A facile method to obtain colloidal dispersions of nickel hydroxide: Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices

Rafael Martí Valls; Rodrigo García Rodríguez; Diana Meza Rojas; Tom Dunlop; Eurig Jones; Suzanne K. Thomas; Matthew L. Davies; Peter J. Holliman; Jenny Baker; Cecile Charbonneau

doi:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.134524

A facile method to obtain colloidal dispersions of nickel hydroxide: Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices

Rafael Martí Valls
, Rodrigo García Rodríguez
, Diana Meza Rojas
, Tom Dunlop
, Eurig Jones
, Suzanne K. Thomas
, Matthew L. Davies
, Peter J. Holliman
, Jenny Baker
, Cecile Charbonneau

Swansea University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Nickel hydroxide has been successfully employed as a precursor to the widely used, inorganic hole transport material (HTM) nickel oxide (NiO _x). However, manufacturing NiO _x HTM layers from nickel hydroxide is more complicated than those involving organometallic precursors due to its poor solubility/dispersibility. We report here a substantial increase in nickel hydroxide dispersibility in organic solvents by complexing it with monoethanolamine. These improvements have enabled us to develop a simpler method for processing nickel hydroxide that resemble the known sol-gel method. The new metal complex remains dispersed for months and converts to nickel oxide at a temperature similar to that of nickel hydroxide (270–300 ºC). An extensive characterisation of NiO _x films obtained from the deposited precursor has been carried out. Perovskites solar cells have also been built with these films as a proof of concept, showing promising results for the layers sintered at low (270 ºC) and high (500 ºC) temperatures. The pixel with highest efficiency for both sintering temperatures were 14.7 % and 16.7 %, respectively, which are close to or surpass the ones of the control samples (15.4 % and 15.7 %, respectively). The applied unpaired t-test statistical method showed that the mean efficiency values for our thick samples prepared at 270 °C are not statistically different from those of the control cells. Furthermore, the samples prepared at 500 °C presented a significant statistical difference with the control cells, showing higher average efficiencies (12.8 % and 13.3 % versus 11.4 % and 11.7 %, reverse and forward measurements, respectively). The simplicity of the manufacturing method developed, together with the use of non-toxic organic compounds for its preparation and the promising results observed in solar devices, makes it suitable for being upscaled.

Original language	English
Article number	134524
Number of pages	12
Journal	Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Volume	698
Early online date	12 Jun 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.134524
Publication status	Published - 5 Oct 2024

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Funding

This research was funded by the 2014–2020 Structural Funds programme supporting the ERDF funded SPECIFIC 2 project and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre (EP/N020863/1). We gratefully acknowledge funding from the EPSRC ECR Fellowship NoRESt EP/S03711X/1 (RMV and JB), EPSRC EP/P030068/1 (PJH), EP/S018107/1 (EWR) and the EU SPARC-II (DMR). RGR would like to acknowledge the IMPACT operation which has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and Swansea University. The XPS, XRD and Raman systems were financed by Sêr Cymru Solar, a project funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. We would like to thank the access to characterisation equipment to Swansea University Advanced Imaging of Materials (AIM) facility, which was funded in part by the EPSRC (EP/M028267/1) and the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government (80708).

Funders	Funder number
EU SPARC-II
Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Government and Swansea University
Department of Medical Research, Union of Myanmar
European Regional Development Fund
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council	EP/S03711X/1, EP/N020863/1, EP/S018107/1, EP/P030068/1
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Llywodraeth Cymru	80708
Llywodraeth Cymru
Swansea University	EP/M028267/1
Swansea University

Keywords

Nanoparticle dispersion
Nickel hydroxide
Nickel oxide
Perovskite solar cells
Semiconductor processing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Surfaces and Interfaces
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Colloid and Surface Chemistry

Access to Document

10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.134524Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Valls, R. M., Rodríguez, R. G., Rojas, D. M., Dunlop, T., Jones, E., Thomas, S. K., Davies, M. L., Holliman, P. J., Baker, J., & Charbonneau, C. (2024). A facile method to obtain colloidal dispersions of nickel hydroxide: Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 698, Article 134524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.134524

A facile method to obtain colloidal dispersions of nickel hydroxide: Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices. / Valls, Rafael Martí; Rodríguez, Rodrigo García; Rojas, Diana Meza et al.
In: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Vol. 698, 134524, 05.10.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Valls, RM, Rodríguez, RG, Rojas, DM, Dunlop, T, Jones, E, Thomas, SK, Davies, ML, Holliman, PJ, Baker, J & Charbonneau, C 2024, 'A facile method to obtain colloidal dispersions of nickel hydroxide: Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices', Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, vol. 698, 134524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.134524

Valls RM, Rodríguez RG, Rojas DM, Dunlop T, Jones E, Thomas SK et al. A facile method to obtain colloidal dispersions of nickel hydroxide: Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects. 2024 Oct 5;698:134524. Epub 2024 Jun 12. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.134524

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abstract = "Nickel hydroxide has been successfully employed as a precursor to the widely used, inorganic hole transport material (HTM) nickel oxide (NiO x). However, manufacturing NiO x HTM layers from nickel hydroxide is more complicated than those involving organometallic precursors due to its poor solubility/dispersibility. We report here a substantial increase in nickel hydroxide dispersibility in organic solvents by complexing it with monoethanolamine. These improvements have enabled us to develop a simpler method for processing nickel hydroxide that resemble the known sol-gel method. The new metal complex remains dispersed for months and converts to nickel oxide at a temperature similar to that of nickel hydroxide (270–300 ºC). An extensive characterisation of NiO x films obtained from the deposited precursor has been carried out. Perovskites solar cells have also been built with these films as a proof of concept, showing promising results for the layers sintered at low (270 ºC) and high (500 ºC) temperatures. The pixel with highest efficiency for both sintering temperatures were 14.7 \% and 16.7 \%, respectively, which are close to or surpass the ones of the control samples (15.4 \% and 15.7 \%, respectively). The applied unpaired t-test statistical method showed that the mean efficiency values for our thick samples prepared at 270 °C are not statistically different from those of the control cells. Furthermore, the samples prepared at 500 °C presented a significant statistical difference with the control cells, showing higher average efficiencies (12.8 \% and 13.3 \% versus 11.4 \% and 11.7 \%, reverse and forward measurements, respectively). The simplicity of the manufacturing method developed, together with the use of non-toxic organic compounds for its preparation and the promising results observed in solar devices, makes it suitable for being upscaled.",

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T2 - Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices

AU - Valls, Rafael Martí

AU - Rodríguez, Rodrigo García

AU - Rojas, Diana Meza

AU - Dunlop, Tom

AU - Jones, Eurig

AU - Thomas, Suzanne K.

AU - Davies, Matthew L.

AU - Holliman, Peter J.

AU - Baker, Jenny

AU - Charbonneau, Cecile

PY - 2024/10/5

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N2 - Nickel hydroxide has been successfully employed as a precursor to the widely used, inorganic hole transport material (HTM) nickel oxide (NiO x). However, manufacturing NiO x HTM layers from nickel hydroxide is more complicated than those involving organometallic precursors due to its poor solubility/dispersibility. We report here a substantial increase in nickel hydroxide dispersibility in organic solvents by complexing it with monoethanolamine. These improvements have enabled us to develop a simpler method for processing nickel hydroxide that resemble the known sol-gel method. The new metal complex remains dispersed for months and converts to nickel oxide at a temperature similar to that of nickel hydroxide (270–300 ºC). An extensive characterisation of NiO x films obtained from the deposited precursor has been carried out. Perovskites solar cells have also been built with these films as a proof of concept, showing promising results for the layers sintered at low (270 ºC) and high (500 ºC) temperatures. The pixel with highest efficiency for both sintering temperatures were 14.7 % and 16.7 %, respectively, which are close to or surpass the ones of the control samples (15.4 % and 15.7 %, respectively). The applied unpaired t-test statistical method showed that the mean efficiency values for our thick samples prepared at 270 °C are not statistically different from those of the control cells. Furthermore, the samples prepared at 500 °C presented a significant statistical difference with the control cells, showing higher average efficiencies (12.8 % and 13.3 % versus 11.4 % and 11.7 %, reverse and forward measurements, respectively). The simplicity of the manufacturing method developed, together with the use of non-toxic organic compounds for its preparation and the promising results observed in solar devices, makes it suitable for being upscaled.

AB - Nickel hydroxide has been successfully employed as a precursor to the widely used, inorganic hole transport material (HTM) nickel oxide (NiO x). However, manufacturing NiO x HTM layers from nickel hydroxide is more complicated than those involving organometallic precursors due to its poor solubility/dispersibility. We report here a substantial increase in nickel hydroxide dispersibility in organic solvents by complexing it with monoethanolamine. These improvements have enabled us to develop a simpler method for processing nickel hydroxide that resemble the known sol-gel method. The new metal complex remains dispersed for months and converts to nickel oxide at a temperature similar to that of nickel hydroxide (270–300 ºC). An extensive characterisation of NiO x films obtained from the deposited precursor has been carried out. Perovskites solar cells have also been built with these films as a proof of concept, showing promising results for the layers sintered at low (270 ºC) and high (500 ºC) temperatures. The pixel with highest efficiency for both sintering temperatures were 14.7 % and 16.7 %, respectively, which are close to or surpass the ones of the control samples (15.4 % and 15.7 %, respectively). The applied unpaired t-test statistical method showed that the mean efficiency values for our thick samples prepared at 270 °C are not statistically different from those of the control cells. Furthermore, the samples prepared at 500 °C presented a significant statistical difference with the control cells, showing higher average efficiencies (12.8 % and 13.3 % versus 11.4 % and 11.7 %, reverse and forward measurements, respectively). The simplicity of the manufacturing method developed, together with the use of non-toxic organic compounds for its preparation and the promising results observed in solar devices, makes it suitable for being upscaled.

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VL - 698

JO - Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

JF - Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

M1 - 134524

ER -

A facile method to obtain colloidal dispersions of nickel hydroxide: Improving the processing of nickel oxide and facilitating its upscaling for perovskite-type solar devices

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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