Three Dimensional Carbon Nanotube Yarn Based Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSC) have emerged as a promising photovoltaic technology in lab scale with a short time of research due to their high power conversion efficiency, simple device fabrication, all solid-state structure and the possibility to ingrate the traditional device into fiber format. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) perovskite solar cell is demonstrated using functionalized carbon nanotube yarn (CNT) as both cathode and anode. TiO2 and 2,2,7,-7-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9\u27-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) are used as the electron transporting and hole transporting material respectively. The TiO2 oxide layer is deposited on the top of the twisted carbon nanotube yarn and annealed with TiCl4 to get the uniform electron transport layer. A dip coating process is employed to produce a uniform perovskite layer on top of the TiO2 oxide layer. Platinized carbon nanotube yarn is wrapped around on the top of the hole transporting layer and serves as the counter electrode. Under AM 1.5 100mWcm–2 illumination, a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.631% achieved with a high open current voltage (VOC) of 0.825V. This three-dimensional all solid state perovskite solar cell shows a promising prospect in portable and wearable textile electronics

Functional materials, device architecture, and flexibility of perovskite solar cell

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are an emerging photovoltaic technology that promises to offer facile and efficient solar power generation to meet future energy needs. PSCs have received considerable attention in recent years, have attained power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) over 22%, and are a promising candidate to potentially replace the current photovoltaic technology. The emergence of PSCs has revolutionized photovoltaic research and development because of their high efficiencies, inherent flexibility, the diversity of materials/synthetic methods that can be employed to manufacture them, and the various possible device architectures. Further optimization of material compositions and device architectures will help further improve efficiency and device stability. Moreover, the search for new functional materials will allow for mitigation of the existing limitations of PSCs. This review covers the recently developed advanced techniques and research trends related to this emerging photovoltaic technology, with a focus on the diversity of functional materials used for the various layers of PSC devices, novel PSC architectures, methods that increase overall cell efficiency, and substrates that allow for enhanced device flexibility

Surface Modified Nanostructured Piezoelectric Device as Cost-Effective Transducer for Energy and Biomedicine

Flexible polymer‐metal oxide nanocomposites with multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) films were fabricated using poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) as the bulk matrix material with three‐dimensional (3D) lithium‐doped zinc oxide (Li‐ZnO) as a filler. Li‐ZnO was synthesized hydrothermally followed by surface modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG coating served as an effective solution for avoiding costly electrical poling and enhanced the proportion of the PVDF ß‐phase while MWCNTs acted to increase conductivity and to reinforce the composite during mechanical stressing. The piezoelectric composite was fabricated with 12 wt% surface modified Li‐ZnO with 0.2 wt% MWCNT relative to the bulk PVDF. The fabricated composite was tested with different body motions and in different environments. The highest obtained value of open circuit voltage was 10.1 V and 2740 µA amperometric alternating current with bending motions. It was also observed that the electrical signal fluctuated by about 200 µA due to micro‐relaxation and micro‐stressing under constant‐stress conditions. The piezoelectric nanocomposite showed a linear response to gradual increases in normal stress

Decentralized triboelectric electronic health monitoring flexible microdevice

Versatile applications of triboelectric nanogenerator as a microsystem component have widened the access to advanced healthcare monitoring and green energy systems. Recent research on wearable electronic technologies has been focusing on more complex architecture and costly materials for sensory applications resulting in less commercial feasibility. Here, we report a biocompatible, cost-effective, highly sensible, structurally simple, multifunctional and wearable triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) as a universal health monitoring device. This triboelectric universal health monitoring device (TUHMD) was fabricated with cellulose paper and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) copolymer electrodes. This device demonstrated high sensitivity and notable identical signals on diverse body motions related to body muscles and respiratory system by mechanical triggering. The device was also observed to be sensitive to vocal cord vibration. Integration of this device with computer-aided system offers real-time data of physiological movement, potentially useful for personalized medicine, rehabilitation and remote monitoring of patients. The device was also tested from 30 to 90 beat per minute (BPM) load frequencies to observe the triboelectric performance of the device. TUHMD showed response as a triboelectric nanogenerator with a range of 12 V with negligible charge accumulation, along with a maximum capacitive performance of 11 F. This smart device showed a potential to be an advanced biomedical sensor for maintaining full health care or monitoring applications

Conductive glass free carbon nanotube micro yarn based perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a promising photovoltaic technology on the lab scale due to their high power conversion efficiency, simple device fabrication, all solid-state structure and the possibility to integrate traditional devices into fiber format. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) perovskite solar cell is demonstrated using functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn as both the cathode and anode material. TiO 2 and 2,2,7,-7-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) are used as the electron transporting and hole transporting material respectively. The TiO 2 oxide layer is deposited on the top of the twisted carbon nanotube yarn and annealed with TiCl 4 to generate the uniform electron transport layer. A dip coating process is employed to produce a uniform perovskite layer on top of the TiO 2 oxide layer. Platinized carbon nanotube yarn is wrapped around on the top of the hole transporting layer and serves as the counter electrode. The photovoltaic characterization of the prepared cells was carried out at different cell lengths. Under AM 1.5 (100 mW cm −2 ) illumination it shows an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) with a high open current voltage (V OC ) of 0.825 V. This three-dimensional all solid-state perovskite solar cell shows a promising prospect in portable and wearable textile electronics