A new conducting polymer poly (3, 4-phenylenedioxythiophene) is synthesized by the electrochemical polymerization technique with different solvents. We find that solvents used in electrochemical polymerization play important roles for the catalytic activity and morphology of the formed conducting polymers. The obtained poly (3, 4-phenylenedioxythiophene) is for the first time employed as counter electrode electrocatalyst in dye sensitized solar cells with cobalt-based electrolytes. We demonstrate that a polymer prepared from a mixed acetonitrile-dichloromethane solvent exhibit higher catalytic activity for redox reactions, as compared to that from a single solvent, dichloromethane. The devices based on this mixed solvent-based polymer from a mixed solvents show a high power conversion efficiency of 5.97%. An additional advantageous feature of the electrochemically polymerized poly (3, 4-phenylenedioxythiophene) for solar cell applications is the high transparency in the visible and nearinfrared region. We also investigate the beneficial effect of the poly (3, 4-phenylenedioxythiophene) layer thickness on device performance, and concluded that the series resistance and charge transfer resistance are greatly influenced by the thickness of polymer, as evidenced by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The optimal thickness for poly (3, 4-phenylenedioxythiophene) is about 100 nm. Furthermore, the high catalytic activity and transparency of the new conducting polymer as counter electrode shows great promise for other optoelectronic applications.

Conjugated polymers have been widely used as hole transport materials (HTM) in the preparation of mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, we employed p-type doped conducting polymer known as poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-bis-N,N-(-4-butyl phenyl)-bis-N,N-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine) (PFB) as a hole transport material (HTM) in perovskite based solar cell. The effect of dopant concentration on the optical and electrical properties of PEB was investigated to optimize the electrical properties of the material for the best function of the solar cell. The highest power conversion efficiency of mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PSCs), fabricated in this investigation, was found to be 14.04% which is 57% higher than that of pristine PFB hole transport layer. The UV–Vis absorption and Raman spectroscopy measurements confirm the occurrence of oxidation in a p-type doped PFB hole transport layer. This is attributed to the transfer of electrons from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of PEB to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of F4TCNQ. The solar cells produced using p-type doped PFB:F4TCNQ composite not only improves device performances but also shows superior long-term stability. The optical, morphological and electrical properties of the doped composite PFB: F4TCNQ and newly fabricated devices are presented and discussed in this paper.

Herein, we have reported an easily synthesized CoS2/Ni3S2/CoNiOx water oxidation catalyst with excellent catalytic activity and superior durability. The as-prepared catalyst required overpotential (eta) as low as 256 mV to exhibit a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) in 1.0 M KOH. Remarkably, it sustained a current density of 1 A cm(-2) for one week in 30% KOH solution with only 25 mV increment of eta. Thus, it is a hopeful candidate as a highly-effective water oxidation electrode in practical applications.

An efficient and robust water oxidation catalyst based on abundant and cheap materials is the key to converting solar energy into fuels through artificial photosynthesis for the future of humans. The development of molecular water oxidation catalysts (MWOCs) is a smart way to achieve promising catalytic activity, thanks to the clear structures and catalytic mechanisms of molecular catalysts. Efficient MWOCs based on noble-metal complexes, for example, ruthenium and iridium, have been well developed over the last 30 years; however, the development of earth-abundant metal-based MWOCs is very limited and still challenging. Herein, the promising prospect of iron-based MWOCs is highlighted, with a comprehensive summary of previously reported studies and future research focus in this area.

Copper (II) phthalocyanines (CuPcs) have attracted growing interest as promising hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to their low-cost and excellent stability. However, the most efficient PSCs using CuPc-based HTMs reported thus far still rely on hygroscopic p-type dopants, which notoriously deteriorate device stability. Herein, two new CuPc derivatives are designed, namely CuPc-Bu and CuPc-OBu, by molecular engineering of the non-peripheral substituents of the Pc rings, and applied as dopant-free HTMs in PSCs. Remarkably, a small structural change from butyl groups to butoxy groups in the substituents of the Pc rings significantly influences the molecular ordering and effectively improves the hole mobility and solar cell performance. As a consequence, PSCs based on dopant-free CuPc-OBu as HTMs deliver an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 17.6% under one sun illumination, which is considerably higher than that of devices with CuPc-Bu (14.3%). Moreover, PSCs containing dopant-free CuPc-OBu HTMs show a markedly improved ambient stability when stored without encapsulation under ambient conditions with a relative humidity of 85% compared to devices containing doped Spiro-OMeTAD. This work thus provides a fundamental strategy for the future design of cost-effective and stable HTMs for PSCs and other optoelectronic devices.

Transparent wood is a candidate for use as an energy-saving building material due to its low density (ca. 1.2 g/cm(3)), high optical transmittance (over 85% at 1 mm thickness), low thermal conductivity (0.23 W m(-1) K-1), and good load-bearing performance with tough failure behavior (no shattering). High optical transmittance also makes transparent wood a candidate for optoelectronic devices. In this work, for the first time, perovskite solar cells processed at low temperature (<150 degrees C) were successfully assembled directly on transparent wood substrates. A power conversion efficiency up to 16.8% was obtained. The technologies demonstrated may pave the way for integration of solar cells with light transmitting wood building structures for energy-saving purposes.

Low cost transition metal-based electrocatalysts for water oxidation and understanding their structure-activity relationship are greatly desired for clean and sustainable chemical fuel production. Herein, a core-shell (CS) NiFeCr metal/metal hydroxide catalyst was fabricated on a 3D Cu nanoarray by a simple electrodeposition-activation method. A synergistic promotion effect between electronic structure modulation and nanostructure regulation was presented on a CS-NiFeCr oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst: the 3D nanoarchitecture facilitates the mass transport process, the in situ formed interface metal/metal hydroxide heterojunction accelerates the electron transfer, and the electronic structure modulation by Cr incorporation improves the reaction kinetics. Benefiting from the synergy between structural and electronic modulation, the catalyst shows excellent activity toward water oxidation under alkaline conditions: overpotential of 200 mV at 10 mA/cm(2) current density and Tafel slope of 28 mV/dec. This work opens up a new window for understanding the structure-activity relationship of OER catalysts and encourages new strategies for development of more advanced OER catalysts.

Many nonprecious metal-selenide-based materials have been reported as electrocatalysts with high activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a hybrid catalyst film composed of Cu2Se and Cu2O nanoparticles directly grown on Ti foil (Cu2Se-Cu2O/TF) was prepared through a simple and fast cathodic electrodeposition method. Surprisingly, this electrode required a relatively low overpotential of 465 mV to achieve a catalytic current density of 10 mA cm-2 for the OER in 0.2 M carbonate buffer (pH = 11.0). Furthermore, a long-term constant current electrolysis test confirmed the high durability of the Cu2Se-Cu2O/TF anode at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 over 20 h. The XRD, TEM and XPS analysis of the sample after the OER indicated that a CuO protective layer formed on the surface of the Cu2Se-Cu2O catalyst, which effectively suppressed further oxidation of the Cu2Se-Cu2O catalyst during the OER and resulted in sustained catalytic oxidation of water.

An ultrathin two-dimensional Zn porphyrin-based metal-organic framework (Zn-MOF nanosheets) is developed and used for the first time in photoreduction of CO2 to CO. Consequently, two novelty noble-metal-free hybrid photocatalytic systems are established and displayed outstanding photocatalytic activity and selectivity for CO evolution under mild photocatalytic reaction conditions. The insight revealed Zn-MOF nanosheets as photo sensitizer displays a better charge transport ability and longer lifetime of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs than the Zn-MOF bulk, which are confirmed by photoelectrochemical impedance and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. These studies show that the development of noble-metal-free photocatalytic systems and various MOF-based materials for photocatalytic applications are promising.

Atomically thin 2D heterostructures have opened new realms in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Herein, 2D lateral heterostructures of mesoporous In2O3-x/In2S3 atomic layers are synthesized through the in situ oxidation of In2S3 atomic layers by an oxygen plasma-induced strategy. Based on experimental observations and theoretical calculations, the prolonged charge carrier lifetime and increased electron density reveal the efficient photoexcited carrier transport and separation in the In2O3-x/In2S3 layers by interfacial bonding at the atomic level. As expected, the synergistic structural and electronic modulations of the In2O3-x/In2S3 layers generate a photocurrent of 1.28 mA cm(-2) at 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode, nearly 21 and 79 times higher than those of the In2S3 atomic layers and bulk counterpart, respectively. Due to the large surface area, abundant active sites, broadband-light harvesting ability, and effective charge transport pathways, the In2O3-x/In2S3 layers build efficient pathways for photoexcited charge in the 2D semiconductive channels, expediting charge transport and kinetic processes and enhancing the robust broadband-light photo-electrochemical water splitting performance. This work paves new avenues for the exploration and design of atomically thin 2D lateral heterostructures toward robust photo-electrochemical applications and solar energy utilization.