• Energy Research

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Dye sensitized photooxygenations of 1-naphthols were investigated with soluble and solid-supported sensitizers and moderate to excellent yields of the corresponding 1,4-naphthoquinones were achieved in relatively short irradiation times. The mild and environmentally friendly reaction conditions made this application particularly attractive for ‘Green Photochemistry’. Consequently, the photooxygenation of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene was studied with non-concentrated and moderately concentrated sunlight and 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (Juglone) was obtained in yields up to 71%.

Dye sensitized photooxygenations of 1-naphthols were investigated with soluble and solid-supported sensitizers and moderate to excellent yields of the corresponding 1,4-naphthoquinones were achieved in relatively short irradiation times. The mild and environmentally friendly reaction conditions made this application particularly attractive for ‘Green Photochemistry’. Consequently, the photooxygenation of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene was studied with non-concentrated and moderately concentrated sunlight and 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (Juglone) was obtained in yields up to 71%.

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have received considerable attention over the past two decades as a promising alternative to their inorganic counterparts. Although the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of OPVs has rapidly increased in the last ten years exceeding 18%, higher PCEs are still needed to commercialize this emerging technology. The weak light absorption, particularly at wavelengths outside the visible region, and the recombination losses of the photo-generated charge carriers represent the major challenges for the PCE of OPVS. The light harvest and survival of the photo-generated charge carriers within OPVs are restricted to multiple factors such as material properties and device engineering. The application of different types of inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) in OPVs has been reported by many researchers as an effective strategy to overcome most of the PCE limitations. Here, a comprehensive overview of the progress in the performance of OPVs due to the application of different INPs over the past decade is provided. This review also presents an in-depth analysis of the efficiency loss pathways at the different steps of the photovoltaic effect and how INPs can address these issues resulting in PCE enhancement of OPVs. Finally, the impacts of this approach on the stability and cost of the device in addition to challenges and outlook are discussed.

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have received considerable attention over the past two decades as a promising alternative to their inorganic counterparts. Although the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of OPVs has rapidly increased in the last ten years exceeding 18%, higher PCEs are still needed to commercialize this emerging technology. The weak light absorption, particularly at wavelengths outside the visible region, and the recombination losses of the photo-generated charge carriers represent the major challenges for the PCE of OPVS. The light harvest and survival of the photo-generated charge carriers within OPVs are restricted to multiple factors such as material properties and device engineering. The application of different types of inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) in OPVs has been reported by many researchers as an effective strategy to overcome most of the PCE limitations. Here, a comprehensive overview of the progress in the performance of OPVs due to the application of different INPs over the past decade is provided. This review also presents an in-depth analysis of the efficiency loss pathways at the different steps of the photovoltaic effect and how INPs can address these issues resulting in PCE enhancement of OPVs. Finally, the impacts of this approach on the stability and cost of the device in addition to challenges and outlook are discussed.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene has gained significant attention as a potential alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conducting electrode (TCE) for organic photovoltaics (OPVs). However, the high cost, complex manufacturing process, and elevated deposition temperatures limit the widespread application of CVD-graphene for TCEs. Furthermore, the transfer of CVD-graphene from the growth substrate (metal catalyst) onto the transparent target substrate (e.g. glass, PET, etc.) can result in substantial degradation of the graphene characteristics. Therefore, the direct growth of high-quality CVD-graphene on transparent substrates is an ultimate goal. Plasma-enhanced CVD facilitates graphene growth on dielectric substrates, but the resulting films often exhibit high sheet resistance and structural defects. This critical review discusses the advancements in CVD-graphene TCEs over the past decade. It investigates the synthesis of CVD-graphene on metal catalysts and explores various transfer methods in detail. The growth of CVD-graphene on dielectric substrates and the different strategies proposed to enhance its properties for TCE applications are scrutinized. More importantly, the most recent advances in single-step manufacture of CVD-graphene TCEs are discussed. This report also presents new insights and perspectives to address the current challenges of scalable production of transfer-free graphene TCEs for OPVs and other optoelectronics.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene has gained significant attention as a potential alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conducting electrode (TCE) for organic photovoltaics (OPVs). However, the high cost, complex manufacturing process, and elevated deposition temperatures limit the widespread application of CVD-graphene for TCEs. Furthermore, the transfer of CVD-graphene from the growth substrate (metal catalyst) onto the transparent target substrate (e.g. glass, PET, etc.) can result in substantial degradation of the graphene characteristics. Therefore, the direct growth of high-quality CVD-graphene on transparent substrates is an ultimate goal. Plasma-enhanced CVD facilitates graphene growth on dielectric substrates, but the resulting films often exhibit high sheet resistance and structural defects. This critical review discusses the advancements in CVD-graphene TCEs over the past decade. It investigates the synthesis of CVD-graphene on metal catalysts and explores various transfer methods in detail. The growth of CVD-graphene on dielectric substrates and the different strategies proposed to enhance its properties for TCE applications are scrutinized. More importantly, the most recent advances in single-step manufacture of CVD-graphene TCEs are discussed. This report also presents new insights and perspectives to address the current challenges of scalable production of transfer-free graphene TCEs for OPVs and other optoelectronics.