Current approaches for off-grid power separate the processes for energy conversion from energy storage. With the right balance between the electronic and ionic conductivity and a semiconductor that can absorb light in the solar spectrum, we can combine energy harvesting with storage into a single photoelectrochemical energy storage device. We report here such a device, a halide perovskite-based photorechargeable supercapacitor. This device can be charged with an energy density of 30.71 W h kg-1 and a power density of 1875 W kg-1. By taking advantage of the semiconducting and ionic properties of halide perovskites, we report a method for fabricating efficient photorechargeable supercapacitors having a photocharging conversion efficiency (η) of ∼0.02% and a photoenergy density of ∼160 mW h kg-1 under a 20 mW cm-2 intensity white light source. Halide perovskites have a high absorption coefficient, large carrier diffusion length, and high ionic conductivity, while the electronic conductivity is improved significantly by mixing carbon black in porous perovskite electrodes to achieve efficient photorechargeable supercapacitors. We also report a detailed analysis of the photoelectrode to understand the working principles, stability, limitations, and prospects of halide perovskite-based photorechargeable supercapacitors.
Keywords: energy storage; off-grid photovoltaic devices; perovskite single crystal; photorechargeable; porous electrode; supercapacitor.