Angela BELCHER : Recycled Lead conversion to high efficiency
Perovskite Solar Cells -- Articles & patents

  
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**Angela BELCHER**  
**Recycled Lead Perovskite Solar Cells**

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[**http://mitei.mit.edu/news/discarded-car-batteries**](http://mitei.mit.edu/news/discarded-car-batteries)**January 7, 2016**

**Discarded car batteries**

*Recovering material for novel solar cells*  
*Material could harvest sunlight by day, release heat on
demand hours or days later*

  
Angela Belcher of biological engineering and materials science and
engineering, Paula Hammond of chemical engineering, Po-Yen Chen
PhD a15 (now at Brown University), and others have shown that a
novel, high-efficiency, low-cost solar cell can be made using lead
recovered from an abundant, old-technology source: lead-acid car
batteries.  
  
**Overview**  
  
MIT researchers have developed a simple procedure for making a
promising type of solar cell using lead recovered from discarded
lead-acid car batteries a a practice that could benefit both the
environment and human health. As new lead-free car batteries come
into use, old batteries would be sent to the solar industry rather
than to landfills. And if production of this new, high-efficiency,
low-cost solar cell takes offaas many experts think it will a
manufacturersa increased demand for lead could be met without
additional lead mining and smelting. Laboratory experiments
confirm that solar cells made with recycled lead work just as well
as those made with high-purity, commercially available starting
materials. Battery recycling could thus support production of
these novel solar cells while researchers work to replace the lead
with a more benign but equally effective material.  
  
Much attention in the solar community is now focused on an
emerging class of crystalline photovoltaic materials called
perovskites. The reasons are clear. The starting ingredients are
abundant and easily processed at low temperatures, and the
fabricated solar cells can be thin, lightweight, and
flexibleaideal for applying to windows, building facades, and
more. And they promise to be highly efficient.  
  
Unlike most advanced solar technologies, perovskites are rapidly
fulfilling that promise. aWhen perovskite-based solar cells first
came out, they were a few percent efficient,a says Angela Belcher,
the James Mason Crafts Professor in biological engineering and
materials science and engineering at MIT. aThen they were 6%
efficient, then 15%, and then 20%. It was really fun to watch the
efficiencies skyrocket over the course of a couple years.a
Perovskite solar cells demonstrated in research labs may soon be
as efficient as todayas commercial silicon-based solar cells,
which have achieved current efficiencies only after many decades
of intensive research and development.  
  
Research groups are now working to scale up their laboratory
prototypes and to make them less susceptible to degradation when
exposed to moisture. But one concern persists: The most efficient
perovskite solar cells all contain lead.  
  
That concern caught the attention of Belcher and her colleague
Paula Hammond, the David H. Koch (1962) Professor in Engineering
and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT. Belcher
and Hammond have spent decades developing environmentally friendly
synthesis procedures to generate materials for energy applications
such as batteries and solar cells. Although lead is toxic, in
consumer devices it can be encapsulated in other materials so it
canat escape and contaminate the environment, and it can be
recovered from retired devices and used to make new ones. But lead
mining and refining raise serious health and environmental issues
ranging from the release of toxic vapors and dust to high energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, research
teams worldwideaincluding Belcher and Hammondahave been actively
seeking a replacement for the lead in perovskite solar cells. But
so far, nothing has proved nearly as effective.  
  
Recognizing the promise of this technology and the difficulty of
replacing the lead in it, in 2013 the MIT researchers proposed an
alternative. aWe thought, what if we got our lead from another
source?a recalls Belcher. One possibility would be discarded
lead-acid car batteries. Today, old car batteries are recycled,
with most of the lead used to produce new batteries. But battery
technology is changing rapidly, and the future will likely bring
new, more efficient options. At that point, the 250 million
lead-acid batteries in US cars today will become wasteaand that
could cause environmental problems.  
  
aIf we could recover the lead in those batteries and use it to
make perovskite solar cells, itad be a win-win situation,a says
Belcher.  
  
**Recovering and processing materials**  
  
According to Belcher, recovering lead from a lead-acid battery and
turning it into a perovskite solar cell involves aa very, very
simple procedurea a so simple that she and her colleagues posted a
video of exactly how to do it. The sequence of steps is
illustrated in the diagram below. The first step a getting the
lead out of the car batteryamight seem a simple proposition. Just
remove the battery from the car, cut it open with a saw, and
scrape the lead off the two electrodes. But opening a battery is
extremely dangerous due to the sulfuric acid and toxic lead inside
it. (In fact, when Belcher learned that high school students were
recreating the procedure for science fair projects, she had her
team delete that section of the instructional video.) In the end,
Po-Yen Chen PhD a15, then a chemical engineering graduate student
and an Eni-MIT Energy Fellow and now a postdoc at Brown
University, arranged to have a battery-recycling center near his
home in Taiwan perform the disassembly process.  
  
**Using recycled car batteries to synthesize perovskite for solar
cells**  
This figure shows how to synthesize lead iodide perovskite from a
lead-acid battery. The simple process calls for three main steps:
harvesting material from the anodes and cathodes of the car
battery (shown in red); synthesizing lead iodide from the
collected materials (blue); and depositing the perovskite film
(green).  
  
Back at MIT, clad in protective clothing and working inside a
chemical hood, the researchers carefully scraped material off the
electrodes and then followed the steps in the illustration to
synthesize the lead iodide powder they needed. They then dissolved
the powder in a solvent and dropped it onto a spinning disk made
of a transparent conducting material, where it spread out to form
a thin film of perovskite. After performing a few more processing
steps, they integrated the perovskite film into a functional solar
cell that successfully converted sunlight into electricity.  
  
**Penalty for using recycled lead?**  
The simple procedure for recovering and processing the lead and
making a solar cell could easily be scaled up and commercialized.
But Belcher and Hammond knew that solar cell manufacturers would
have a question: Is there any penalty for using recycled materials
instead of high-quality lead iodide purchased from a chemical
company?  
  
To answer that question, the researchers decided to make some
solar cells using recycled materials and some using commercially
available materials and then compare the performance of the two
versions. They donat claim to be experts at making perovskite
solar cells optimized for maximum efficiency. But if the cells
they made using the two starting materials performed equally well,
then apeople who are skilled in fine-tuning these solar cells to
get 20% efficiencies would be able to use our material and get the
same efficiencies,a reasoned Belcher.  
  
The researchers began by evaluating the light-harvesting
capability of the perovskite thin films made from car batteries
and from high-purity commercial lead iodide. In a variety of
tests, the films displayed the same nanocrystalline structure and
identical light-absorption capability. Indeed, the filmsa ability
to absorb light at different wavelengths was the same.  
  
They then tested solar cells they had fabricated from the two
types of perovskite and found that their photovoltaic performance
was similar. One measure of interest is power conversion
efficiency (PCE), which is the fraction of the incoming solar
power that comes out as electrical power. The figure below shows
PCE measurements in 10 of the solar cells fabricated from
high-purity lead iodide and 10 fabricated from car batteries.
Because efficiency measurements in these types of devices can vary
widely, the figure presents not only the highest PCE achieved but
also the average over the entire batch of devices. The performance
of the two types of solar cells is almost identical. aSo device
quality doesnat suffer from the use of materials recovered from
spent car batteries,a says Belcher.  
  
**Power conversion efficiency of fabricated solar cells**  
This figure shows power conversion efficiency a the fraction of
incoming solar power converted to electricity a in solar cells
that the researchers fabricated using starting materials purchased
from a vendor (left) and recovered from a spent lead-acid car
battery. In each case, the gray bar shows the average efficiency
of 10 devices, while the blue bar shows the highest efficiency
achieved in a single device. Performance in the two groups of
devices is essentially the same, confirming that using recycled
material does not compromise device quality.  
  
Taken together, these results were extremely promising a but they
were based on solar cells made from a single discarded car
battery. Might the outcome be different using a different battery?
For example, they were able to recover more than 95% of the usable
lead in their battery. Would that fraction be lower in an older
battery? And might the quality or purity of the recovered lead
differ?  
  
To find out, the researchers returned to the Taiwanese recycling
center and bought three more batteries. The first had been
operating for six months, the second for two years, and the third
for four years. They then followed the same procedures to recover
and synthesize the lead iodide and fabricate and test solar cells
made with it. The outcome was the sameawith one exception. In the
older batteries, some of the lead occurs in the form of lead
sulfate a a result of reactions with the sulfuric acid
electrolyte. But they found that their original procedures were
effective in recovering the lead from the lead sulfate as well as
from the other compounds inside the batteries.  
  
Based on their results, Belcher and Hammond concluded that
recycled lead could be integrated into any type of process that
researchers are using to fabricate perovskite-based solar
cellsaand indeed to make other types of lead-containing solar
cells, light-emitting diodes, piezoelectric devices, and more.   
  
**Potential economic impact**  
  
A simple economic analysis shows that the proposed
battery-to-solar-cell procedure could have a substantial impact.
Assuming that the perovskite thin film is just half a micrometer
thick, the researchers calculate that a single lead-acid car
battery could supply enough lead for the fabrication of more than
700 square meters of perovskite solar cells. If the cells achieve
15% efficiency (a conservative assumption today), those solar
cells would together provide enough electricity to power about 14
households in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or about 30 households in
sunny Las Vegas, Nevada. Powering the whole United States would
take about 12.2 million recycled car batteries, fabricated into
8,634 square kilometers of perovskite solar panels operating under
conditions similar to those in Nevada.  
  
In the long term, of course, the best approach would be to find an
effective, nontoxic replacement for the lead. Belcher and Hammond
continue to search for a suitable substitute, performing
theoretical and experimental studies with various types of atoms.
At the same time, they have begun testing the impact of another
approach: replacing a portion of the lead with another material
that may not perform as well but is more environmentally friendly.
Already theyave had promising results, achieving some apretty
decent efficiencies,a says Belcher. The combination of their two
approaches a using recycled lead and reducing the amount required
a could ease near-term environmental and health concerns while
Belcher, Hammond, and others develop the best possible chemistry
for this novel solar technology.  
  
P.-Y. Chen, J. Qi, M.T. Klug, X. Dang, P.T. Hammond, and A.M.
Belcher. aEnvironmentally responsible fabrication of efficient
perovskite solar cells from recycled car batteries.a Energy &
Environmental Science, vol. 7, pp. 3659a3665, 2014.  
  
P.-Y. Chen, J. Qi, M.T. Klug, X. Dang, P.T. Hammond, and A.M.
Belcher. aResponse to the comments on aEnvironmentally responsible
fabrication of efficient perovskite solar cells from recycled car
batteriesa by Po-Yen Chen, Jifa Qi, Matthew T. Klug, Xiangnan
Dang, Paula T. Hammond, and Angela M. Belcher published in Energy
Environ. Sci. in 2014.a Energy & Environmental Science, vol.
8, pp. 1618a1625, 2015.  
  

![](carbatteriesfigure1.jpg)  
  
![](carbatteriesfigure2.jpg)

  


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[**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP9HmTrUms0&feature=youtu.be**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP9HmTrUms0&feature=youtu.be)

**Recycling old batteries into solar
cells**

  
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  
  
A system proposed by researchers at MIT would recycle materials
from discarded car batteries a a potential source of lead
pollution a into new, long-lasting solar panels that provide
emissions-free power.   
  

![](GA.gif)

  


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[**http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/ee/2014/c4ee00965g#!divAbstract**](http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/ee/2014/c4ee00965g#%21divAbstract)**Energy Environ. Sci., 2014,7, 3659-3665****DOI: 10.1039/C4EE00965G** 

**Environmentally responsible
fabrication of efficient perovskite solar cells from
recycled car batteries**  
  
**Po-Yen Chen, Jifa Qi, Matthew T. Klug, Xiangnan Dang, Paula
T. Hammond and Angela M. Belcher**

  
Organolead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) show great promise
as a new large-scale and cost-competitive photovoltaic technology.
Power conversion efficiencies over 15% to 19% have been achieved
within 18 to 24 months of development, and thus perovskite
materials have attracted great attention in photovoltaic research.
However, the manufacture of PSCs raises environmental concerns
regarding the over-production of raw lead ore, which has harmful
health and ecological effects. Herein, we report an
environmentally responsible process to fabricate efficient PSCs by
reusing car batteries to simultaneously avoid the disposal of
toxic battery materials and provide alternative, readily available
lead sources for PSCs. Perovskite films, assembled using materials
sourced from either recycled battery materials or high-purity
commercial reagents, show the same material characteristics (i.e.,
crystallinity, morphology, optical absorption, and
photoluminescence properties) and identical photovoltaic
performance (i.e., photovoltaic parameters and resistances of
electron recombination), indicating the practical feasibility of
recycling car batteries for lead-based PSCs.  
  


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[**http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201200114/abstract**](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201200114/abstract)**DOI: 10.1002/adma.201200114**

**Biotemplated Synthesis of Perovskite
Nanomaterials for Solar Energy Conversion**

  
A synthetic method of using genetically engineered M13 virus to
mineralize perovskite nanomaterials, particularly strontium
titanate (STO) and bismuth ferrite (BFO), is presented.
Genetically engineered viruses provide effective templates for
perovskite nanomaterials. The virus-templated nanocrystals are
small in size, highly crystalline, and show photocatalytic and
photovoltaic properties.   
  


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**US2013266809**  
**BIOTEMPLATED PEROVSKITE NANOMATERIALS**

**Inventor: NUERAJI NUERXIATIa/ BELCHER ANGELA** **TECHNICAL FIELD**  
  
[0002] This invention relates to biotemplated nanomaterials and
methods of making and using them.  
  
**BACKGROUND**  
  
[0003] Perovskite materials have attracted wide-spread attention
due to their catalytic, ferroelectric, and ferromagnetic
properties as well as their application in superconductors,
thermoelectrics, and fuel cells. Due to their unique ferroelectric
and semiconductor properties, researchers are investigating the
photovoltaic and photocatalytic properties of perovskite
materials. Nanoscaled perovskite materials exhibit improved
properties over bulk materials, and their unique characteristics
are under investigation. However, using conventional methods to
synthesize perovskite nanomaterials of small size and high
crystallinity is difficult, and preparing them with different
morphologies under environmentally friendly conditions presents an
even greater challenge.  
  
[0004] Single crystal strontium titanate is well-known
photocatalyst for producing hydrogen without applying bias since
it has high conduction band and chemical stability. However, the
band gap of strontium titanate is in UV region similar to most
perovskite materials and limits its application. Therefore, it is
very important to develop a technique to fabricate the strontium
titanate nanowires with visible light absorption.  
  
**SUMMARY**  
[0005] A general method for biomimetic mineralization of
perovskite nanomaterials would present unique opportunities.  
  
[0006] In one aspect, a method of making a nanomaterial includes
forming a perovskite in the presence of a biotemplate having
affinity for a metal ion.  
  
[0007] The biotemplate can include a virus particle. The virus
particle can be an M13 bacteriophage. Forming the perovskite can
include forming an aqueous mixture including the biotemplate, a
first inorganic ion, and a second inorganic ion. The method can
further include forming an ion source including the first
inorganic ion and the second inorganic ion before forming the
aqueous mixture. The method can further include adjusting the pH
of the aqueous mixture and incubating the aqueous mixture for a
predetermined time at a predetermined temperature. The method can
further include calcining the reaction products after incubating
the aqueous mixture.  
  
[0008] The perovskite can have the formula (I):  
  
[0000]  
AxAa21-xByBa21-yO3A+/-I'aa(I)  
  
[0000] where each of A and Aa2, independently, is a rare earth,
alkaline earth metal, or alkali metal; each of B and Ba2,
independently, is a transition metal; x is in the range of 0 to 1;
y is in the range of 0 to 1; and I' is in the range of 0 to 1.  
  
[0009] A and Aa2, independently, can be selected from the group
consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, and Bi. B and Ba2, independently,
can be selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, V, Nb, Mn,
Fe, Ru, Co, Rh, Ni, Pd, Pt, Al, and Mg. The perovskite can be a
strontium titanate; or the perovskite can be a bismuth ferrite.  
  
[0010] In other embodiments, the perovskite can be a tantalum
oxide, tantalum oxynitride or tantalum nitride, or compounds
derived therefrom. For example, the perovskite can be sodium
tantalate, zirconium oxide/tantalum oxynitride, zirconium tantalum
oxynitride, tantalum oxynitride, tantalum nitride, or zirconium
tantalum nitride.  
  
[0011] In another aspect, a biotemplated nanomaterial includes
interconnected crystalline perovskite nanoparticles.  
  
[0012] The nanomaterial can be elongated in shape. The
nanoparticles can have a particle size of no greater than about 50
nm, no greater than about 40 nm, no greater than about 30 nm, no
greater than about 20 nm, or no greater than about 10 nm. The
nanomaterial can have a diameter of no greater than about 100 nm,
no greater than about 80 nm, no greater than about 60 nm, no
greater than about 40 nm, or no greater than about 20 nm. In some
cases, the nanoparticles can have a particle size of no greater
than about 10 nm, and the nanomaterial has a diameter of no
greater than about 20 nm. The nanomaterial can have a length of
greater than 500 nm.  
  
[0013] The nanomaterial can include strontium titanate; or the
nanomaterial can include bismuth ferrite.  
  
[0014] In another aspect, a photocatalyst includes a biotemplated
nanomaterial as described above.  
  
[0015] In another aspect, a photovoltaic device includes a
biotemplated nanomaterial as described above.  
  
[0016] In certain embodiments, the biotemplated nanomaterials can
be post-treated with ammonia gas.  
  
[0017] Other aspects, embodiments, and features will be apparent
from the following description, the drawings, and the claims.  
  
**BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS****[0018] FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic depictions of nano
structures and a method of making them.****[0019] FIG. 2A shows a TEM image of SrTi(EG)
precursor-incubated viruses. FIGS. 2B and 2C show TEM images of
virus-templated STO nanowires. FIG. 2D shows a HRTEM image of
virus-templated STO nanowires, and FIG. 2E shows an XRD pattern
of virus-templated STO nanowires.****[0020] FIG. 3 is a plot showing the zeta potential of the
AEEE virus at different pH values.****[0021] FIG. 4 shows the XRD pattern of virus-templated STO
nanowires synthesized at pH 5 without adding hydrogen peroxide,
containing impurities of SrCO3.****[0022] FIG. 5 XRD pattern of virus-templated STO nanowires
synthesized at pH 6 without adding hydrogen peroxide, containing
impurities of SrCO3.****[0023] FIG. 6 shows an optical absorption spectrum of
virus-templated BFO nanoparticles.****[0024] FIG. 7 is a TEM image of wild type M13
virus-templated STO nanoparticles.****[0025] FIG. 8 shows the XRD pattern of wild type M13
virus-templated STO nanoparticles.****[0026] FIG. 9 is a TEM image of free STO nanoparticles
without M13 virus.****[0027] FIG. 10 shows the XRD pattern of STO nanoparticles
without M13 virus.****[0028] FIG. 11 shows the magnetic properties of
virus-templated BFO nanoparticles at 5K and 300K.****[0029] FIG. 12A shows a TEM image of BiFe(EG)-incubated
viruses before heat treatment at 600A deg C. FIGS. 12B-12C show
HRTEM images of virus-templated BFO nanoparticles after heat
treatment at 600A deg C. FIG. 12D shows XRD pattern of
virus-templated BFO nanoparticles after heat treatment at 600A deg
C.****[0030] FIG. 13A is an energy band diagram for hydrogen
production of dye-sensitized STO under visible light
irradiation. FIG. 13B illustrates hydrogen gas production by
water-splitting utilizing virus-templated STO nanowires
deposited with Pt nanoparticles under UV irradiation (red line)
and visible light irradiation with dye-sensitization (blue
line).****[0031] FIG. 14A is a schematic diagram for a liquid
junction solar cell including BFO nanoparticles. FIG. 14B
illustrates photovoltaic properties of a solar cell using
virus-templated BFO nanoparticles as photoanode.****[0032] FIG. 15 is a photograph depicting the equipment for
the post-treatment of biotemplated nanomaterials using ammonia
gas flow.****[0033] FIG. 16 is a photograph of the comparison between
various STO products after treated by ammonia.****[0034] FIG. 17A is a graph depicting the XPS result
confirms nitrogen doping onto the STO surface. FIG. 17B is a
graph depicting the XRD comparison between a STO without
treatment and 700A deg C. treatment.****[0035] FIG. 18 is a graph depicting the hydrogen evolutions
based on various temperatures of treatment under visible light.****[0036] FIG. 19 is a photograph depicting various tantalum
materials.****[0037] FIG. 20 is a graph depicting the hydrogen evolutions
based on various tantalum materials under visible light.****[0038] FIG. 21 is a graph depicting the absorption spectrum
for Ta3N5 and TaON.** **![](us1.jpg) ![](us2.jpg) ![](us3.jpg) ![](us4.jpg) ![](us5.jpg) ![](us6.jpg) ![](us7.jpg) ![](us8.jpg) ![](us9.jpg) ![](us10.jpg) ![](us11.jpg) ![](us12.jpg) ![](us13.jpg) ![](us14.jpg) ![](us15.jpg) ![](us16.jpg) ![](us17.jpg) ![](us18.jpg)****DETAILED DESCRIPTION**  
  
[0039] Biological systems provide an ideal environment for
synthesizing natural minerals with control of morphology and
crystal structure; expanding biological synthesis to non-natural
materials while maintaining such control has been the focus of
recent study. M13 bacteriophage is a diverse bio-template that has
been genetically engineered for synthesizing nanomaterials that
can be used to make functional devices. Particularly, metal, metal
alloy, and semiconductor nanowires have been assembled and
nucleated on M13 viruses. However, biological synthesis of ternary
metal oxide nanomaterials is challenging as it requires matching
reaction rates of multiple precursors.  
  
[0040] A biotemplated nanomaterial can include an inorganic
material. In making the biotemplated nanomaterial, the biotemplate
can serve one or more of the following functions: serving as a
nucleation site for nanoparticles of the inorganic material, and
providing a nanoscale scaffold on which the nanoparticles are
assembled into a larger nanostructure.  
  
[0041] A nanomaterial is a material including particles having at
least one dimension on the nanometer scale, i.e., from less than 1
nm to 1,000 nm. The particles can have any shape, e.g., spheres,
rods, wires, tubes, or other regular shapes; or the particles can
have irregular shapes. A nanomaterial can have one or more
dimensions at the nanometer scale while one or more other
dimensions is larger than the nanometer scale; for example, a
nanowire can have a diameter that is measured in nanometers, and a
length that is measured in micrometers.  
  
[0042] A structural feature of the biotemplate can have affinity
for the inorganic material and/or precursors of the inorganic
material. This structural feature can be small in size compared to
the overall biotemplate, e.g., on the molecular scale, such as
approximately 1 to approximately 100 nm or approximately 1 to
approximately 10 nm in size.  
  
[0043] The biotemplate can be any nanoscale biological structure,
including but not limited to a virus particle, a protein, a
nucleic acid, a carbohydrate, or a cell. The biotemplate can
include a complex of biological structures, for example, a complex
of proteins, a complex of nucleic acids (e.g., a double stranded
nucleic, or a nucleic acid nanostructure), a complex of proteins
and nucleic acids, and the like.  
  
[0044] In some cases, the biotemplate includes more than instance
of a structural feature. For example, a virus particle can include
many copies of a particular protein; a nucleic acid can include
repeating nucleotide sequences; a protein can include a repeating
structural motif; a protein complex can include multiple monomers
of the same protein. The repeating structural feature can function
in forming the biotemplated nanomaterial, for example, by
providing a nucleation site for precursors of the inorganic
material to be converted to nanoparticles, and/or for
nanoparticles of the inorganic material to bind to the
biotemplate.  
  
[0045] In addition to structural features on the scale of
approximately 1 to approximately 100 nm or approximately 1 to
approximately 10 nm in size which can help to nucleate and/or bind
nanoparticles of the inorganic material, the biotemplate can have
structural features at a larger scale, such as approximately 100
nm to approximately 1,000 nm or longer. For example, the overall
dimensions (e.g., length, width, and height, and/or when
applicable, diameter) of the biotemplate can be at this scale. The
biotemplated nanomaterial can thus include structural features at
this scale. Accordingly, the biotemplated nanomaterial can include
a plurality of nanoparticles of inorganic material (which may be
crystalline nanoparticles), for example at a scale of
approximately 1 to approximately 100 nm, approximately 1 to
approximately 10 nm, or approximately 10 to approximately 100 nm
in size, the nanoparticles being joined or interconnected by
inorganic material, such that an aggregate nanoparticle can have
dimensions of approximately 100 nm to approximately 1,000 nm or
longer.  
  
[0046] With regard to FIG. 1A, nanostructure 100 includes
biotemplate 110 and a plurality of nanoparticles 140 on a surface
of biotemplate 110. In making nanostructure 100, biotemplate 110
has surface groups 120 that can interact with nanoparticle
precursors 130. (In FIG. 1, biotemplate 110 is labeled pVIII major
coat proteins; however, as discussed below, the biotemplate is not
limited to M13 virus or its pVIII major coat proteins). Under
appropriate conditions, precursors 130 are converted to
nanoparticles 140 on a surface of biotemplate 110.  
  
[0047] A synthetic method of using a biotemplate to mineralize
nanomaterials is described. The biotemplate can be a genetically
engineered virus particle (e.g., an M13 virus particle). The
nanomaterials can advantageously be a perovskite nanomaterial,
such as strontium titanate (STO), bismuth ferrite (BFO), sodium
tantalate (NaTaO3), zirconium oxide/tantalum oxynitride
(ZrOaTaON), zirconium tantalum oxynitride (ZraTaON), tantalum
oxynitride (TaON), tantalum nitride (Ta3N5), or zirconium tantalum
nitride (ZraTa3N5). Genetic engineering can provide a virus
particle having surface groups that have affinity for
nanomaterials and/or nanomaterial precursors. These surface groups
provide sites for nanoparticles to nucleate and bind, i.e., they
serve a templating function.  
  
[0048] M13 bacteriophage can serve as a template for nanoparticle
growth. See, for example, US Patent Application Publication No.
2011/0124488, and Ki Tae Nam, Dong-Wan Kim, P. J. Y. Science 2006,
312, 885, each of which is incorporated by reference in its
entirety. Protein engineering techniques (e.g., phage display) can
produce a virus that has a protein coat with binding affinity for
a desired target material, e.g., an inorganic material such as a
metal or a metal oxide. The protein coat protein can have a metal
binding motif, which, for example, can be a negatively charged
motif, e.g., tetraglutamate or a peptide with a binding affinity
to a metal. For example, the motif can be a 12-amino acid peptide
with a high affinity for Au. In one example, engineered M13 virus
particles allowed control of the assembly of nanowires of Co3O4
with a small percentage of Au dopant. Id.  
  
[0049] While M13 bacteriophage can have a major coat protein with
a motif that binds specific metals, the motif can also block
binding of other metals. For example, tetraglutamate can interact
with various metal ions but blocks interaction with Au due to
electrostatic repulsion. See, for example, Ki Tae Nam, Dong-Wan
Kim, P. J. Y. Science 2006, 312, 885, which is incorporated by
reference in its entirety.  
  
[0050] The filamentous body of M13 virus includes about 2700
identical copies of the major coat protein pVIII (FIG. 1B).
Genetically engineered viruses provide effective templates for
perovskite nanomaterials. In particular, when the amino acid
sequence AEEE is expressed at the N-terminus of each pVIII, the
result is a site with high charge density (under appropriate
conditions) to interact with cationic metal precursors.  
  
[0051] Virus-templated nanocrystals can be small in size, highly
crystalline, and show photocatalytic and photovoltaic properties.
Virus-templated STO nanowires catalyze production hydrogen gas
efficiently under both UV and visible (with dye-sensitization)
irradiation. Photovoltaic performance of virus-mineralized BFO
nanoparticles is also described.  
  
[0052] A perovskite is an inorganic material having the same
crystal structure as the mineral perovskite, i.e., CaTiO3. As used
herein, aperovskitea refers generally to any member of the class
of materials having that crystal structure, and not to the mineral
specifically.  
  
[0053] In general, a perovskite can have the formula (I):  
  
[0000]  
AxAa21-xByBa21-yO3A+/-I'aa(I)  
  
[0000] where each of A and Aa2, independently, is a rare earth,
alkaline earth metal, or alkali metal, x is in the range of 0 to
1, each of B and Ba2, independently, is a transition metal, y is in
the range of 0 to 1, and I' is in the range of 0 to 1. I' can
represent the average number of oxygen-site vacancies (i.e., aI')
or surpluses (i.e., +I'); in some cases, I' is in the range of 0 to
0.5, 0 to 0.25, 0 to 0.15, 0 to 0.1, or 0 to 0.05. For clarity, it
is noted that in formula (I), B and Ba2 do not represent the
element boron, but instead are symbols that each independently
represent a transition metal. In some cases, I' can be
approximately zero, i.e., the number of oxygen-site vacancies or
surpluses is effectively zero. The material can in some cases have
the formula AByBa21-yO3 (i.e., when x is 1 and I' is 0); AxAa21-xBO3
(i.e., when y is 1 and I' is 0); or ABO3 (i.e., when x is 1, y is 1
and I' is 0).  
  
[0054] Rare earth metals include Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm,
Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu. Alkaline earth metals
include Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra. Alkali metals include Li, Na,
K, Rb, and Cs. Transition metals include Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe,
Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W,
Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, or Hg. Particularly useful alkaline earth
metals can include Ca, Sr, and Ba. Particularly useful transition
metals can include first-row transition metals, for example, Cr,
Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu. Representative materials of formula (I)
include calcium titanate (CaTiO3), barium titanate (BaTiO3),
strontium titanate (SrTiO3), barium ferrite (BaFeO3), KTaO3,
NaNbO3, PbTiO3, LaMnO3, SrZrO3, SrHfO3, SrSnO3, SrFeO3, BaZrO3,
BaHfO3, KNbO3, BaSnO3, EuTiO3, RbTaO3, GdFeO3, PbHfO3, LaCrO3,
PbZrO3, or LiNbO3.  
  
[0055] In making the biotemplated nanomaterial, in general, a
biotemplate solution (typically, an aqueous solution) is combined
with inorganic precursors of a desired material. The inorganic
precursors can be metal ion sources compatible with an aqueous
solution, for example, salts of A, Aa2, B, and Ba2 atoms. Metal ion
salts can be combined into a precursor composition, for example a
solution including each of the metal ions to be included in the
desired material, and the precursor composition then combined with
the biotemplate solution. The precursors and biotemplate are then
allowed to react for a period of time at a desired temperature and
at a desired pH. A further incubation (e.g., at a different
temperature) can also be performed. The product of this reaction
can then be calcined, i.e., heated at a temperature in the range
of 100-800A deg C. for a period of time. Calcination can reduce or
remove organic material (e.g., the biotemplate) from the inorganic
nanomaterial.  
  
**EXAMPLES****Synthesis of Peroskite Nanomaterials Using M13 Virus****Experimental**  
  
[0056] Strontium chloride (SrCl2.6H2O), titanium chloride (TiCl4),
bismuth nitrate (Bi(NO3)3.5H2O), iron nitrate (Fe(NO3)3.9H2O) and
ethylene glycol (EG) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich. Deionized
water (DI water) was used to prepare all solutions.  
  
[0057] To prepare strontium titanium ethylene glycolate (SrTi(EG))
precursor, equal molar ratio of SrCl2 and TiCl4 were dissolved
into ethylene glycol under continuous stiffing. To prepare bismuth
iron ethylene glycolate (BiFe(EG)) precursor, equal molar ratio of
Bi(NO3)3 and Fe(NO3)3 were dissolved into ethylene glycol under
continuous stiffing. STO nanowires were synthesized by addition of
SrTi(EG) precursor into virus solution. In a typical synthesis,
0.1 ml of the precursors were mixed with 10 ml of 10<12 >pfu
(plaque forming units or number of virus particles) of virus
solution at neutral pH, and then sodium hydroxide was further
added to the solution and heated at 80A deg C. for 4 hours. In a
typical synthesis of BFO, 0.1 ml of the BiFe(EG) precursor was
added to 10 ml of 10<12 >pfu of virus solution. The solution
was incubated for at least one day. Then the reactant of
BiFe(EG)-incubated virus was heated at 600A deg C. for one hour.  
  
[0058] Hydrogen evolution test: Photodeposition method was applied
to reduce platinum ions on the surface of STO nanowires using
UV-lamp. 0.5 wt % of chloroplatic acid was added to STO dispersed
ethanol solution. Then the mixture was exposed to UV-lamp (100
watts) under stiffing condition. 1) Under UV light: 0.05 g of STO
nanowires co-deposited with platinum nanoparticles (0.5 wt %) was
added to 60 ml of the mixture of methanol and water (volume ratio
1:1.4). 2) Under visible light: 0.06 g of STO nanowires
co-deposited with platinum nanoparticles (0.5 wt %) was added to
30 ml of 15% diethanol amine aqueous solution containing 0.5 mM
Eosin Y. Then, the solution was purged with argon for at least 30
minutes. Before irradiation, gas chromatography (Agilent, 7890A,
TCD, Ar carrier) was utilized to confirm the absence of oxygen and
hydrogen gas in the head space. At each injection, 250 ml of gas
was tested after irradiation with varied time using mercury lamp
(100 watts). For visible light irradiation, a UV cut-off filter
was used to block wavelengths shorter than 400 nm.  
  
[0059] Photovoltaic performance: thin film of BFO nanoparticles
(10 mm thick) was constructed by doctor-blading technique. The
counter-electrode was 100-nm-thick platinum, sputtered on an ITO
substrate (Delta Technologies). The electrolyte was a solution of
0.6 M 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (Sigma Aldrich), 0.03 M
I2 (Sigma Aldrich), 0.10 M guanidinium thiocyanate (Sigma Aldrich)
and 0.5 M 4-tert-butyl pyridine (Sigma Aldrich) in a mixture of
acetonitrile and valeronitrile (volume ratio, 85:15). I-V curves
of the films were measured under dark and light illumination with
an AM1.5 light source (100 mW cm<2>).  
  
**Results and Discussion**  
  
[0060] In the biotemplated synthesis of STO nanowires, virus
solution was first incubated with strontium titanium ethylene
glycolate (SrTi(EG)) precursors. The interaction between viruses
and precursors was demonstrated by using transmission electron
microscopy (TEM) (FIG. 2A) which shows staining of the virus with
electron dense metal cations. Then the pH of the solution was
changed to pH 10 and the temperature was raised to 80A deg C.,
allowing for the hydrolysis and condensation of STO nanowires on
the virus. The virus-templated STO nanowires were characterized by
high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) (FIG.
2B-2D). Each STO nanoparticle was only around 5 nm in diameter and
with cubic crystalline structure. High negative charge density
provided by carboxylate ions on the surface of virus favors the
formation of small nanoparticles. The highly crystalline structure
was also confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) (FIG. 2E).  
  
[0061] Biotemplated synthesis of STO was optimized in terms of
temperature, concentration of the precursors, and pH. At low
temperatures (50A deg C. and 60A deg C.), no crystalline structure was
found. The cubic crystalline structure of STO was formed at 80A deg
C., which is the critical temperature to both accelerate the
condensation and start STO nanocrystal nucleation and growth. The
concentration of SrTi(EG) precursor for successful nanowire
formation was between 0.1 mM and 1 mM. When the concentration of
precursor was higher than 1 mM, homogeneous nucleation occurred
and out-competed the virus-templating. The effect of the pH was
also investigated. The zeta-potential of virus showed that the pI
(isoelectric point) of AEEE virus was around 4 (FIG. 3). At pH
lower than 4 the surface of the virus was positively charged, when
incubated with SrTiEG precursors no stained viruses were formed
indicating that there was no interaction between viruses and
precursors. At pH higher than 4, the electrostatic interaction
between viruses and precursors was demonstrated by increased
electron density visualized on the viruses. However, at pH 5 I7,
due to the low hydrolysis reaction rate, both STO and strontium
carbonate were observed with or without addition of oxidants
(hydrogen peroxide) (FIGS. 4-5). At pH 10, the virus-templated
nanowires showed only the perovskite structured STO. As the
control experiments, we examined the growth of STO using
non-genetically modified M13 virus (wildtype) and also performed
the reactions without the addition of the virus. FIGS. 7 and 8
clearly show discrete nanoparticles grown on wild type virus,
which are different from AEEE virus templated STO. Wild type virus
contains fewer carboxyl groups and is less effective at nucleating
STO, resulting in nanoparticles that are larger than those
prepared on genetically modified virus template (AEEE). On the
other hand, in the absence of the virus (FIGS. 9 and 10),
nanoparticles are polydisperse and do not show wire-like assembly.
Compared with several studies that showed the carboxyl groups act
as the reaction sites for mineralization of perovskite materials
using the ethylene glycol precursors, the results demonstrated
that the AEEE-genetically modified virus, rich in carboxyl groups,
serves as an ideal template for the formation of nanowires of
perovskite materials.  
  
[0062] To synthesize BFO nanoparticles, the virus solution was
incubated with bismuth iron ethylene glycolate (BiFe(EG))
precursor. The interaction between viruses and precursors was
demonstrated by TEM (FIG. 12A). Then the BiFe(EG)-incubated virus
was heated at 600A deg C. allowing formation of BFO nanoparticles.
HRTEM (FIG. 12C) and XRD (FIG. 12D) confirmed the formation of R3c
crystalline structure of BFO (JCPDS no. 86-1518). The resulting
virus-templated nanoparticles were between 10 and 30 nm in
diameter (as measured by both TEM and XRD) which is a difficult
size to obtain by conventional methods. The magnetic properties of
BFO nanoparticles were characterized using superconducting quantum
interference device (SQUID) (FIG. 11). The saturation magnetic
moment (Ms) at 300K was 0.877 emu g<a1 >at 30,000 Oe. The
nanoparticles showed coercivity at 5K, with a coercive field of
A+/-1,500 Oe.  
  
[0063] Biotemplated synthesis of STO and BFO nanomaterials in
aqueous solutions provides small particle size, different
morphologies, and high crystallinity. This biotemplate technique
is distinguished from conventional methods for synthesizing
perovskite nanomaterials, such as sol-gel, coprecipitation,
hydrothermal, and surfactant-assisted synthesis, most of which
involve the use of alkoxide precursors in organic solvents and do
not adequately control the size and morphology. The nanoparticles
synthesized by these previous methods are amorphous, or their
surfaces are passivated by surfactants. In order to make highly
crystalline materials, older methods applied calcination at high
temperatures, sometimes resulting in an increase of particle size,
thus a decrease in catalytic activity.  
  
[0064] Recently the photocatalytic and photovoltaic performance of
STO and BFO have been investigated. Single crystal STO is a
wide-bandgap photocatalyst for producing hydrogen with a high
conduction band level and good chemical stability. To investigate
photocatalytic water reduction of biotemplated STO nanowires, the
hydrogen evolution experiments were conducted using methanol as a
hole scavenger and Pt nanoparticles as a co-catalyst. After STO
absorbed UV light, the excited electrons in the conduction band of
STO reduced hydrogen ions to produce hydrogen gas at the Pt
particle active sites, while the holes on the valence band of STO
were recovered by methanol. The amount of evolved hydrogen was
measured by gas chromatography (GC) at several time points (FIG.
13B). The hydrogen evolution rate of STO nanowire was 370 mmol
g<a1 >hour<a1>, which is around ten times higher than
that of titania (Degussa, P-25), and commercial STO nanopowders
(Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) (37 and 46 mmol g<a1
hour<a1>, respectively). The improved performance of
virus-templated STO nanoparticles was believed to arise from the
smaller particle size, providing a larger surface to volume ratio,
and the high crystallinity, preventing charge recombination at
lattice defect sites. To produce hydrogen under visible light
irradiation, Eosin Y dye was used to sensitize STO nanowires
loaded with Pt nanoparticles (FIG. 13A). The photo-electrons were
excited to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the
dye and then transfer to the conduction band of STO. Hydrogen was
produced at the Pt particle active sites. Diethanolamine is used
to regenerate the electron deficient dye.  
  
[0065] BFO is a highly sought-after material for photovoltaic
applications. Most perovskite materials primarily absorb UV light,
harvesting solar energy inefficiently. In contrast, BFO has
attracted increasing attention due to a direct band gap
corresponding to visible light. The photovoltaic properties of
single crystal and thin film BFO have been observed. However, the
photovoltaic effect of BFO nanoparticles has not been
investigated. The absorption spectrum of virus-templated BFO
nanoparticles showed a broad feature with peak around 550 nm (FIG.
6), absorbing visible light effectively. Photovoltaic properties
of virus-templated BFO nanoparticles were characterized by
fabricating liquid junction solar cells (FIG. 14A). Under
illumination of an AM1.5 solar simulator at 100 mW cm<a2>,
an open circuit voltage of 0.578 V and a short circuit current
density of 0.735 mA cm<a2 >were observed (FIG. 14B),
achieving solar power conversion efficiency of 0.17% (the fill
factor of the device was 0.40). The BFO-liquid junction
photovoltaic device is the first report of BFO nanoparticles based
solid-liquid junction PV devices.  
  
[0066] In summary, biotemplates provide a general approach to
synthesize perovskite nanomaterials in an aqueous system; a
genetically engineered M13 virus can be useful as the biotemplate.
STO and BFO nanoparticles were successfully templated, achieving
small particle size and high crystallinity, and demonstrating
photocatalytic and photovoltaic properties.  
  
Post-Treatment of Perovskite Nanomaterials for Solar Active
Photocatalysts  
  
Ammonia (NH3) Gas Treatment for STO  
  
[0067] In addition to using dye as a mediator of visible light
absorption, the following technique to fabricate photoactive
catalysts was used. STO particles are doped by nitrogen content at
the surface by treating with NH3 under various high temperatures
in between 500A deg C.-1000A deg C. Hence, the valence band position
shifts upward and decreases the band gap.  
  
[0068] FIG. 15 shows the assembly of post-treatment of
nanomaterials in the furnace through ammonia gas flow. For the
post-treatment, the nanoparticle powders, which are synthesized by
virus template, are placed inside of crucible. Then the crucible
are inserted and placed in the middle of quartz long tube. The two
ends of the quartz tube are connected into a gas line. One end
connects to a gas inlet, and the other end connects to an outlet
which is immersed into a container including saturated sodium
bicarbonate or other buffer solutions. The inlet line connects to
gas flow meter which is used to control the gas flow. In this
procedure, before rising temperature, the furnace containing
quartz tube is flowed by ammonia gas at the rate of 50 ml/min for
one hour. Then the temperature is programmed to gradually rise to
a desirable temperature with a rate of 5A deg C./min while rise the
gas flow rate to 200 ml/min. During the treatment, the powder is
kept for at least four hours with the ammonia gas flow rate of 200
ml/min. In the cooling step, the same flow rate should be
maintained until reaching the room temperature.  
  
[0069] Because at various temperatures the doped nitrogen
concentrations are different, the colors of processed STO are
varied from light yellow to dark green (FIG. 16).  
  
[0070] STO particles without the treatment of NH3 and the
treatment of NH3 at 700A deg C. are compared in XRD. The result
indicates no phase transformation and simple cubic structure is
preserved when the sample is treated at the high temperature (FIG.
17B). XPS is conducted to examine the surface composition. We
detect the presence of nitrogen content (FIG. 3-a highlighted by
green box). Hence, we believe the effect of nitrogen doping will
facilitate the hydrogen evolution in the visible light absorption
experiment.  
  
[0071] Compared to literatures, the commercial photocatalyst have
reached the best results of 28.7 I1/4mol/g/hr, which is lower than
our best result of 43.4 I1/4mol/g/hr. Although this result stays
behind the option of using dye, in the non-optimized system we
have seen the promising result by adjusting temperatures. Shown as
FIG. 18, at temperature of 650A deg C., the hydrogen evolution is
superior to other temperature conditions. The doping with proper
amount of nitrogen content could shrink the band gap and increase
the photocatalytic effect. However, too much doping at higher
temperature could lead to the surface morphology change and lead
to the decreasing effect of photocatalytic reaction shown by other
temperature conditions.  
  
Ammonia (NH3) Gas Treatment for Tantalum Materials  
  
[0072] Similar ammonia treatment technique can be applied to
various tantalum perovskite nanomaterials, including NaTaO3,
ZrOaTaON, ZraTaON, TaON, Ta3N5, and ZraTa3N5. Several
virus-template tantalum perovskite materials have been synthesized
to demonstrate the feasibilities of nitrogen doping shown in FIG.
19. Different colors are displayed on the samples because of the
different chemical compositions.  
  
[0073] Tantalum nanomaterials show excellent performances of
making more hydrogen rapidly. Among various tantalum materials,
TaON is a better hydrogen-producing material than others and STO
as shown in FIG. 20. The hydrogen evolving reaction occurs in the
system of tantalum photocatalytic materials irradiated under
visible light in water and ruthenium dye.  
  
[0074] XRD tests have been conducted to confirm different
crystallinities of Ta3N5 and TaON. The band gaps of both materials
are different and lead to the distinct absorption spectrum shown
in FIG. 21.  
  
[0000] In summary, Ammonia post-treatment technique was developed
for fabrication of visible-light active perovskite nanomaterials.
As a solar active photocatalyst, strontium titanate nanoparticles
after ammonia treatment produced hydrogen gas under the
visible-light irradiation. As a solar active photocatalyst,
tantalum nanoparticles after ammonia treatment produced hydrogen
gas under the visible-light irradiation. XRD results proved that
strontium titanate possesses perovskite structure after ammonia
treatment. XPS results indicated the existence of nitrogen doping
in perovskite strontium titanate. There are possible applications
for converting carbon dioxide into fuels under solar irradiation.  
  
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NANOPARTICLES AND THE METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THEREOF****KR101544317****PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELL AND PREPARING METHOD THEREOF****KR101543438****Preparation method for uniform organic-inorganic perovskite
film solar cell****CN104900810****Carbon counter electrode perovskite solar cell and
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device****CN104900672****Method for preparing needle coke-based perovskite solar
cell back electrode****CN104900413****Method for preparation of mesoporous titanium dioxide by
template method and application thereof in preparation of
organic perovskite solar cell****CN104891563****TITANATE INTERFACIAL LAYERS IN PEROVSKITE MATERIAL DEVICES****US2015249172****BI- AND TRI- LAYER INTERFACIAL LAYERS IN PEROVSKITE
MATERIAL DEVICES****US2015243444****ZSO-BASE PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELL AND ITS PREPARATION METHOD****KR101540364****Integrated intelligent glass window based on perovskite
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SOLAR CELLS AND METHOD FOR ITS MATERIALS****KR20150073821****PRODUCTION METHOD FOR PHOSPHOR MICROPARTICLES, PHOSPHOR
THIN FILM, WAVELENGTH CONVERSION FILM, WAVELENGTH CONVERSION
DEVICE, AND SOLAR CELL****WO2015119125****MANUFACTURING METHOD OF HIGH PERFORMANCE PEROVSKITE SOLAR
CELL****JP2015138822** **PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING
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method thereof****CN104810478****PEROVSKITE PHOTOELECTRIC FUNCTIONAL MATERIAL MODIFIED WITH
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CH3NH3PbI<2+x>Cl<1-x> optical active layer and
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ON PEROVSKITE****US2015122325****Perovskite solar cell preparation method based on
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method thereof****CN104485421****PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING
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