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We combine biodegradable plastic (polyvinyl alcohol/glycerol polymer), and cellulose-based tissue paper in a very short time (5 s) by a facile way to form a new matrix, named plastic-paper, which has high optical transmittance (~ 89%) and high optical haze (~ 90%) in broadband. Results showed that the plastic-paper is durable in different solvents, with high folding strength (over 3500 folding times) and good mechanical strength (> 30 MPa tensile strength). Interestingly, the plastic-paper presents a two-sidedness of surface morphology. The smooth side shows high light transmittance and the rough side presents high optical haze. The smooth side of the plastic-paper is successfully applied to Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED). When the rough surface of plastic-paper is used in solar cells, the maximum output power increases by 2.6% compared with bare solar cells. The developed plastic-paper with high optical transmittance and high optical haze holds a great potential in flexible optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultraflexible and biodegradable PSCs on cellophane paper were achieved. • OMO electrodes exhibited stable resistance after 1000 bending CYC cycles (R = 1 mm). • PSCs on cellophane retained 97.6% of initial PCE after bending with radius of 0.3 mm. • PSCs on cellophane preserved 95.8% of initial PCE after 1000 bending cycles (R = 1 mm). Flexible perovskite solar cells (PSCs) on paper are promising biodegradable power sources for wearable and portable electronics, while fabrication of paper-based PSCs with high mechanical flexibility and efficiency is still challenging due to the limited optimization of paper-based PSCs. Herein, flexible PSCs were demonstrated using 25 μm cellophane paper substrates combined with TiO 2 /ultrathin Ag/TiO 2 (OMO) electrodes, composing the typical structure of cellophane/OMO/C60 pyrrolidinetris-acid (CPTA)/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 /Spiro-OMeTAD/Au. PSCs on cellophane paper exhibited a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.00%. More interesting, the performance of paper-based PSCs showed minor degradation after bending with the radius in the range of 0.3–10 mm: they retained 97.6% of the initial PCE after bending with a radius of 0.3 mm and even preserved 95.8% of the initial PCE after bending with a radius of 1 mm for 1000 cycles. The ultraflexibility of PSCs was ascribed to the ultrathin substrates to relieve strain in bended devices and superior flexibility of OMO electrodes. The ultraflexible and efficient PSCs on paper are promising for application in self-powered paper-based electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible-hybrid printed electronics (FHPE) is a rapidly growing discipline that may be described as the precise imprinting of electrically functional traces and components onto a substrate such as paper to create functional electronic devices. The mass production of low-cost devices and components such as environmental sensors, bio-sensors, actuators, lab on chip (LOCs), radio frequency identification (RFID) smart tags, light emitting diodes (LEDs), smart fabrics and labels, wallpaper, solar cells, fuel cells, and batteries are major driving factors for the industry. Using renewable and bio-friendly materials would be advantageous for both manufacturers and consumers with the increased use of (FHPE) electronics in our daily lives. This review article describes recent developments in cellulose and nanocellulose-based materials for FHPE, and the necessary developments required to propagate their use in commercial applications. The aim of these developments is to enable the creation of FHPE devices and components made almost entirely of cellulose materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is a cheap substrate which is in principle compatible with the process temperature applied in the plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) and hot wire CVD (HWCVD) of thin film silicon solar cells. The main drawback of paper for this application is the porosity due to its fibre like structure. The feature size (micrometre scale) is larger than the thickness of the applied photovoltaic layers. To overcome this problem, UV curable lacquer was used to planarize the surface. Plain 80 grams printer paper was taken as a substrate and the lacquer smoothens the rough surface of the paper such that a designed nanostructure can be imprinted for light scattering. In this manner single junction amorphous silicon solar cells with a HWCVD deposited intrinsic layer were processed on paper, without any concessions to the process temperature of 200 °C. The cell performance is comparable to that of reference cells grown on stainless steel, proving that solar cells can be deposited on paper substrates without sacrificing performance. PV on paper could be applied as "disposable" power source for gadgets, electronic labelling, remote sensing systems, etc. (Internet of Things). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper, in addition to its frequent usage in writing, packaging, printing, etc., has gained comprehensive utility as a flexible and conductive base in sensors, solar energy harvesting, conversion, and storage applications. This is due to its strategic-aiding aspect in terms of environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, recyclability, thin, flexible and lightweight nature, biocompatibility, etc., required to develop next-generation flexible devices. The signs of progress in paper-based devices are seen in matured technologies of the paper-based sensor for varied sectors. Also, there have been wide-ranging research efforts on developing paper-based high-performance energy harvesting, conversion, and storage solutions. However, it is a newly emerging area and needs a fundamental and state-of-the-art understanding for future devices development. Thus, the current review summarizes the research progress in this field utilizing paper, understanding fundamental properties w.r.t application, performance enhancement w.r.t material advancements (i.e. paper modification), and technological trends, which is otherwise not yet reviewed earlier. It further sheds light upon the perspectives for their associated and allied technological developments in the energy sector. [Display omitted] • Role of paper properties in energy related applications are discussed. • Paper based electrodes for energy harvesting and conversion devices. • Utilty of papers in energy storage i.e. supercapacitors and batteries is presented. • Challenges and perspectives of realization of paper based devices for energy sector are projected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a paper solar cell based on carbon nanotube (CNT)-composite papers. To fabricate this cell, we use dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) for generating power through the redox reaction of dyes in conjunction with CNT-composite papers, which are composite materials containing CNTs and pulp (raw paper material) that can be fabricated easily by using a method based on the Japanese washi papermaking technique. The demand for CNT applications is expected to increase due to their high conductivity and metallic or semiconducting characteristics. This CNT-composite paper can also have metallic or semiconducting characteristics based on the contained CNTs in the composite paper. We previously fabricated a DSC that generates electricity by using CNT-composite papers stacked in a typical DSC structure. However, the conversion efficiency of this DSC was just 0.188%, which is not practical. To overcome this low power generation issue, we tried improving the DSC structure by applying electrodes to the CNT-composite papers in grid patterns for efficient current collection and applying an optimally mixed dye for efficient electron excitation. Results showed that the conversion efficiency improved to 0.58%. Moreover, we demonstrated that using a mixed dye can improve the conversion efficiency of the paper DSC. We expect these types of CNT-composite papers to be used as material for new DSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]