Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Jackson State University has potential broader impacts in a number of areas. The goal of this project is to study the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells by adding a ternary semiconductor layer; as well as to enhance teaching and learning at the university at the undergraduate level.
This work focuses on improving the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by interface manipulation. Ternary semiconductor layers with hydrophobic groups and controllable energy levels will be used as interface layers in PSCs with the aim of obtaining high stability and high efficiency. The goals are to: 1) develop the synthesis methods for ternary semiconductor layers with adjustable energy levels controlled by the three element ratios, which can decrease the charge recombination in the devices; 2) passivate the ternary semiconductor layers with hydrophobic groups to prevent moisture penetrating the devices, which can improve the moisture stability; 3) design and develop novel PSC device structures with the interface layers; and 4) optimize PSCs device performance using the ternary semiconductor layers towards high stability and high efficiency. This study has the potential to solve the stability issue of PSCs and facilitate the development of PSCs toward practical applications. This project will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Southern Mississippi and Emory University.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
