Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-26DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500150
Aritra Ghosh
{"title":"Solar-Powered Green Hydrogen from Electrolyzer (PV-H2): A Review","authors":"Aritra Ghosh","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500150","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500150","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This review focuses on solar-powered hydrogen production using electrolyzers. Electricity, typically generated by burning fossil fuels, remains essential but is also a major source of environmental harm. Hydrogen presents a promising alternative energy vector, capable of replacing traditional electricity generation methods and serving as an efficient energy storage medium. Among available technologies, water electrolyzers are among the most competitive systems for hydrogen production, as they emit no harmful pollutants during operation. However, hydrogen production requires energy input, and renewable sources particularly solar power offer one of the cleanest pathways for this purpose. Like other renewables, solar energy is intermittent, and such fluctuations can affect the stability and efficiency of hydrogen production systems. Directly coupling solar PV with electrolyzers offers potential cost benefits by eliminating converters and reducing conversion losses, but it also presents challenges in terms of system stability and the long-term durability of the electrolyzer. Currently, beyond conventional ground-mounted systems, alternative photovoltaic (PV) configurations are gaining attention, including floating PV (FPV), agrivoltaic PV, and building-integrated PV systems. FPV, in particular, is gaining momentum due to its close proximity to water sources, which facilitates integration with electrolyzers. Offshore FPV systems can be potential by supporting solar-powered desalination to purify seawater for electrolysis. At the gigawatt scale or above of solar-powered hydrogen production, several challenges emerge, including land use constraints, high material costs, and limited availability of resources. While electrolyzer durability is generally well understood, their long-term performance under fluctuating solar input whether through direct or indirect coupling remains under-researched, representing a significant gap in the current body of knowledge.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/solr.202500150","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144688198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-25DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500136
Mengmeng Cheng, Wang Zhao, Teng Liao, Yuanzhu Jiang, Junyan Xiao, Yi-Bing Cheng
{"title":"Top Electrode-Assisted Hole-Transporting Layer Deposition for Perovskite Solar Cells","authors":"Mengmeng Cheng, Wang Zhao, Teng Liao, Yuanzhu Jiang, Junyan Xiao, Yi-Bing Cheng","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500136","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The incorporation of hole-transporting material (HTM) is crucial for optimizing the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the standard spin-coating method commonly used in laboratories is not conducive to the large-scale preparation of HTMs for devices. In this study, we present a novel approach that employs conductive porous overlayers, specifically multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) films, to facilitate the fabrication of HTM layers. By integrating MWCNT films with HTM precursor solutions, we achieved the simultaneous formation of the HTM layer and the top electrode. Furthermore, selecting an appropriate additional cover layer allowed us to create an HTM layer characterized by uniform thickness and optimal contact with the MWCNT-based electrode. This innovative method eliminates the need for specialized equipment and enables PSC devices to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 17.58% with good stability. This streamlined approach holds significant promise for enabling large-scale, cost-effective production of high-performance perovskite solar cells while addressing the challenges associated with conventional HTM preparation techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144688123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500170
Ashish Gaur, Jatin Sharma, Hae In Lee, Dong-Ha Lim, HyukSu Han
{"title":"Atomically Dispersed Catalytic Sites for the Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting","authors":"Ashish Gaur, Jatin Sharma, Hae In Lee, Dong-Ha Lim, HyukSu Han","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500170","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The development of green hydrogen generating technology is currently of the utmost importance. The photoelectrochemical water splitting (PECWS) is one of the primary methods for green hydrogen generation. Recently, individuals have been investigating atomically dispersed sites anchored on semiconductor supports for the PECWS. The single-atom catalysts (SACs) offer very accurate catalytic sites which improve the reaction kinetics for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. This review emphasizes current advancements in SACs-based catalysts, notably addressing their distinctive electronic structure and enhanced charge separation. The review also discusses the sophisticated characterization methods for the analysis of single-atom-based catalysts, coupled with the computational details elucidating the selectivity and activity of these catalysts for PECWS. Moreover, challenges associated with the SACs include active site aggregation and limited stability under extreme conditions. Ultimately, the analysis delineates the future outlook on the design of SAC-based photoelectrodes. This analysis provides significant insights into the design and production of the SACs for the PECWS.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144688224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-23DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500309
Shasha Huo, Wei Li, Xiaokun Gu, Ling Qiu, Feiyu Kang, Bo Sun
{"title":"Carbonized Ganoderma for Ultrahigh Solar Vapor Generation","authors":"Shasha Huo, Wei Li, Xiaokun Gu, Ling Qiu, Feiyu Kang, Bo Sun","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500309","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Solar energy utilization in the interfacial evaporation has achieved near-perfect efficiency, close to its theoretical maximum. Herein, we further enhance the solar evaporation rate by harnessing the abundant ambient heat through exquisite structural design. We demonstrate that Carbonized Ganoderma (CG) exhibits an evaporation rate of 4.9 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> with a 94% solar–to–steam efficiency under one sun irradiation. This ultrahigh evaporation is achieved by efficient absorbance of ambient heat, which is significantly larger than solar energy. The CG, characterized by a natural hierarchical microstructure with high specific surface area and permeability, maximizes the utilization of ambient heat. Furthermore, our quantitative analysis reveals that ambient heat plays a dominant role in driving evaporation, especially for such high evaporation rate far exceeding the thermodynamic limit of 1.48 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>. Our work proposes a general approach that effectively harvests ambient energy for ultrahigh water evaporation, employing hierarchical porous structures with high permeability.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-23DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500290
Milad Ghasemi, Cem Maden, Gence Bektaş, Konstantin Tsoi, Görkem Günbaş, Hande Ustunel, Selçuk Yerci
{"title":"Self-Assembled Superacid Monolayers on c-Si Provide Exceptional Surface Passivation and Low Contact Resistivity","authors":"Milad Ghasemi, Cem Maden, Gence Bektaş, Konstantin Tsoi, Görkem Günbaş, Hande Ustunel, Selçuk Yerci","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500290","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Minimizing surface recombination is crucial for enhancing silicon solar cell passivation. Conventional dielectric materials require vacuum deposition and high-temperature annealing, increasing complexity and cost. This study explores Nonafluorobutane sulfonic acid (C<sub>4</sub>HF<sub>9</sub>O<sub>3</sub>S), a superacid, as a passivation layer for silicon solar cells. Unlike traditional dielectrics, it eliminates the need for vacuum processing or high-temperature annealing while offering excellent passivation. Results show that the superacid forms a self-assembled monolayer on silicon, improving passivation and enabling efficient charge extraction. N-type silicon coated with the superacid achieves an effective lifetime exceeding 8.5 ms, and when combined with Al, it forms an interface with a contact resistivity as low as 5.75 mΩ.cm<sup>2</sup>. Characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm both chemical and field-effect passivation mechanisms, validating the monolayer's superior performance. When integrated into a full solar cell, the Nona layer enhances device performance, yielding a 3.05% absolute efficiency gain compared to the reference cell without Nona. This study introduces a cost-effective alternative to conventional dielectrics, simplifying processing while reducing production costs and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, paving the way for sustainable, high-efficiency silicon solar cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-23DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500299
Zhiwei Li, Jiali Tang, Kai Yu, Qin Xiao, Qiangzhong Zhu, XinJun Li, Zhichao Ji, Baoyu Huang, Jian Huang, Le Wang, Yifeng Chen, Xilian Sun, Jifan Gao, Lang Zhou
{"title":"Effect of Firing Temperature on Damp Heat Stability of n-TOPCon Solar Cells’ Rear Side","authors":"Zhiwei Li, Jiali Tang, Kai Yu, Qin Xiao, Qiangzhong Zhu, XinJun Li, Zhichao Ji, Baoyu Huang, Jian Huang, Le Wang, Yifeng Chen, Xilian Sun, Jifan Gao, Lang Zhou","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500299","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500299","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Laser-enhanced contact optimization (LECO) technology is one of the ideal candidates to reduce front contact resistance and metal-induced recombination of n-type tunnel oxide-passivated contact (n-TOPCon) solar cells. However, there are concerns regarding the reliability of TOPCon modules processed by using LECO, especially in hot and humid conditions. This study explores the degradation of the front and rear sides of TOPCon solar cells under different firing temperatures through highly accelerated temperature and humidity stress testing (HAST) and dry thermal stress testing (DST). It reveals that 700°C is the optimal firing temperature to balance efficiency and stability. The degradation was mainly induced by moisture corrosion during testing. The solar cells showed a notable reduction in PCE, with relative decreases of ∼5.89% after HAST testing. The primary cause of degradation is a considerable increase in recombination within the metallized regions, likely due to contact corrosion. The results of mini module-level tests demonstrated that rear-side moisture corrosion was the dominant factor influencing the damp-heat resistance of TOPCon solar cells. This study provides critical insights into the influence of firing temperatures on the damp-heat resistance of LECO-processed TOPCon solar cells and long-term reliability of TOPCon modules.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-22DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500349
Rong Yang, Chao Yang, Bo Xu, Zhiyuan Kuang, Luhang Xu, Yu Chen, Fengwei Wang, Xuan Gao, Dongmin Qian, Jin Chang, Xinhui Lu, Renzhi Li, Wei Huang, Jianpu Wang
{"title":"The Roles of Organic Spacer Molecular Structures in Modulating Crystallization Toward High-Performance Quasi-2D Perovskite Solar Cells","authors":"Rong Yang, Chao Yang, Bo Xu, Zhiyuan Kuang, Luhang Xu, Yu Chen, Fengwei Wang, Xuan Gao, Dongmin Qian, Jin Chang, Xinhui Lu, Renzhi Li, Wei Huang, Jianpu Wang","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500349","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Organic spacers play a crucial role in governing the optoelectronic properties of quasi-2D perovskites; however, a limited understanding of their structure-performance relationships hampers progress in enhancing device efficiency. Here, we systematically explore how the chlorine substituent position on commonly used benzylamine organic spacer affects quasi-2D perovskite solar cell performance. Combining experimental and theoretical calculations results, we demonstrate that the structure of the organic spacer influences both the formation energy of low-dimensional perovskites and the interactions between the organic spacer and the 3D perovskite framework. Our findings reveal that the introduction of a meta-chlorine substitution into benzylamine results in a higher formation energy for 2D perovskites and improved interaction with 3D perovskites, leading to the formation of a well-structured film with reduced defects. Correspondingly, the optimized meta-chlorine benzylamine device achieves a peak efficiency exceeding 20% and exhibits significantly improved long-term light, heat and humidity stability.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transfer-Imprinting-Assisted Growth of 2D/3D Perovskite Heterostructure Based on Organic Cations with Different Chain Lengths for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells","authors":"Chun-Meng Jin, Han-Wen Zhang, Da Yin, Yi-Fan Wang, Su-Heng Li, Yue-Feng Liu, Jing Feng","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500292","url":null,"abstract":"<p>2D/3D perovskite heterostructures have attracted tremendous attention and been widely used for efficient perovskite solar cells. The size of the spacer cation plays an important role in the formation of 2D perovskite layer and the device performance. Here, we compare the effect of organic cations with different chain lengths on the properties of 2D/3D perovskite heterostructures by using a transfer-imprinting-assisted growth (TIAG) process. It is found that the spacer cation with longer chain length (phenylbutylammonium iodide [PBAI]) is more conducive to forming 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction which can passivate the interface defects of perovskite films, compared to spacer cation with shorter chain length (phenylmethylammonium iodide [PMAI]). As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with PBAI spacer cation is improved more obviously with the champion PCE of 22.52%, compared to 20.52% of the pristine 3D perovskite device. This work demonstrates the effect of chain lengths on the formation and performance of 2D/3D perovskite heterostructures by using a solvent-free imprinting growth process, which promotes the development of efficient 2D/3D PSCs.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144574059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500144
Xiangyu Wang, Jingtong Yu, Linlin Jia, De Sun, Jinhao Zhou, Wupeng Bu, Dongmin Yue, Liguo Ma
{"title":"Electrochemical Preparation of Graphene Membrane for Continuous Water Vapor and Crystalline Salt Production","authors":"Xiangyu Wang, Jingtong Yu, Linlin Jia, De Sun, Jinhao Zhou, Wupeng Bu, Dongmin Yue, Liguo Ma","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500144","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Graphene has high application value in photothermal conversion fields because of the thinness, ultra-lightness, and excellent photothermal properties. However, the traditional methods for preparing commercial graphene were less efficient and more expensive. Herein, the graphene suspensions were prepared using a convenient and environmentally friendly electrochemical exfoliation method. The graphene photothermal conversion (E-GR) membranes were obtained to investigate the effect of electrochemical preparation conditions on the photothermal conversion performance. The evaporation rate of E-GR membrane was 1.267 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> under 1 sun, achieving a solar-to-steam conversion efficiency of 79.65%. In the continuous salt crystallization experiment, the E-GR membrane achieved desalination and uninterrupted fresh water and salt production for 7 days, resulting in the generation of 23.451 kg m<sup>−2</sup> d<sup>−1</sup> fresh water and 0.654 kg m<sup>−2</sup> d<sup>−1</sup> crystalline salt. During this period, the crystalline salt was formed only at the edges with no obvious crystallization on the surface. Because of the characteristic that graphene can provide a large number of adsorption sites, combined with the capillary action of filter paper, the membrane can be wetted in a short time. Overall, this simple, cost-effective and efficient preparation method greatly promotes the application of graphene in the field of seawater desalination.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar RRLPub Date : 2025-06-17DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500243
Silvia Delgado-Rodríguez, Gonzalo del Pozo, Pedro Contreras, Belén Arredondo, Sujith Vishwanathreddy, Jonathan Parion, Santhosh Ramesh, Tom Aernouts, Aranzazu Aguirre, Beatriz Romero
{"title":"A Comparative Study of Recombination Mechanisms and Long-Term Outdoor Degradation in Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules Including Self-Assembled Monolayers","authors":"Silvia Delgado-Rodríguez, Gonzalo del Pozo, Pedro Contreras, Belén Arredondo, Sujith Vishwanathreddy, Jonathan Parion, Santhosh Ramesh, Tom Aernouts, Aranzazu Aguirre, Beatriz Romero","doi":"10.1002/solr.202500243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202500243","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Perovskite solar cells are one of the most promising photovoltaic technologies in the last decades. Inverted (p–i–n) cells using NiO<sub><i>X</i></sub> as hole-transport layer (HTL) have gained attention due to their easy fabrication methods and high stability, although they often exhibit reduced efficiencies due to non onlyoptimized energy-level alignment. To address this issue, different approaches have been developed, such as the use of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on top of the HTL. Herein, a comparative study between regular p–i–n cells and cells using Me-PACz as an SAM on top of NiO<sub><i>X</i></sub> is we presented. Devices with SAM exhibit enhanced open-circuit voltage and efficiency. Temperature DC and AC characterization reveals that the incorporation of SAM reduces recombination at the interface, as seen from the comparison of the perovskite bandgap (1.6 eV) and carrier activation energy ≈1.1 and ≈1.59 eV for reference and SAM, respectively. Finally, an outdoor degradation experiment with minimodules has been conducted. The experiment spanned for more than 500 days, and results show that minimodules with SAM were less stable than those based on the reference layer structure. This is due to a severe decrease in the short-circuit current, which could be attributed to a deterioration of the SAM spacer.</p>","PeriodicalId":230,"journal":{"name":"Solar RRL","volume":"9 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/solr.202500243","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}