Redefining PbS Quantum Dot Photovoltaics: p-i-n Devices with Superior Efficiency and Reproducibility.

Developing diverse photovoltaic device architectures is essential not only for improving power conversion efficiency (PCE) but also for enabling seamless integration with other photovoltaic materials in high-performance tandem configurations. While n-i-p architectures have historically dominated the development of PbS colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) solar cells, p-i-n counterparts have significantly lagged behind in efficiency, limiting their potential for further advancement. In this work, the advantage of the surface tunability of CQDs is taken by anchoring the classical self-assembled monolayer (SAM) molecule MeO-2PACz onto PbS CQDs via ligand exchange, forming a PbS-SAM bridging-layer, which is inserted between NiOx/SAM and the CQD active layer, resulting in a NiOx/SAM/PbS-SAM composite hole transporting layer (HTL).

Anchoring and post-depositional growth enables matrix manipulation of PbS QD inks and efficient solar cells.

Matrix thickness surrounding PbS colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) significantly influences charge transport in photovoltaic devices. Through an anchoring and post-depositional-growth strategy utilizing thiazoline-2-thiol (TT), this study achieves reduced matrix thickness and strengthened inter-dot coupling. These improvements elevate the power conversion efficiency from 12.

Direct Synthesis of Semiconductive AgBiS NC Inks toward High-Efficiency, Low-Cost and Environmental-Friendly Solar Cells.

Silver bismuth sulfide nanocrystals (AgBiS NCs) embody a pioneering heavy-metal-free photovoltaic material renowned for its ultrahigh absorption coefficient, offering promising opportunities for advancing the field of ultra-thin and biocompatible solar cells. Currently, the fabrication of AgBiS NC photovoltaic devices relies on hot-injection synthesis and subsequent tedious ligand exchange, leading to high production cost, complex processes and environmental pollution. Here, we developed a direct-synthesis (DS) method without ligand-exchange for AgBiS NC semiconductive inks, significantly simplifying the material preparation and device fabrication processes.

Breaking the Size Limitation of Directly-Synthesized PbS Quantum Dot Inks Toward Efficient Short-wavelength Infrared Optoelectronic Applications.

PbS quantum dots (QDs) are promising building blocks for solution-processed short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) devices. The recently developed direct synthesis of semi-conductive PbS QD inks has substantially simplified the preparation processing and reduced the material cost, while facing the challenge to synthesize large-size QDs with absorption covering the SWIR region. Herein, we for the first time realize a low-cost, scalable synthesis of SWIR PbS QD inks after an extensive investigation of the reaction kinetics.

Room-temperature direct synthesis of semi-conductive PbS nanocrystal inks for optoelectronic applications.

Lead sulphide (PbS) nanocrystals (NCs) are promising materials for low-cost, high-performance optoelectronic devices. So far, PbS NCs have to be first synthesized with long-alkyl chain organic surface ligands and then be ligand-exchanged with shorter ligands (two-steps) to enable charge transport. However, the initial synthesis of insulated PbS NCs show no necessity and the ligand-exchange process is tedious and extravagant.

High-Efficiency PbS Quantum-Dot Solar Cells with Greatly Simplified Fabrication Processing via "Solvent-Curing".

PbS quantum-dot (QD) solar cells are promising candidates for low-cost solution-processed photovoltaics. However, the device fabrication usually requires ten more times film deposition and rinsing steps, which is not ideal for scalable manufacturing. Here, a greatly simplified deposition processing is demonstrated by replacing methanol with acetonitrile (ACN) as the rinsing solvent.

In Situ Passivation for Efficient PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells by Precursor Engineering.

Current efforts on lead sulfide quantum dot (PbS QD) solar cells are mostly paid to the device architecture engineering and postsynthetic surface modification, while very rare work regarding the optimization of PbS synthesis is reported. Here, PbS QDs are successfully synthesized using PbO and PbAc  · 3H O as the lead sources. QD solar cells based on PbAc-PbS have demonstrated a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.

Pulsed Lasers Employing Solution-Processed Plasmonic Cu3- x P Colloidal Nanocrystals.

A new approach to synthesize self-doped colloidal Cu3-x P NCs with controlled size and localized surface plasmon resonance absorption is reported. These Cu3-x P NCs show ultrafast exciton dynamics and huge optical nonlinearities due to plasmonic resonances, which afford the first demonstration of plasmonic Cu3-x P NCs as simple, effective, and solution-processed nonlinear absorbers for high-energy Q-switched fiber laser.