Nicholas Rolston

All Publications

• High Performance Roll-to-Roll Produced Fullerene-Free Organic Photovoltaic Devices via Temperature-Controlled Slot Die Coating ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS Na, S., Seo, Y., Nah, Y., Kim, S., Heo, H., Kim, J., Rolston, N., Dauskardt, R. H., Gao, M., Lee, Y., Vak, D. 2019; 29 (6)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adfm.201805825

  View details for Web of Science ID 000458339800023

• Engineering Stress in Perovskite Solar Cells to Improve Stability ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS Rolston, N., Bush, K. A., Printz, A. D., Gold-Parker, A., Ding, Y., Toney, M. F., McGehee, M. D., Dauskardt, R. H. 2018; 8 (29)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/aenm.201802139

  View details for Web of Science ID 000447257000021

• Rapid route to efficient, scalable, and robust perovskite photovoltaics in air ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Hilt, F., Hovish, M. Q., Rolston, N., Bruening, K., Tassone, C. J., Dauskardt, R. H. 2018; 11 (8): 2102–13

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c8ee01065j

  View details for Web of Science ID 000442262900018

• Influence of Bulky Organo-Ammonium Halide Additive Choice on the Flexibility and Efficiency of Perovskite Light-Emitting Devices ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS Zhao, L., Rolston, N., Lee, K., Zhao, X., Reyes-Martinez, M. A., Tran, N. L., Yeh, Y., Yao, N., Scholes, G. D., Loo, Y., Selloni, A., Dauskardt, R. H., Rand, B. P. 2018; 28 (31)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adfm.201802060

  View details for Web of Science ID 000440283900027

• Beyond Fullerenes: Indacenodithiophene-Based Organic Charge-Transport Layer toward Upscaling of Low-Cost Perovskite Solar Cells ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Angmo, D., Peng, X., Cheng, J., Gao, M., Rolston, N., Sears, K., Zuo, C., Subbiah, J., Kim, S., Weerasinghe, H., Dauskardt, R. H., Vak, D. 2018; 10 (26): 22143–55

  Abstract

  Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) is universally used as the electron-transport layer (ETL) in the low-cost inverted planar structure of perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). PCBM brings tremendous challenges in upscaling of PeSCs using industry-relevant methods due to its aggregation behavior, which undermines the power conversion efficiency and stability. Herein, we highlight these, seldom reported, challenges with PCBM. Furthermore, we investigate the potential of nonfullerene indacenodithiophene (IDT)-based molecules by employing a commercially available variant, 3,9-bis(2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3- d:2',3'- d']- s-indaceno[1,2- b:5,6- b'] dithiophene (ITIC), as a PCBM replacement in ambient-processed PeSCs. Films fabrication by laboratory-based spin-coating and industry-relevant slot-die coating methods are compared. Although similar power-conversion efficiencies are achieved with both types of ETL in a simple device structure fabricated by spin-coating, the nanofibriller morphology of ITIC compared to the aggregated morphology of PCBM films enables improved mechanical integrity and stability of ITIC devices. Upon slot-die coating, the aggregation of PCBM is exacerbated, leading to significantly lower power-conversion efficiency of devices than spin-coated PCBM as well as slot-die-coated ITIC devices. Our results clearly indicate that IDT-based molecules have great potential as an ETL in PeSCs, offering superior properties and upscaling compatibility than PCBM. Thus, we present a short summary of recently emerged nonfullerene IDT-based molecules from the field of organic solar cells and discuss their scope in PeSCs as electron or hole-transport layer.

  View details for PubMedID 29877699

• Controlling Thin-Film Stress and Wrinkling during Perovskite Film Formation ACS ENERGY LETTERS Bush, K. A., Rolston, N., Gold-Parker, A., Manzoor, S., Hausele, J., Yu, Z. J., Raiford, J. A., Cheacharoen, R., Holman, Z. C., Toney, M. F., Dauskardt, R. H., McGehee, M. D. 2018; 3 (6): 1225–32

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsenergylett.8b00544

  View details for Web of Science ID 000435159000003

• Effect of Cation Composition on the Mechanical Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Tracy, J. M., Weerasinghe, H. C., Vak, D., Haur, L., Priyadarshi, A., Mathews, N., Slotcavage, D. J., McGehee, M. D., Kalan, R. E., Zielinski, K., Grimm, R. L., Tsai, H., Nie, W., Mohite, A. D., Gholipour, S., Saliba, M., Gratzel, M., Dauskardt, R. H. 2018; 8 (9)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/aenm.201702116

  View details for Web of Science ID 000429318400010

• Poly(triarylamine) composites with carbon nanomaterials for highly transparent and conductive coatings THIN SOLID FILMS Prolongo, S. G., Printz, A. D., Rolston, N., Watson, B. L., Dauskardt, R. H. 2018; 646: 61–66

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.tsf.2017.11.025

  View details for Web of Science ID 000418575900009

• Design and understanding of encapsulated perovskite solar cells to withstand temperature cycling ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Cheacharoen, R., Rolston, N., Harwood, D., Bush, K. A., Dauskardt, R. H., McGehee, M. D. 2018; 11 (1): 144–50

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c7ee02564e

  View details for Web of Science ID 000423017000013

• Scaffold-reinforced perovskite compound solar cells ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Watson, B. L., Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Dauskardt, R. H. 2017; 10 (12): 2500–2508

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c7ee02185b

  View details for Web of Science ID 000417255900002

• Improved stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells with submicron flexible barrier films deposited in air JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Hilt, F., Hovish, M. Q., Bruning, K., Tassone, C. J., Dauskardt, R. H. 2017; 5 (44): 22975–83

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c7ta09178h

  View details for Web of Science ID 000415070100012

• Effect of heat, UV radiation, and moisture on the decohesion kinetics of inverted organic solar cells SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Dupont, S. R., Voroshazi, E., Dauskardt, R. H. 2017; 170: 239–45

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.solmat.2017.06.002

  View details for Web of Science ID 000405155000030

• Synthesis and use of a hyper-connecting crosslinking agent in the hole-transporting layer of perovskite solar cells JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A Watson, B. L., Rolston, N., Bush, K. A., Taleghani, L., Dauskardt, R. H. 2017; 5 (36): 19267–79

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c7ta05004f

  View details for Web of Science ID 000411232100039

• Dense silica barrier films for improved efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells deposited in ambient air Rolston, N., Printz, A., Dong, S., Watson, B., Dauskardt, R. AMER CHEMICAL SOC. 2017

  View details for Web of Science ID 000430569100262

• Generic strategy for cross-linking organic semiconducting polymer thin-films Watson, B., Rolston, N., Bush, K., Taleghani, L., Dauskardt, R. AMER CHEMICAL SOC. 2017

  View details for Web of Science ID 000430569107148

• Overcoming the mechanical fragility of perovskite solar cells using novel cross-linking chemical additives and scaffolds Watson, B., Rolston, N., Bush, K., Printz, A., Dauskardt, R. AMER CHEMICAL SOC. 2017

  View details for Web of Science ID 000430569100143

• Reinforced perovskite solar cells designed with integrated polymer scaffolding for robust, efficient photovoltaics Printz, A., Rolston, N., Watson, B., Dauskardt, R. AMER CHEMICAL SOC. 2017

  View details for Web of Science ID 000430569100057

• 23.6%-efficient monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells with improved stability NATURE ENERGY Bush, K. A., Palmstrom, A. F., Yu, Z. J., Boccard, M., Cheacharoen, R., Mailoa, J. P., McMeekin, D. P., Hoye, R. Z., Bailie, C. D., Leijtens, T., Peters, I., Minichetti, M. C., Rolston, N., Prasanna, R., Sofia, S., Harwood, D., Ma, W., Moghadam, F., Snaith, H. J., Buonassisi, T., Holman, Z. C., Bent, S. F., McGehee, M. D. 2017; 2 (4)

  View details for DOI 10.1038/nenergy.2017.9

  View details for Web of Science ID 000402829300025

• Understanding mechanical behavior and reliability of organic electronic materials MRS BULLETIN Kim, J., Lee, I., Kim, T., Rolston, N., Watson, B. L., Dauskardt, R. H. 2017; 42 (2): 115-123

  View details for DOI 10.1557/mrs.2017.3

  View details for Web of Science ID 000398471500012

• Improved mechanical adhesion and electronic stability of organic solar cells with thermal ageing: the role of diffusion at the hole extraction interface JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A Greenbank, W., Rolston, N., Destouesse, E., Wantz, G., Hirsch, L., Dauskardt, R., Chambon, S. 2017; 5 (6): 2911-2919

  View details for DOI 10.1039/c6ta09665d

  View details for Web of Science ID 000395075600058

• Mechanical integrity of solution-processed perovskite solar cells EXTREME MECHANICS LETTERS Rolston, N., Watson, B. L., Bailie, C. D., McGehee, M. D., Bastos, J. P., Gehlhaar, R., Kim, J., Vak, D., Mallajosyula, A., Gupta, G., Mohite, A. D., Dauskardt, R. H. 2016; 9: 353–58

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.eml.2016.06.006

  View details for Web of Science ID 000395261100002

• Cross-Linkable, Solvent-Resistant Fullerene Contacts for Robust and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells with Increased J(SC) and V-OC ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Watson, B. L., Rolston, N., Bush, K. A., Leijtens, T., McGehee, M. D., Dauskardt, R. H. 2016; 8 (39): 25896-25904

  Abstract

  The active layers of perovskite solar cells are also structural layers and are central to ensuring that the structural integrity of the device is maintained over its operational lifetime. Our work evaluating the fracture energies of conventional and inverted solution-processed MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells has revealed that the MAPbI3 perovskite exhibits a fracture resistance of only ∼0.5 J/m(2), while solar cells containing fullerene electron transport layers fracture at even lower values, below ∼0.25 J/m(2). To address this weakness, a novel styrene-functionalized fullerene derivative, MPMIC60, has been developed as a replacement for the fragile PC61BM and C60 transport layers. MPMIC60 can be transformed into a solvent-resistant material through curing at 250 °C. As-deposited films of MPMIC60 exhibit a marked 10-fold enhancement in fracture resistance over PC61BM and a 14-fold enhancement over C60. Conventional-geometry perovskite solar cells utilizing cured films of MPMIC60 showed a significant, 205% improvement in fracture resistance while exhibiting only a 7% drop in PCE (13.8% vs 14.8% PCE) in comparison to the C60 control, enabling larger VOC and JSC values. Inverted cells fabricated with MPMIC60 exhibited a 438% improvement in fracture resistance with only a 6% reduction in PCE (12.3% vs 13.1%) in comparison to those utilizing PC61BM, again producing a higher JSC.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsami.6b06164

  View details for Web of Science ID 000384951800030

  View details for PubMedID 27604192

• A stability study of roll-to-roll processed organic photovoltaic modules containing a polymeric electron-selective layer SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS Weerasinghe, H. C., Rolston, N., Vak, D., Scully, A. D., Dauskardt, R. H. 2016; 152: 133-140

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.solmat.2016.03.034

  View details for Web of Science ID 000376805100017

• Role of Stress Factors on the Adhesion of Interfaces in R2R Fabricated Organic Photovoltaics ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS Corazza, M., Rolston, N., Dauskardt, R. H., Beliatis, M. J., Krebs, F. C., Gevorgyan, S. A. 2016; 6 (11)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/aenm.201501927

  View details for Web of Science ID 000379311500002

• Cross-linkable Styrene-Functionalized Fullerenes as Electron-Selective Contacts for Robust and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells Watson, B. L., Rolston, N., Bush, K., Leijtens, T., McGehee, M. D., Dauskardt, R. H., IEEE IEEE. 2016: 828–30

  View details for Web of Science ID 000399818700187

• Mechanical Integrity of Solution-Processed Perovskite Solar Cells Rolston, N., Watson, B. L., Dauskardt, R. H., IEEE IEEE. 2016: 821–22

  View details for Web of Science ID 000399818700185

• Thermal cycling effect on mechanical integrity of inverted polymer solar cells SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS Balcaen, V., Rolston, N., Dupont, S. R., Voroshazi, E., Dauskardt, R. H. 2015; 143: 418-423

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.solmat.2015.07.019

  View details for Web of Science ID 000364250200054