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by in situ electrochemical reduction of ZnO-shell/CuO-core bi-metal-oxide. Dynamic evolution of catalyst was revealed by STEM-EDS mapping, showing the migration of Zn atom and blending between Cu and Zn. CuZn bimetallic catalysts showed preference towards ethanol formation, with the ratio of ethanol/ethylene increasing over five times regardless of applied potential. We achieved 41 % faradaic efficiency for C2+ liquids with this catalyst. Transitioning from H-cell to an electrochemical flow cell, we achieved 48.6 % faradaic efficiency and -97 mA cm(-2) partial current density for C2+ liquids at only -0.68 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in 1 m KOH. Operando Raman spectroscopy showed that CO binding on Cu sites was modified by Zn. Free CO and adsorbed *CH3 are believed to combine and form *COCH3 intermediate, which is exclusively reduced to ethanol.

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH2019

Cuprous Oxide Photoelectrodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting towards Unassisted Solar Hydrogen Production

Linfeng Pan

To handle global problems of energy and environmental pollution, efforts have been made to harvest energy from sunlight. Photoelectrochemcal water splitting is an efficient way to achieve sustainable solar-fuel production. However, to make this method competitive to traditional methods, low-cost, abundant and high-performance semiconductor materials are required. Among which, Cu2O is a promising candidate. Conformal atomic layer deposited layers are applied on the photocathode to improve performance and stability. Electrodeposited catalyst composing earth-abundant elements are used to decrease kinetic barrier. A great enhancement on overall performance is achieved.

EPFL2019

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Artificial photosynthesis promises to become a sustainable way to harvest solar energy and store it in chemical fuels by means of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. Although it is intriguing to shift the fossil-fuel-based economy to a renewable carbon-neutral one, which will alleviate environmental problems, there is still a long way to go before it rivals traditional energy sources. Existing solar water-splitting devices can be sorted into three categories: photovoltaic-powered electrolysis, PEC water splitting, and photocatalysis (PC). PEC and PC systems hold the potential to further reduce the cost of devices due to their simple structures in which photoabsorbers and catalysts are closely integrated. PC is expected to be the least expensive approach; however, additional costs and concerns are brought about by the subsequent explosive gas separation. At the heart of all devices, semiconductor photoabsorbers should be efficient, robust, and cheap to satisfy the strict requirements on the market. Therefore, this Review intends to give readers an overview on PEC water splitting, with an emphasis on oxide material-based devices, which hold the potential to support global-scale production in the future.

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH2019