Removal of Surface Oxygen Vacancies Increases Conductance Through TiO(2) Thin Films for Perovskite Solar Cells

[Image: see text] We report that UV–ozone treatment of TiO(2) anatase thin films is an efficient method to increase the conductance through the film by more than 2 orders of magnitude. The increase in conductance is quantified via conductive scanning force microscopy on freshly annealed and UV–ozone-treated TiO(2) anatase thin films on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates. The increased conductance of TiO(2) anatase thin films results in a 2% increase of the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of methylammonium lead iodide-based perovskite solar cells. PCE values up to 19.5% for mesoporous solar cells are realized. The additional UV–ozone treatment results in a reduced number of oxygen…

Local Current Imaging through TiO2 Thin Films

Know your full potential: Quantitative Kelvin probe force microscopy on nanoscale electrical devices

In this study we investigate the influence of the operation method in Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) on the measured potential distribution. KPFM is widely used to map the nanoscale potential distribution in operating devices, e.g., in thin film transistors or on cross sections of functional solar cells. Quantitative surface potential measurements are crucial for understanding the operation principles of functional nanostructures in these electronic devices. Nevertheless, KPFM is prone to certain imaging artifacts, such as crosstalk from topography or stray electric fields. Here, we compare different amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) KPFM methods on a reference s…

Mg2+-binding shifts the IM30 activity from membrane protection to membrane destabilization

ABSTRACTThe inner membrane-associated protein of 30 kDa (IM30) is essential in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. The spatio-temporal cellular localization of the protein appears to be highly dynamic and triggered by internal as well as external stimuli, mainly light intensity. A soluble fraction of the protein is localized in the cyanobacterial cytoplasm or the chloroplast stroma, respectively. Additionally, the protein attaches to the thylakoid membrane as well as to the chloroplast inner envelope or the cyanobacterial cytoplasmic membrane, respectively, especially under conditions of membrane stress. IM30 is involved in thylakoid membrane biogenesis and/or maintenance, where it either stabi…

IM30 IDPs form a membrane protective carpet upon super-complex disassembly

AbstractMembers of thephage shock protein A(PspA) family, including theinner membrane-associated protein of 30 kDa(IM30), are suggested to stabilize stressed cellular membranes. Furthermore, IM30 is essential in thylakoid membrane-containing chloroplasts and cyanobacteria, where it is involved in membrane biogenesis and/or remodeling. While it is well known that PspA and IM30 bind to membranes, the mechanism of membrane stabilization is still enigmatic. Here we report that ring-shaped IM30 super-complexes disassemble on membranes, resulting in formation of a membrane-protecting protein carpet. Upon ring dissociation, the C-terminal domain of IM30 unfolds, and the protomers self-assemble on …