Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.5
2.8
Journals
Processes
Special Issues
Innovations in Solar Cell Technology: Materials, Efficiency and Sustainability
share announcement

Innovations in Solar Cell Technology: Materials, Efficiency and Sustainability

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 1899

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mohammad Istiaque Hossain

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha 5825, Qatar
Interests: solar cells; thin films; perovskite solar cells; physical vapor deposition
Dr. Brahim Aïssa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha 5825, Qatar
Interests: nanomaterials; nanotechnology; renewable energy; smart materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Amith MD. Abdullah Khandakar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
Interests: sensors and electronics; biomedical engineering; smart waste management; IoT-based solution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue, titled "Innovations in Solar Cell Technology: Materials, Efficiency and Sustainability", studies transformative advancements in solar energy technologies, prioritizing the development of novel materials, strategies to enhance performance, and environmentally responsible practices. It highlights groundbreaking contributions on emerging photovoltaic materials such as perovskites, organic photovoltaics, and tandem solar cells, offering insights into their potential to revolutionize industry. This Special Issue explores key challenges, including achieving higher energy conversion efficiency while ensuring long-term stability, scalability for industrial production, and reduced manufacturing costs. Significant focus is placed on the use of sustainable materials, recycling innovations, and minimizing environmental impact throughout the lifecycles of solar cells. This Special Issue underscores the intersection of materials science, advanced engineering techniques, and sustainability to develop next-generation solar cells. By addressing the integration of high-efficiency designs and eco-friendly practices, it seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for developing scalable, durable, and cost-effective photovoltaic technologies that align with global sustainability goals. The Special Issue also explores advanced characterization techniques and their roles in identifying defects, enhancing material properties, and optimizing device interfaces. These insights are critical for pushing the boundaries of solar cell technology.

Dr. Mohammad Istiaque Hossain
Dr. Brahim Aïssa
Dr. Amith MD. Abdullah Khandakar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • solar energy innovations
  • emerging photovoltaic materials
  • perovskite and tandem solar cells
  • organic photovoltaics
  • energy conversion efficiency
  • sustainable solar cell technologies
  • material lifecycle and recycling
  • industrial scalability
  • renewable energy technologies
  • advance characterization

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

12 pages, 3274 KiB  
Article
From Structure to Efficiency: Unveiling the Role of Calcination Temperature in Nb2O5-Based DSSCs
by Ronald Luiz Castiglioni Davi, Edson Araujo de Almeida, Ana Paula Peron, Everson do Prado Banczek, Osvaldo Valarini Junior and Gideã Taques Tractz
Processes 2025, 13(6), 1857; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061857 - 12 Jun 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
The development of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has gained prominence as an economical alternative for photovoltaic energy conversion. This work investigates the synthesis of niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) by the Pechini method, followed by calcination at different temperatures (500 °C, [...] Read more.
The development of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has gained prominence as an economical alternative for photovoltaic energy conversion. This work investigates the synthesis of niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) by the Pechini method, followed by calcination at different temperatures (500 °C, 600 °C and 700 °C) to evaluate its structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties as a photoanode material in DSSCs. SEM and XRD analyses revealed that calcination at 600 °C produced a material with optimized particle size (642.17 ± 37 nm) and adequate crystalline structure, favoring dye adsorption and electronic transport. Electrochemical characterization, including open-circuit potential and impedance spectroscopy, indicated that the sample at 600 °C presented superior photovoltaic performance, achieving a power conversion efficiency of 1.39% and electron lifetime equal to 0.159 s. These findings suggest that Nb2O5, under controlled calcination conditions, may act as a promising alternative to TiO2 substitution in DSSC applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Solar Cell Technology: Materials, Efficiency and Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4153 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Light Management in Bifacial Perovskite Solar Cells Using Silica-Based Anti-Dust and Anti-Reflection Coatings for Harsh Environments
by Kevin Thomas, Ahasanur Rahman, Amith Khandakar, Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan, Brahim Aissa and Mohammad Istiaque Hossain
Processes 2025, 13(2), 578; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13020578 - 18 Feb 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 887
Abstract
In this work, we demonstrate an advanced light management strategy for bifacial perovskite solar cells incorporating a silica-based anti-dust and anti-reflection (AR) coating. The silica layer provides dual functionality, enhancing optical efficiency through effective reflection suppression and protecting the solar cell surface from [...] Read more.
In this work, we demonstrate an advanced light management strategy for bifacial perovskite solar cells incorporating a silica-based anti-dust and anti-reflection (AR) coating. The silica layer provides dual functionality, enhancing optical efficiency through effective reflection suppression and protecting the solar cell surface from environmental contaminants, especially dust. The hydrophobic nature of the silica coating further prevents accumulation of dust and particulate matter, supporting a self-cleaning mechanism that maintains cell transparency and performance over extended periods. The simulation results indicated that transitioning from a monofacial to a bifacial design with a silica layer on top had a considerable impact on the PSC performance. The optimized bifacial structure demonstrated high-performance metrics, achieving a voltage of 1.35 V, a fill factor of 84.24%, a current density (JSC) of 29.10 mA/cm2, and a power conversion efficiency of 31.00% when illuminated from the electron transport layer side. When illuminated from the hole transport layer side, the structure attained an efficiency of 22.00% with a calculated bifaciality factor (BF) of 72.12%, highlighting the potential of bifacial PSC design. Our findings reveal that the addition of the silica layer led to a notable improvement in light harvesting efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Solar Cell Technology: Materials, Efficiency and Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop