Weekly Papers — Zijian

Scan: 2026-07-13 · 8 papers · TL;DRs synthesized from Crossref / OpenAlex abstracts + operator notes
Week's curated reading from Zijian, with TL;DR bullets per paper. Operator notes preserved verbatim with mentions.

Papers

Quenching-Controlled Crystal Orientation in Inkjet-Printed Wide-Bandgap Perovskites

Paper 2026-07-02 Noh et al. ACS Energy Letters
TL;DR
  • Inkjet-printed (IJP) wide-bandgap perovskite made in ambient air: the team deposits ~700 nm-thick films directly at 55% relative humidity in an air atmosphere, targeting the uniform, large-area, industrially scalable deposition for which in-line-controlled IJP studies have remained scarce.
  • The quenching pathway of the wet film is the key process lever — it strongly governs the resulting film morphology and crystallographic characteristics.
  • Optimized quenching combined with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) yields wide-bandgap films with a dominant (110) crystallographic orientation.
  • Delivers over 20% efficiency in a 1.69 eV bandgap single-junction cell — a bandgap tuned for silicon–perovskite tandem integration.
  • Per the curator's note, vacuum quenching outperforms antisolvent and gas-quenching for orientation control (that head-to-head comparison is developed in the paper body, not stated in the abstract); the work is from Sang Il Seok's group.
Note inkjet print in high-RH air, vacuum quench overperforms antisolvent and gas-quenching, from Seok's froup
View source

Eco‐Friendly Solvent System for Inkjet Deposition of Wide Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells Enabling Tandem Integration

Paper 2026-07-09 Dangudubiyyam et al. Advanced Science
TL;DR
  • Truly green solvent system: γ-valerolactone (a biomass-derived solvent) as the primary solvent plus dimethyl sulfoxide as co-solvent, entirely free of carcinogenic and highly hazardous components, for one-step inkjet-printed wide-bandgap perovskite absorbers.
  • The DMSO co-solvent overcomes the solubility constraints of wide-bandgap perovskite precursors (> 1.68 eV); ink chemistry and rheology were optimized for solubility and printability.
  • Green-solvent, inkjet-printed single-junction devices reach power conversion efficiencies exceeding 17%.
  • A first perovskite/silicon tandem integrating a one-step inkjet-printed perovskite thin film achieves an efficiency above 28%.
  • Wetting and drying dynamics were tamed by tuning substrate–ink interactions combined with additive and surface engineering to enhance performance.
  • Per the curator's note, the work comes from KIT's Paetzold group and pairs inkjet printing with a vacuum-quench step (~0.01 mbar) in air; the abstract confirms the eco-friendly green-solvent inkjet route but does not report the quench parameters.
Note inkjet print + vacuum quench (0.01 mbar) in air, from KIT Paetzold's group
View source

Model-Based Bayesian Optimization for Organic Photovoltaics: Combining Bayesian Optimization With Physical Domain Knowledge

Paper 2026-07-08 Christen et al. Advanced Energy Materials
TL;DR
  • Model-based Bayesian optimization (BO): instead of treating experiments as a pure black box, a physical device model of the organic solar cell is embedded directly into the BO loop, so prior physical knowledge guides the search — work from Kirchartz's group.
  • Per the curator's note, physical/domain descriptors (layer thickness, VOC, shunt resistance, etc.) feed the model to predict PCE for OPV; the abstract itself states only that "a physical model of the solar cell is integrated into the optimization process" and does not enumerate the individual input features.
  • Acquisition function: the so-called Knowledge Gradient is shown to fit "particularly well" with the model-based approach, handling the simultaneous exploration and exploitation of the parameter space.
  • Dual validation: tested both experimentally on the PTQ10:BTP-eC9 donor:acceptor material system and statistically on a benchmark function developed specifically for organic photovoltaics.
  • Result: the model-based approach is reported to be superior to conventional black-box BO and to identify the global optimum more reliably, which the authors frame as a route to accelerated process optimization in photovoltaic research (abstract states no numerical efficiency figures).
Note BO + physical domain (thickness, Voc, shunt resistance, etc.) ? predict PCE for OPV, from Kirchartz's group
View source

Suppressing Interfacial Reactions in Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells via an All-ALD SnOx/AZO Bilayer

Paper 2026-07-03 Lu et al. Advanced Functional Materials
TL;DR
  • Perovskite/silicon tandems have hit 35% certified efficiency, but operational stability is the key commercialization barrier — degradation starts at interfaces, where charge accumulation under bias and light triggers redox reactions and ion migration.
  • The standard low-temperature ALD SnOx electron-transport layer is the weak point: its high resistivity exacerbates interfacial charge buildup rather than relieving it.
  • The fix is an all-ALD bilayer pairing an ultrathin SnOx film with a conductive Al-doped ZnO (AZO) overlayer — SnOx holds favorable band alignment while AZO adds a low-resistance pathway and, per the operator's angle, a dense barrier against ion diffusion that collectively suppresses interfacial reactions.
  • Wide-bandgap single-junction perovskite cells built with the bilayer reach 23.47% efficiency.
  • Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem cells reach 33.25% efficiency and retain over 96% of their initial efficiency after 1000 h of continuous illumination.
  • The result frames an interface-focused (rather than bulk- or additive-based) route to durable tandems, targeting the charge-accumulation and ion-migration pathways directly at the buried contact.
Note SnOx/AZO ALD, denser barrier for tandem
View source

Localized 2D/3D heterojunction enhances photovoltage for perovskite-organic tandem solar cells

Paper 2026-01-28 Chen et al. Nature Communications
TL;DR
  • Wide-bandgap perovskite cells (needed for multi-junction stacks) hit a photovoltage plateau beyond 1.68 eV, limited by non-radiative recombination from defect states, mismatched energy levels, and poor contact at the buried interface.
  • The fix: intricate Lewis acid-base interactions between a hole-selective self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and ammonium ligands engineer a localized 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction at the buried interface, cutting defect density and aiding charge extraction without compromising the bulk optoelectronic properties of the 3D perovskite.
  • On the operator's angle: the buried 2D/3D structure templates perovskite crystallization (a seed-layer role, per the curator's note, rather than a top passivation overlayer) — though the abstract notes it also helps reduce defect density.
  • Result — photovoltages of 1.30 V, 1.38 V, and 1.42 V for 1.68, 1.79, and 1.85 eV bandgap perovskite cells respectively, all exceeding 90% of their thermodynamic limits.
  • Integrating the optimized wide-bandgap perovskite cell with an organic subcell yields a monolithic perovskite-organic tandem with a PCE of 27.11% (certified 26.3%).
Note 2D perovskite at buried interface (as seed layer, not as passivation layer)
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Guiding vertical growth and improving the buried interface of Pb–Sn perovskite films with 2D perovskite seeds for efficient narrow-bandgap perovskite solar cells and tandems

Paper 2025-01-28 Yang et al. Energy & Environmental Science
TL;DR
  • Narrow-bandgap Pb–Sn perovskite cells need thick films to fully absorb infrared light, but the extra thickness causes unbalanced crystallization and a poor buried interface that hampers charge transport and extraction.
  • The core strategy inserts an F-PEA2PbI3SCN 2D perovskite seed layer at the buried interface of an FA0.7MA0.3Pb0.5Sn0.5I3 film, using the uniformly distributed 2D seeds to guide vertical growth of the Pb–Sn crystals and rebuild the buried interface.
  • Mechanistically the 2D seeds eliminate formation of the SnI2 phase and promote energy-level alignment, yielding a film with reduced defect density and released residual strain.
  • Optimized single-junction devices reach a champion PCE of 22.71%, alongside a broadened antisolvent-processing window and robust stability.
  • A four-terminal all-perovskite tandem built on this Pb–Sn subcell delivers a PCE of 27.68% with a stable power output of 27.2%.
Note 2D perovskite at buried interface (as seed layer, not as passivation layer)
View source

2D perovskite as three-in-one interface modifier for efficient Pb-Sn perovskite solar cells and all-perovskite tandems

Paper 2026-06-01 Wang et al. Joule
TL;DR
  • The paper introduces a 2D perovskite as a "three-in-one" interface modifier aimed at improving efficiency of narrow-bandgap Pb–Sn perovskite solar cells and their all-perovskite tandems (title-based; full abstract not retrievable).
  • Per the curator's note, the same 2D perovskite is deployed at three locations — the buried interface, within the bulk, and the top interface — and functions as a crystallization seed layer for the Pb–Sn absorber.
  • Consult the source for quantitative details (abstract not retrievable).
Note 2D perovskite at buried interface (as seed layer, not as passivation layer)
View source

Crystal-solvate pre-seeded synthesis for scalable perovskite solar cell fabrication

Paper 2026-02-27 Sun et al. Nature Synthesis
TL;DR
  • A crystal-solvate (CSV) pre-seeding route delivers inverted perovskite solar cells at 26.13% PCE and a 49.91 cm2 mini-module at 23.15%, with minimal scaling losses.
  • Matching the curator's angle, this is a seed-layer route at the buried interface: pre-seeding low-dimensional halide crystal solvates templates the perovskite film bottom rather than the top surface, directly addressing the hidden defect layer where cell and precursor meet the charge-transport stack.
  • Mechanistically, the nanostructured CSV rods provide heterogeneous nucleation sites and nanostructure-guided wetting of the precursor solution, then release solvent in a controlled way during annealing to create a lattice-confined solvent annealing microenvironment at the film bottom.
  • The CSV layer yields a dense, highly oriented perovskite bottom that eliminates interfacial voids and smooths grain-boundary grooves, while CSV-derived halide passivation cuts electronic defects and tunes hole-extraction-favouring interfacial energetics.
  • Authors report improved photothermal stability from the smoother, defect-suppressed buried interface, but the retrievable abstract gives no explicit stability figures (hours / temperature / % retention) — consult the source for operational-stability numbers.
  • Published in Nature Synthesis (Sun et al., 27 Feb 2026); abstract recovered via web search because Crossref, OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar and Europe PMC returned no abstract and the Nature landing page is access-gated.
Note 2D perovskite at buried interface (as seed layer, not as passivation layer)
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Previous scans

Scan 2026-06-22

Weekly Papers — Zijian

Scan: 2026-06-22 · 9 papers · TL;DRs synthesized from Crossref / OpenAlex abstracts + operator notes
Week's curated reading from Zijian, with TL;DR bullets per paper. Operator notes preserved verbatim with mentions.

Papers

Nanocrystal-tailored recombination for all-perovskite tandem solar modules

Paper 2026-06-15 Xiao et al. Nature
TL;DR
  • A 65-cm2 all-perovskite tandem solar module reached a certified 26.2% power conversion efficiency (JET-measured), with VOC 2.182 V, fill factor 77.4%, and JSC 15.6 mA cm-2 in averaged subcell performance.
  • Replaces the conventional gold-based tunnel recombination junction (TRJ) with a solution-processed interconnecting layer of surface-engineered In2O3 nanocrystals, cutting near-infrared parasitic absorption and interfacial instability that limited photocurrent and durability.
  • A phosphonic acid additive in the lead-tin (Pb-Sn) perovskite precursor improves electronic contact with the In2O3 layer to boost hole extraction, while regulating crystallization to relieve residual film strain for high-quality large-area deposits.
  • Tuned nanocrystal morphology and ligand chemistry give smooth interfacial contact and favorable energy-level alignment, jointly raising recombination efficiency, carrier extraction, and large-area film uniformity.
  • Per the curator's note, this blade-coated Pb-Sn tandem represents a new module efficiency record, reportedly using 2-ME / THF solvents in place of conventional DMF/DMSO (solvent detail not stated in the retrieved abstract).
Note PVK/PVK tandem module 26.2%@65cm2, new record. Blade-coated Pb-Sn, use 2-ME / THF rather than DMF/DMSO
View source

Ternary self-assembled molecular contact for ambient-processed perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells

Paper 2026-06-01 Kim et al. Nature Photonics
TL;DR
  • From Sang Il Seok's group: a ternary self-assembled molecular (SAM) contact combining glycerol dimethacrylate (GDMA) and 1-acetylguanidine (AG) acts as a process-tolerant hole-selective contact, enabling perovskite cells to be fabricated in ambient air rather than an inert atmosphere.
  • Addresses the curator's wetting angle directly: GDMA serves as a cosolvent during SAM deposition to improve film uniformity, then cures into a hydrophilic binary network that firmly anchors the SAM to the substrate; AG further suppresses interfacial defects.
  • Motivation is that ambient moisture disrupts conventional phosphonic-acid SAMs on transparent conductive oxide, causing surface inhomogeneity and direct TCO exposure — the engineered contact restores uniform precursor spreading and defect control.
  • Ambient-fabricated wide-bandgap single-junction PSCs reached 21.20% PCE on 1.00 cm2 with VOC of 1.28 V.
  • Ambient perovskite/silicon tandems achieved 31.72% PCE (certified 31.36%), essentially matching inert-condition control devices at 32.60%.
  • Unencapsulated tandems retained >92% of initial efficiency after 600 h at 85 °C in air and >90% after 1,000 h of continuous simulated-sunlight illumination.
Note ITO/Al2O3-np/SAM layer, from Seok's group. replacement of NiOx as well as improving the wetting
View source

Balanced Molecular Interactions with Mild Dipole Moment for Intermediate Suppressing in High Performance Antisolvent-Free Regular α-FAPbI3 Solar Cells

Paper 2026-06-16 Yao et al. Advanced Materials
TL;DR
  • Targets the core problem of antisolvent-free perovskite solar cell fabrication: slow, uneven nucleation produces abundant solvated intermediates that divert α-FAPbI3 crystallization and cap performance.
  • Introduces a balanced molecular-interaction strategy using additives with mild dipole moments of ~1.9 Debye (symmetric dimethyl isophthalate derivatives), with the fluorine substituent giving the optimal phase evolution.
  • Balanced coordination to Pb2+, hydrogen bonding to FA+, and interaction with I− shortens td-α (time for the α-phase to dominate) from >150 s to 23 s, enabling faster, complete transformation to high-quality α-FAPbI3.
  • Achieves a power conversion efficiency up to 26.28% — the highest reported for antisolvent-free regular PSCs based on pure FAPbI3 absorbers (per the curator's note, processed from a 2-ME + CHP solution).
  • Demonstrates durability: retains 93.7% of initial efficiency after 1500 h aging at 85 °C, and 90% after 1000 h maximum-power-point tracking.
Note antisolvent-free, 26.28%, solution: 2-ME+CHP
View source

Tailoring crystallization kinetics for scalable and efficient large-area perovskite light-emitting diodes

Paper 2026-06-05 Baek et al. Science Advances
TL;DR
  • Tackles the key scale-up bottleneck for large-area perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs): coffee-ring formation and heterogeneous crystallization that plague uniform film deposition as device area grows.
  • Curator's angle: a multimodal solvent-engineering strategy adds NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) and ACN (acetonitrile) into a DMF-based precursor, paired with ambient blade coating plus vacuum-assisted solvent evaporation for scalable processing.
  • The ternary DMF:NMP+ACN formulation synergistically tunes evaporation dynamics — suppressing macroscopic solute segregation via Marangoni-flow redistribution while regulating precursor coordination to control nucleation and phase conversion.
  • Resulting films show improved uniformity, reduced trap densities, and enhanced radiative efficiency.
  • Near-infrared PeLEDs reach peak external quantum efficiencies of 25.2% (10 mm2), 22.1% (60 mm2), and 19.0% (224 mm2), with efficiency retained as device area scales from 10 to 224 mm2.
  • A functional vein-imaging prototype on a 224-mm2 device showcases the approach for large-area optoelectronic applications.
Note DMF:NMP+ACN for scalable blade-coated perovskite LED
View source

Low-hygroscopic solvents enable ambient blade coating of efficient perovskite solar cells

Paper 2026-06-11 Li et al. Nature Communications
TL;DR
  • A low-hygroscopic solvent system enables ambient blade coating of moisture-sensitive interfacial layers in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) — both organoammonium halide passivation layers and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) — which are normally too hygroscopic to deposit reliably in air.
  • The trick: mixing an alcohol (which dissolves the functional materials) with a low-polarity alkane that suppresses moisture uptake during blade coating, so deposition tolerates high humidity — matching the curator's note on PEAI in IPA/n-octane and the analogous SAM route.
  • Devices with air blade-coated SAMs, perovskite, and passivation layers reach a certified efficiency of 26.1%.
  • Performance shows negligible decrease even when fabricated at 80% relative humidity, addressing a key barrier to scalable PSC production in ambient air.
  • Positioned as a general approach: chemical and optoelectronic characterization confirms the solvent system works across both passivation layers and SAMs under high humidity, rather than being a single-material fix.
Note blade-coated SAM, perovskite, passivation in air. PEAI in IPA/n-octane help deposition in high humidity, similar for SAM layer
View source

A Universal Method to Produce Low–Work Function Electrodes for Organic Electronics

Paper 2012-04-20 Zhou et al. Science
TL;DR
  • Reports a universal solution-processed coating — a polymer bearing simple aliphatic amine groups (polyethylenimine, PEI, and its ethoxylated analogue PEIE) — that produces low–work-function electrodes for organic electronics.
  • The thin amine-polymer layer lowers the work function of a wide range of conductors by up to 1.7 eV, working on metals, conducting metal oxides, conducting polymers, and graphene alike.
  • Provides an air-stable alternative to reactive low-work-function metals such as calcium, which normally require protection from air and water vapor.
  • Demonstrated across a variety of organic devices (e.g. light-emitting diodes), validating the approach as a general interfacial-engineering tool rather than a single-device trick.
  • Curator angle: exactly the PEI/PEIE work-function-tuning chemistry of interest as an interlayer — note the mechanism here is a work-function reduction (down-shift) via the surface amine dipole; applying it at an HTL/Ag contact would shift that electrode toward electron-selective behavior.
Note Using PEI or PEIE to tune (upshift) the WF. May be a modification between HTL/Ag ?
View source

2D Perovskite Engineering Enables Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

Paper 2026-06-02 Gu et al. Advanced Materials
TL;DR
  • Tackles a key failure mode of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) hole-selective contacts in inverted perovskite solar cells: desorption and aggregation of the SAM during solution-based perovskite deposition, which degrades the SAM-perovskite interface.
  • Introduces a transient 2D perovskite protection strategy using volatile propylammonium chloride that temporarily shields the SAM from solvent-induced degradation, then decouples during thermal annealing to preserve interface integrity and enable uniform large-area crystallization.
  • Delivers a power conversion efficiency of 26.14% for 0.05 cm2 devices, 23.27% for a 5 × 5 cm2 mini-module, and 22.34% for a 30 × 30 cm2 module (615.7 cm2 active area).
  • The large-area module retains 90% of its initial efficiency after 2000 h of continuous maximum-power-point operation, demonstrating combined high performance and operational stability.
  • By keeping the SAM from migrating away from / aggregating at the perovskite interface during film formation, the work offers a scalable route to reliable, manufacturable perovskite photovoltaics.
Note SAM diffuse into PVK layer
View source

Crystallization Pathway Optimization and High-Index Facet Stabilization for Perovskite Photovoltaics

Paper 2026-06-09 Wang et al. Advanced Materials
TL;DR
  • A kinetically segmented crystallization strategy uses a preorganized macromolecular regulator, cellulose 2,4,6-trichlorophenylcarbamate (3Cl-NC), whose multidentate coordination creates precursor-rich microenvironments that drive heterogeneous nucleation in perovskite films.
  • During annealing the regulator shifts into a thermally activated dynamic coordination state that retards long-range precursor transport while keeping local supply for controlled growth — suppressing the metastable δ-phase and favoring the photoactive α-phase.
  • Addressing the curator's angle: 3Cl-NC thermodynamically stabilizes the high-Miller-index (210) facet, and the authors report this orientation intrinsically enhances lattice structural stability — so a (210)-preferred film is positioned as the more stable architecture.
  • The (210)-stabilized films show higher phase purity, relieved residual stress, and suppressed ion migration, the combination credited with the improved long-term operational stability.
  • Devices reach a champion PCE of 26.59% (certified 26.29%) alongside the improved long-term stability, demonstrating the efficiency–stability balance the strategy targets.
Note (210)-preferred film might show better stability?
View source

Taking perovskite photovoltaics from promise to product

Paper 2026-05-26 Harit et al. Nature Reviews Clean Technology
TL;DR
  • A perspective arguing that perovskite PV is no longer limited primarily by efficiency, but by the ability to integrate materials, manufacturing, standards and finance into a coherent product and value chain.
  • Maps the commercialization gap: required manufacturing maturity, adaptive standards and economics needed to move from record-setting lab devices to bankable products.
  • Sees single-junction modules winning first in differentiated niches (building-integrated PV, aerospace, agrivoltaics), while high-efficiency tandem architectures remain the most promising route to mass-market adoption.
  • Draws lessons from early pilot lines, regional industrial strategies and analogue technologies such as OLEDs, stressing the roles of supply chains, adaptive standards and risk capital.
  • Calls for future research to treat manufacturability, stability, resource constraints and recyclability as primary design variables, guided by coordinated, application-driven roadmaps.
Note nice perspective on commercialization of perovskite
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Scan 2026-05-30

Weekly Papers — Zijian

Scan: 2026-05-30 · 8 papers · TL;DRs synthesized from Crossref / OpenAlex abstracts + operator notes
Week's curated reading from Zijian, with TL;DR bullets per paper. Operator notes preserved verbatim with mentions.

Papers

An entropy-regulating molecular lock stabilizes formamidinium lead halide perovskite

Paper 2026-05-14 Miao et al. Science
TL;DR
  • Entropy-regulating molecular-lock strategy on FAPbI3 using 1-pyridin-3-ylmethyl-piperazine hydrochloride (3-PMPCl).
  • 3-PMPCl modulates rotational freedom of organic cations and suppresses the entropy increase tied to [PbI6]4− octahedral disorder, raising the phase-transition energy barrier.
  • Uniform distribution + strong adsorption stabilize the α-phase under elevated temperature and humidity.
  • Certified PCE 27.6% in FAPbI3-based PSC.
  • Bismuth-electrode variant: 26.8% initial PCE, retains 93.0% after 1011 h at 85 °C / 1-sun.
  • Operator pointer: SI "Fabrication details and key points" + movie S2 are informative for our fabrication.
Note highest published certified-PCE of 27.6%. There is "Fabrication details and key points" in SI and movie S2 (informative), which will be helpful for our fabrication.
View source

Journey toward a Global Understanding of Recombination in Halide Perovskites for Photovoltaic Applications

Paper 2026-05-12 Stranks et al. ACS Energy Letters
TL;DR
  • Review tracing the evolution of recombination models in halide perovskites.
  • Early field inherited an excitonic emphasis from DSSC and OPV backgrounds; mathematical simplification eventually clashed with experiment.
  • Recent trend: return to classical-semiconductor models combined with ML-assisted fitting and confidence quantification.
  • Argues for unified global recombination models; outlines remaining challenges and opportunities.
  • Operator angle: relevant background for trPL model work.
Note review on trPL model
View source

Buried Interface Engineering in Metal-Halide Perovskite/NiO Heterostructures through Direct Observation of Interfacial Reactions

Paper 2026-05-11 Wang et al. ACS Energy Letters
TL;DR
  • Direct microscopic evidence of PbI2 and Pb–O species formation at the buried perovskite/NiO interface.
  • Ni3+ surface species deprotonate organic cations and oxidize halide anions, generating a PbI2-rich interfacial layer that hinders hole extraction and increases nonradiative recombination.
  • Mitigation: bridging molecular interlayers Me-4PACz and 3PATAT-C3 deposited on NiO.
  • Champion PCE improvements over bare-NiO control: +11.5% (Me-4PACz) and +19.9% (3PATAT-C3), driven by gains in VOC and FF.
  • Operator angle: confirms PbI2 + amorphous Pb-O form even under mild annealing.
Note reaction at NiO/PVK, leading to the formation of crystalline PbI2 and amorphous Pb-O species even under mild annealing conditions
View source

Redox-Active Flavonoid Interlayers Enable Strain-Relieved and Efficient Sn–Pb Perovskite Solar Cells

Paper 2026-05-08 Wang et al. ACS Energy Letters
TL;DR
  • Buried-interface modification for Sn–Pb perovskite via plasma-driven oxidation of catechin (flavonoid polyphenol) on PEDOT:PSS/FTO.
  • O2 plasma converts catechin to a quinone-rich form (catechin-Q) → upward band bending + improved energy-level alignment, suppressing interfacial nonradiative recombination.
  • Semiquinone/quinone moieties coordinate Sn/Pb centers and relieve tensile strain at the buried interface.
  • Champion PCE 23.48%; VOC = 873 mV.
  • Operational durability: >95% of initial PCE retained after 4,800 h under ISOS-D-1I.
Note Sn-Pb, 23.48%
View source

Bio-inspired antioxidant stabilization for efficient tin-lead and all-perovskite tandem solar cells

Paper 2026-05-18 Jiang et al. Nature Communications
TL;DR
  • Bio-inspired dual-antioxidant approach for narrow-bandgap Sn-Pb perovskite: gallic acid (GA) as bulk dopant + tannic acid (TA) as surface passivator.
  • GA localizes at grain boundaries, suppressing SnI2 impurities; TA forms a robust surface passivation layer plus a dipole that aids interfacial charge transfer.
  • Dual molecules synergize against intrinsic (precursor degradation) and extrinsic (O2, superoxide) oxidation.
  • Sn-Pb single-junction champion PCE 23.46%.
  • Monolithic all-perovskite tandem: 29.95% (certified 29.44%).
Note Sn-Pb, 23.46%
View source

Molecular Modification Strategy for Efficient NiOx-based Tin-Lead Perovskites Solar Cells and All-perovskite Tandems

Paper 2026-05-14 Xu et al. Advanced Materials
TL;DR
  • NiOx HTL + Sn–Pb perovskite normally suffer from energy-level mismatch and oxidizing active species at the interface.
  • Strategy: ammonium 2-hydroxyethanesulphonate (AHES) deposited on NiOx.
  • –SO3− reacts with NiOx to regulate film morphology and align energy levels; –OH acts as Lewis base, hydrogen-bonding to perovskite components to modulate crystallization and lift lattice strength.
  • Sn–Pb single-junction PCE 22.98% vs 20.02% control; retains 80% of initial efficiency after 212 h 1-sun MPPT (vs 90 h control).
  • Four-terminal all-perovskite tandem: 30.38%.
Note NiOx-based Sn–Pb, 22.98%
View source

Enhancing Heterogeneous Nucleation on Buried Interface for Efficient Antisolvent-Free Inverted Flexible Perovskite Photovoltaics

Paper 2026-05-12 Wang et al. Advanced Materials
TL;DR
  • SAM hydrophobicity normally blocks uniform large-area perovskite deposition, especially on flexible plastic substrates.
  • Strategy: multifunctional N-(4-Cyanophenyl)guanidine hydrochloride (NCGCl) modifies the SAM with hydrophilic groups → spreads perovskite solution evenly.
  • Nitrile + guanidinium groups interact with perovskite components for heterogeneous nucleation + defect passivation; π–π stacking between NCGCl benzene rings and SAM strengthens the substrate-perovskite bridge.
  • Antisolvent-free PSC champion PCE 26.89% (certified 26.64%) on rigid; 25.29% on flexible.
  • 5 cm × 5 cm flexible mini-module: 22.28% with strong mechanical bending stability.
Note Antisolvent-Free, 26.89%
View source

Robust self-assembled monolayer enables ultraviolet stable perovskite photovoltaics

Paper 2026-05-20 Wang et al. Nature Communications
TL;DR
  • Conventional SAMs degrade rapidly under UV (ab initio MD + experiment) → molecular desorption and film collapse limit long-term operation.
  • New SAM with dual-dimensional reinforcement: vertical (multi-anchor + flexible π-conjugated framework for bidirectional adhesion) + horizontal (intrinsic structural stability + interlocked network preventing UV-driven collapse).
  • Champion PCE 27.10% (certified 26.90%).
  • ISOS-L-2 at 65 °C MPPT: only 2% loss after 2100 h.
  • High-intensity UV (1.73× natural sunlight): 86.7% retained after 2200 h.
  • Outdoor exposure: 90.5% retained after 2035 h — reported as the highest UV stability of SAM-based PSCs.
Note Poly WZW, SAM not stable under UV light
View source
Scan 2026-05-11

Weekly Papers — Zijian

Scan: 2026-05-11 · 6 papers · TL;DRs synthesized from Crossref / OpenAlex abstracts + operator notes
Week's curated reading from Zijian, with TL;DR bullets per paper. Operator notes preserved verbatim with mentions.

Papers

Towards end-to-end automation of AI research

Paper 2026-03-25 Lu et al. Nature
TL;DR
  • "The AI Scientist" automates the full research lifecycle end-to-end: ideation → code → experiments → manuscript → peer review.
  • An AI-generated manuscript passed the first round of peer review at a top-tier ML workshop (70% acceptance rate).
  • Two modes: focused (human-provided code template scaffold for one topic) and template-free open-ended agentic search.
  • Built on modern foundation models inside a complex agentic system.
  • Authors flag risks: overwhelming review systems + adding noise to the scientific literature.
Note AI generate idea, do experiment, write and review paper
View source

Transient Interphase Assisted Crystallization of Antisolvent-Free Perovskite for Enhanced Device Performance

Paper 2026-04-20 Liu et al. Advanced Materials
TL;DR
  • Antisolvent-free CsxFA1−xPbI3 PSCs via a "transient interphase" strategy controlling nucleation + crystal growth.
  • Tetramethylurea (TMU) replaces DMF; triggers instantaneous Cs-rich nucleation and forms a transient interphase that balances component crystallization rates.
  • Cell efficiency up to 25.63%; module efficiency 19.62%.
  • ISOS-L-1 stability: negligible degradation after 1700 h; retains 90% of initial efficiency after 3500 h — longest reported MPPT stability for antisolvent-free CsxFA1−xPbI3 PSCs to date.
  • Mechanism: suppressed phase segregation via α-CsxFA1−xPbI3 phase formation.
Note quench-free, use TMU replace DMF, 25.63%
View source

Synthetic Surface Design of Transparent Electrodes for Enhanced Molecular Contact in Perovskite Solar Cells

Paper 2026-04-16 Hooijer et al. Advanced Energy Materials
TL;DR
  • NiOx-free p-i-n architecture: ITO + phosphonic-acid SAM as charge-selective contact.
  • Counter-intuitive finding: moderate (not maximum) ITO hydroxyl/hydroxide content gives more uniform and electronically favourable SAM anchoring.
  • Simple solution-based ITO surface treatment (operator note: H2SO4/H2O2) simultaneously tunes surface chemistry, conductivity, and homogeneity.
  • Improved charge extraction + higher reproducibility + operational stability.
  • Validated under extreme thermal cycling (−80 → +80 °C, LEO-space relevance) across single-junction + tandem cells.
Note NiOx-free, ITO/SAM, from Erkan Aydin. ITO treated by H2SO4/H2O2 has higher reproducibility
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Assessing the Opportunities of Spectral Shaping by Quantum Cutting for Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

Paper 2026-04-17 Wieliczka et al. ACS Energy Letters
TL;DR
  • Yb-doped halide perovskite quantum-cutting layer: one UV/visible photon → two near-infrared photons, reshaping the solar spectrum into the Si bottom-cell band.
  • Detailed-balance analysis: idealized PVK/Si tandem efficiency limit largely unchanged — but the optimal top-cell bandgap shifts from 1.7 → ≈1.45 eV.
  • That shift opens the door to neat iodide (Br-free) perovskite compositions — potentially more stable than mixed-halide Br-rich top cells — without losing efficiency.
  • Bonus mechanism: quantum-cutting layer absorbs UV photons that would otherwise hit and degrade the perovskite stack — UV-stability gain on top of spectral gain.
  • Operator angle confirmed: 1.46 eV downconversion target lines up with the paper's ≈1.45 eV optimum.
Note down conversion for PVK/Si, decrease PVK to 1.46 eV, quantum cutting
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Bypassing the yellow phase for extremely stable formamidinium lead iodide perovskite solar cells

Paper 2026-04-30 Garai et al. Science
TL;DR
  • Coadditive in FAPbI3: 15 mol% FACl + 0.5 mol% BA2PbI4 (BA = butylammonium).
  • Chloride incorporation + compressive lattice strain stabilize the FAPI black 3C phase and bypass the yellow-phase degradation pathway.
  • p-i-n devices: 24.1% average PCE across 40 devices; only 2% efficiency loss after 1200 h at 85 °C / 1-sun / open-circuit.
  • Mechanism: transition 2H → 4H → 6H → 8H face-sharing phases → corner-sharing 3C black phase.
  • Surprising degradation path: under 15-sun + 90 °C stress, 3C decays via the energetically uphill 3R-PbI2 phase, not 2H-PbI2.
  • Operator angle: better than the classic MACl additive.
Note additive of FACl and BAPbI4 stablize perovskite under 85C, better than MACl additive
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Crystallization modulation of methylammonium-free narrow-bandgap perovskite for thermal-stable all-perovskite tandem solar modules

Paper 2026-05-01 Gao et al. Science Advances
TL;DR
  • MA-free Pb-Sn (FACs-based) all-perovskite tandem — replaces thermally unstable methylammonium with cesium.
  • Crystallization modifier: p-π conjugated semicarbazide hydrochloride (SHCl) in precursor solution.
  • SH+ and Cl− synergistically modulate Cs precipitation + retard crystal growth → homogeneous nucleation in large-area films.
  • Single-junction FACs Pb-Sn: 85% retained efficiency after 700 h at 85 °C.
  • 20.25 cm² tandem module: 24.3% certified PCE — highest among MA-free all-perovskite tandem modules.
  • Encapsulated modules: 90% retained under ISOS damp heat (200 h); 92% under thermal cycling (200 cycles).
Note MA-free, Sn-Pb
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