Low-cost Materials Research Articles

Enhanced Charge Generation and Transport by Incorporating a Benzotriazole Unit for Low-Cost and High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells.

The photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells (OSCs) has reached the threshold for industrial applications, but the cost of most high-performance organic photovoltaic molecules is too high to meet the needs of industrialization. Herein, two low-cost thiophene-alt-quinoxaline (TQ)-based polymers, PTQ16-10 and PTQ16-20, are designed and synthesized by incorporating a benzotriazole (BTA) unit into the PTQ10 backbone, with the consideration of expanding the chemical modifiability of PTQ10 and thus optimizing its photovoltaic properties. The incorporation of BTA induces improved light absorption, up-shifted energy levels, more orderly molecular π-π packing, enhanced molecular crystallinity, and better charge transport capacity of the two polymers. Consequently, PTQ16-10:K2-based OSCs achieve enhanced charge generation and transport with faster and more efficient hole transfer, suppressed carrier recombination, and higher charge mobilities, resulting in an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.83%. Meanwhile, by introducing the second acceptor K6 into the PTQ16-10:K2 host blend, the ternary device achieves an excellent PCE of 19.52%, which is among the highest PCEs of OSCs based on low-cost photovoltaic materials. More importantly, this device is highly cost-effective for industrial-scale production, with an estimated minimum sustainable price of only 0.377 $ Wp-1 (Wp = peak-Watt), which is appreciably lower than that of reported high-performance OSCs. This work offers a rational guide in the development of low-cost and high-performance organic photovoltaic molecules and suggests the great potential of PTQ16-10 in cost-effective OSCs for industrialization.

Preparation and characterization of nanoparticle and nanocrystal from sago starch

There is an emerging interest in the development of starch-biomaterial for various applications such as in food emulsions. Starch has several advantages to be modified as they are low-cost material, submicron in size with a high surface area to volume ratio and abundance of functional groups for surface modifications. The objective of this study was to prepare and investigate the morphological, structural and physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (SNP) and nanocrystals (SNC) extracted from sago starch. SNP was prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis with 5% pullulanase at 58°C for 24 hrs, meanwhile SNC was produced by acid hydrolysis with aqueous sulphuric acid (H2SO4) for 5 days at 40°C. Both SNP and SNC showed a size lower than 1000 nm and a homogenous polydispersity index. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the relative crystallinity increased significantly (p<0.05) and allowed stronger hydrogen bond interaction in both SNP and SNC. Besides that, swelling power, solubility and yield of SNP were significantly higher (p<0.05) than SNC as it was greatly influenced by the amorphous and crystalline regions of the starch particles after hydrolysis. Moreover, SNP have a less distinct shape with a size larger than SNC favoured by self-aggregation and lower zeta potential value. Overall, SNP prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis showed the most promising materials to meet industrial demands due to the environmental friendliness (no pollution), high yield and less preparation time needed. Therefore, the newly fabricated SNP have potential as an emulsifier, encapsulating agents and others regardless of any food system.

Effect of Brewers’ Spent Grain Addition to a Fermented Form on Dough Rheological Properties from Different Triticale Flour Cultivars

Triticale grains and brewers’ spent grain (BSG) can be new sources to develop food products. From a socio-economical point of view, this fact is important since triticale is easily adapted to the climatic changes and BSG is a low-cost material which may lead to a “zero-waste” desiderate. In this study, dough rheological properties obtained from different triticale cultivars (Ingen 33, Ingen 35, Ingen 54, and Ingen 93) cultivated in the Republic of Moldova and BSG in a fermented form (BSF) in an addition level of 10% and 17.5% were analyzed. For this purpose, different rheological devices, such as Mixolab, Alveograph, HAAKE MARS 40 Rheometer, Falling Number, and Rheofermentometer, were used. Also, the pH value of the dough samples with different levels of BSF addition during fermentation was determined. According to the data obtained, BSF addition decreased water absorption values; torques values corresponding to stages 1–5 of the Mixolab curve; and dynamic rheological elastic, viscous, and complex modules. For the 17.5% BSF addition to triticale flour, the best rheological results were obtained for the Ingen 33 and Ingen 54 varieties. In addition, the BSF addition decreased the baking strength and tenacity of the Alveograph curve. The pH values of the dough samples during fermentation significantly decreased (p < 0.05) with the increased amount of BSF incorporated into the dough recipe. The highest pH decreased values were obtained for Ingen 35 with a 17.5% BSF addition, which varied between 5.58 and 5.48. During fermentation, all data recorded by the Rheofermentometer device were improved. The dough samples presented a high retention coefficient, which varied between 99.1 and 99.5%. The falling number decreased with the increasing level of BSF in triticale flour, indicating an increase in α-amylase activity in the mixed flours. The principal component analysis data showed a strong association between triticale flour varieties without a BSF addition and those with a high amount of BSF incorporated into the dough recipe. The results obtained indicate the fact that many mixes between BSF and different triticale varieties may lead to bakery products of a good quality.

Stabilizing Polyoxometalate for Enhanced OER Performance Using a Porous Manganese Oxide Support.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical challenge in electrocatalytic water splitting, hindered by high energy demands and slow kinetics. Polyoxometalates (POMs), recognized for their unique redox capabilities, structural archetypes, and molecular precision, are promising candidates for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Yet, their application is hindered by high water solubility, causing rapid degradation and efficiency loss under harsh OER conditions. This study enhances the performance and stability of polyoxometalates (POMs) for OER by anchoring keggin-type POM [TiCoW11O40]7- nanosheets onto a conductive, carbon-protected manganese oxide (C-Mn2O3) nanospheres support. The acquired porous framework enhances POM/C-Mn2O3 (PCM) contact, improving stability, reaction kinetics, and redox activity by offering nucleation sites, electronic pathways, and abundant active sites, significantly boosting OER activity. The resulting PCM nanohybrid demonstrates remarkable OER activity in 1M KOH, requiring only a 300 mV overpotential to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a Tafel slope of 88 mV/dec. The PCM electrocatalyst also shows high mass activity (784 A/g at 1.6 V) and maintains stability over 100 hours at 100 mA cm-2 without performance fatigue. Consequently, this study offers a viable strategy for developing efficient, durable electrocatalysts using low-cost materials.

Review of Progress on Printing Techniques Towards Commercialization of Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer a number of key advantages over silicon solar cells. These include their low-cost materials, high efficiency, simplicity of fabrication, and inexpensive manufacturing techniques. To commercialize PSCs, there are many methods to develop the quality of the cells, one of them being printing techniques. Different printing techniques deposition have been developed for the perovskite solar cell, such as blade coating, slot die coating, inkjet printing, screen printing, spray coating, flexographic printing, and gravure printing. These techniques have a substantial impact on the performance of PSCs and controlling film formation to commercialize PSCs. This review summarizes a comprehensive overview of various deposition printing techniques used to fabricate PSCs during different years and different techniques, such as using different preparation methods, novel drying techniques, and ink engineering. In addition, the challenges that are faced by using these, such as material stability, reproducibility of printing processes, and cost-effectiveness techniques, are reviewed. Future research should focus on optimizing printing techniques to improve the stability and scalability of PSCs. Exploring novel perovskite materials, deposition techniques, and innovative fabrication methods may further enhance the PSCs and facilitate their commercialization.

Current Status and Prospects of Direct Hydrogen Production from Seawater in China

This paper summarizes the current research status and future outlook of direct hydrogen production technology from seawater in China. With the growth of global energy demand and prominent environmental problems, hydrogen energy has been attracting attention as a kind of clean energy. The research on direct hydrogen production from seawater in China involves various fields such as electrolysis of water, photoelectrochemistry, electrocatalysis, membrane technology and polygeneration technology, and has made progress in demonstration projects, joint test bases, system integration and optimization, and industrial chain development. Technology application scenarios include offshore oil platforms, coastal islands, ocean development and protection, emergency energy supply and industrial parks. Looking ahead, China will focus on technology development priorities such as high-efficiency catalysts, advanced membrane technology, intelligent control systems, optimization of multi-generation technology, application of new energy integration technology, exploration of low-cost materials and improvement of seawater pretreatment technology. At the same time, it will promote the large-scale application and industrialization of seawater direct hydrogen production technology by constructing large-scale demonstration projects, perfecting industrial chain, expanding policy support and financing channels, strengthening international cooperation and technical exchanges, building human resources, as well as market promotion and application scenario expansion.

Design of New Generation Low-Cost Dip Coating Device and Performance Tests in ZnO Thin Film Production

In this study, a dip coating device was designed using low-cost materials and performance tests were performed. The dip coating method is an efficient coating technique used to dip samples into chemical solutions and produce thin films. The designed system provides precise movement in the vertical axis with a stepper motor, while a heating unit can be used to apply heat treatment during the coating process. The device controlled by Arduino allows the user to adjust the number of dips, waiting times and movement speed. In order to test the operation of the system, ZnO thin films were produced, and these films were evaluated with XRD, SEM and UVspectrophotometer analyses. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that the structural and optical properties of the films produced by the device were in accordance with the data in the literature. These results prove that the designed dip coating system is successful and functional.

Crop Residues Potential Reclamation of Irrigated Saline Ground Water, Sudan

Reclamation of ground saline water is a challenge and crucial for agricultural development in the Sudan, especially for artificially irrigated areas that are away from the river Nile and its tributaries. This study aimed to investigate the reclamation potential of crop residues for saline groundwater. Three crop residues of wheat, date palm and groundnut crops were tested as filters in this study. Three filter types from each plant residue were prepared by oven drying at 170 C°; muffle furnace at 250 -300C°; and treated the crude fibre from the furnace at 250-300 C° with 1.25% sodium hydroxide for 30 minutes. PVC plastic pipes of different sizes were filled with the three prepared filter types. The oven-dried residues were put in the 20 cm long and 5 cm diameter plastic pipes while the muffle furnace-dried residues and treated crude fiber were put in 10cm long and 2cm diameter plastic pipes. Constant volumes (100 ml) of saline water were passed through the various filters in the PVC pipes, the leachates were collected, and their salinities were measured using electrical conductivity Apparatus. This procedure of saline water addition and measurement of EC for leachate was repeated ten times. Two saline groundwater from Hattab area-Khartoum North (10 dSm-1) and Soba area-Khartoum (3.0 dS m-1) were passed on filter PVC columns of different diameters filled with the selected residues and their crude fibres. Successive 10 additions of 100 ml saline water from the two waters were filtered through the columns and the electrical conductivity (EC) of the leachates was determined. The results indicated that the EC of leachate from different treatments increased at the beginning and then decreased at an additional 5. Wheat straw and date palm showed comparatively remarked reclamation potential and chemical stability in comparison to groundnut peals. After addition 5, the EC of leachate started to increase again, this indicated the span life filters from these residues. This study shows that crop residues, as waste and low-cost materials, are economically and environmentally feasible reclamation materials of saline water in developing countries for agricultural and drinking uses.

Selective Photocatalytic C─H Oxidation Using All-Inorganic Perovskite Quantum Dots Encapsulated in UiO-Series MOFs.

All-inorganic cesium lead halide (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) are successfully incorporated within the cages of zirconium-based UiO-series metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) using in situ ship-in-a-bottle method at room temperature under ambient conditions. The resulting mBPP-MOF, which includes the 4,4'-(2,2'-bipyridyl-5,5'-diyl)dibenzoic acid (H2BPP) linker, features a larger cavity size than UiO-66 and UiO-67-bpy, allowing for uniform accommodation of PeQDs within its cages. This PeQDs@MOF hybrid heterostructure enhances the separation and transfer of photogenerated charges, enabling the synthesized CsPbBr3@mBPP-MOF to demonstrate highly selective and stable performance in the photocatalytic oxidation of toluene under visible light irradiation at 395nm. This advancement represents a potential breakthrough in organic photocatalysis due to the material's low cost, ease of processing, high efficiency, and tunable bandgap.

Perspectives for improving deironing technologies groundwater for local drinking systems

In order to provide the population with high-quality drinking water, it is more expedient to focus on the use of underground sources of water supply, which are better protected from pollution in comparison with surface waters. However, a significant part of the underground sources of water supply is characterized by a high iron content, and the water from them needs to be deironed before being supplied to consumers. Removal of excessive iron content from underground water can be carried out by reagent or reagent-free methods, using water deiron installations of various design schemes and resorting to measures that increase the efficiency of their work. On the basis of the analysis of existing technologies for removing iron from groundwater and modern trends in the field of water purification, it is proposed for local water supply systems to use a filter with an automatic control valve and a technology that provides for reagent-free iron removal of groundwater due to the oxidation of dissolved iron with air cushion oxygen and further detention of the sediment formed in the layer of the multicomponent filter load. This technology is characterized by low cost and wear resistance of natural filter materials, ease of operation, environmental friendliness, which excludes secondary contamination of purified water with reagents, compactness and automation of control processes, which is especially relevant for small settlements.

Removal of Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin from Aqueous Solution with Activated Carbon from Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) Bark.

The widespread use of antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones (FQs) has raised environmental and health concerns. This study is innovative as we investigate the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and norfloxacin (NOR) from water using activated carbon derived from cupuaçu bark (CAC). This previously discarded biomass is now a low-cost raw material for the production of activated carbon, boosting the local economy. CAC was physiochemically characterized, and adsorption experiments were designed using the Box-Behnken design to assess the effects of contact time, adsorbate concentration, and adsorbent dosage on the removal efficiency and adsorption capacity. The optimal conditions were determined using the desirability function, and kinetic, isothermal, and thermodynamic experiments were performed. CAC showed a 50.22% yield, low humidity (4.81%), and low ash content (4.27%), with acidic functional groups dominating. The surface area was 1335.66 m2/g, with an average pore volume of 0.753 cm3/g and a pore diameter of 2.206 nm. Adsorption was most effective at pH 5.0 due to electrostatic interactions between the basic adsorbent and cationic forms of CIP and NOR. Optimal conditions yielded adsorption capacities of 6.02 mg/g for CIP and 5.70 mg/g for NOR, with the Langmuir model suggesting monolayer adsorption. The regeneration with NaOH was effective, but the adsorption efficiency decreased below 50% after two cycles. These findings demonstrate that CAC is a sustainable, low-cost adsorbent for treating antibiotic-contaminated water.

Pilot‐scale production of the low‐temperature NH3‐SCR catalyst with high industrial application prospects from natural zeolite and manganese oxide

AbstractIn this study, a low‐temperature NH3 selective catalytic reduction (NH3‐SCR) catalyst with great industrial applicability was produced on a pilot scale using natural zeolite as the carrier and natural manganese oxide as the active component. The effects of activation temperature and nitric acid dosage on the mechanical strength and NH3‐SCR performance were discussed. The results demonstrated that the catalyst CMZ‐10‐600, prepared at a calcination temperature of 600°C with a 10.0 wt % nitric acid dosage, exhibited the best NH3‐SCR performance while meeting the mechanical strength requirements for industrial applications. The NO conversion ranged from 93.8% to 100.0%, and the N2 selectivity varied between 78.0% and 100% at a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 5000 h−1 within the reaction temperature range of 150–250°C. The prepared catalysts were characterized using the scanning electron microscopy, x‐ray powder diffraction, BET, NH3‐TPD, and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which elucidated the effects of the preparation method on the catalyst strength, physicochemical properties, and the NH3‐SCR performance of the catalysts. The research results proved that the catalysts produced by this process exhibit good mechanical strength and catalytic properties, coupled with low raw material costs and a simple preparation technique, highlighting a promising prospect for industrial application.

Technical, Economic and Environmental Assessment of Xylitol Production in a Biorefinery Platform Toward a Circular Economy

New biobased processes and products are emerging to replace conventional ones in the search for sustainable development. Xylitol is one of the most commercially valuable products from xylan-rich lignocellulosic biomass. Xylitol has multiple applications in the pharmaceutical, food, nutraceutical, and beverage industries. Recent research focuses on obtaining xylose from low-cost lignocellulosic materials through the biological route, optimizing xylitol conversion, improving byproduct removal, and increasing crystallization speed. The biological route can be an environmentally friendly alternative due to the possibility of lower energy demand and utilizing renewable feedstocks which are key factors to reach sustainability. Several integration strategies are being evaluated and are critical to developing a commercial platform. Process integration can considerably reduce the demand for energy and reagents. Also, the value-added products produced alongside xylitol are crucial, and these products are usually energy generation and bioethanol. Further, new value-added products show promising results and are relevant to improving the economic performance of the processes. The market trends of xylitol are expected to reach close to USD 1.5 billion in 2030. In addition, the improvement needed in the conversion steps and obtained yields, producing commercial-scale xylitol through the biological route, is a promising alternative to finding a more sustainable way to produce xylitol.

Miniaturize the Redox Flow Battery for Accelerated Materials Discovery and Development

Abstract Redox flow batteries are a promising technology for grid-scale energy storage. The aqueous organic redox flow battery is of particular interest for its potentially low material cost and sustainability. Developing novel organic active material for flow battery electrolytes typically entails molecular engineering toward desired properties, necessitating organic synthesis. In a research laboratory setting, the synthesis of specifically designed organic molecules featuring targeted functional groups is time and resources intensive. In the past, synthesizing materials required for battery testing has often required gram-scale production, presenting considerable constraints on the pace of novel organic material discovery. In this report, we introduce a miniaturized cell design that mandates only milligram-scale material synthesis while yielding testing outcomes equivalent or superior to those reported with other commercially available or homemade flow cells in the literature. The test results under various pH conditions validate the scale-down strategy to accelerate the flow battery material discovery and development using the newly designed mini cell. This approach offers researchers an efficient means to notably reduce the time and resource required to develop novel materials for flow batteries.

Synergistic Effects of Unmodified Tea Leaves and Tea Biochar Application on Remediation of Cr-Contaminated Soil

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) contamination in soil presents significant risks due to its high toxicity to both the environment and human health. Renewable, low-cost natural materials offer promising solutions for Cr(VI) reduction and soil remediation. However, the effects of unmodified tea leaves and tea-derived biochar on chromium-contaminated soils remain inadequately understood. In this study, tea tree pruning waste was converted into biochar at various temperatures, and the impacts of both unmodified tea leaves and tea biochar on soil Cr(VI) content, chromium fractionation, and soil biochemical properties were assessed using a soil incubation experiment. The results showed that the combined treatment of tea and tea biochar produced at 500 °C reduced Cr(VI) content by up to 49.30% compared to the control. Chromium fractionation analysis revealed a significant increase in the residual chromium fraction, accounting for 32.97% of total chromium, substantially reducing its bioavailability and mobility. Soil properties were markedly improved, with notable increases in pH (14.89%), cation exchange capacity (CEC; up to 100.24%), and organic matter content (up to 167.12%) under the combined treatments. Correlation analysis confirmed that Cr(VI) content reductions were positively correlated with increases in pH, nutrient retention, and enzyme activities, highlighting their role in chromium stabilization. This study underscores the synergistic potential of unmodified tea leaves and tea biochar as an innovative, eco-friendly strategy for Cr(VI) remediation, enhancing both soil quality and heavy metal stabilization.

Effective Removal of Sr2+ Ions by K2SbPO6/Polyacrylonitrile Composite Microspheres

90Sr is one of the highly radioactive and hazardous nuclides in nuclear waste liquids. The high water solubility and mobility of 90Sr2+ ions make it difficult to effectively remove 90Sr from the complex aqueous environment. Herein, K2SbPO6, a phosphatoantimonate ion exchange material with an excellent removal ability for Sr2+ ions, has been organically granulated with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) by an automated method to form K2SbPO6/PAN composite microspheres. The K2SbPO6/PAN microspheres with radiation resistance exhibit a high maximum adsorption capacity (qmSr) of 131.15 mg g−1 for Sr2+ ions and retain the high removal rate (RSr) in a wide pH range (pH = 3–12). It is important that K2SbPO6/PAN microspheres could efficiently treat Sr2+ ions solutions in a dynamic adsorption manner even at 970 bed volumes (RSr > 81%). This work paves the way for the preparation of low-cost ion exchange materials with the advantages of regular shape and easy operation by a simple and fast method and the practical application of powdered ion exchange materials.

Severe plastic deformation of Mn-Al permanent magnets

Manganese-aluminum permanent magnets are promising candidates to fill the cost and performance gap between lower-performance bonded ferrites and high-performance magnets based on rare-earth elements. This is due to the favorable combination of saturation magnetization and magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the Mn-Al τ phase combined with low raw material cost. However, the τ phase is metastable and prone to decomposition at high temperatures, making processing by conventional milling and sintering difficult. Severe plastic deformation (SPD) is an alternative processing route to control the microstructure of a material by applying very high amounts of strain. In this study, equal-channel angular extrusion (ECAE) and high-speed high-pressure torsion (HS-HPT) were both tested as SPD processing routes. ECAE improved magnetic energy product, (BH)max, by 220% by refining the grain size and imparting a high density of dislocations. HS-HPT enabled a rapid phase transformation from the high-temperature ε phase to the τ phase but lowered Hci, making it better suited to soft magnet processing.

UiO-67 metal-organic framework loaded on hardwood biochar for sustainable management of environmental boron contaminations

Boron contamination in water poses significant potential risks to human health and the environment, necessitating the development of efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable remediation technologies. This study introduces a novel composite material combining a zirconium-based metal-organic framework (UiO-67) and a low-cost carbonaceous material (hardwood biochar, BC) with synergetic efficiency to address boron-polluted waters. The UiO-67-biochar (UBC) composite exhibits effective surface chemistry and a remarkably high specific surface area of approximately 881.9m²/g, substantially increasing from the 19.7m²/g of biochar. Our experimental results demonstrate that UBC removed up to 88.5% of boron from 20 ppm polluted water, achieving levels compliant with the WHO standards. The composite also showed excellent reusability, maintaining 95% efficiency over multiple cycles without loss of crystallinity. Life cycle assessment and cost analysis indicate that an optimal MOF to biochar ratio of approximately 60wt% minimises CO2 emissions and costs while maximising the boron removal efficiency. The UiO-67-biochar composites proposed here offers a promising scalable solution for boron contamination and potentially other environmental pollutants, combining the high functionality of UiO-67 with the practical and economic advantages of biochar.

Robust fluorinated cellulose composite aerogels incorporating radiative cooling and thermal insulation for regionally adaptable building thermal management.

Passive radiative cooling (PRC) is an emerging sustainable technology that plays a key role for achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. However, several challenges remain for PRC materials in their practical application in building thermal management, including overcooling problems and unsatisfactory cooling efficiency caused by solar absorption and parasitic heat gains. In this work, fluorinated cellulose-based composite aerogels (FCCA) integrating thermal insulation and PRC were developed by a facile manufacturing strategy that combined phase separation and freeze-drying. P(VdF-HFP) was utilized to promote the formation of nano/micro porous architectures in FCCA, resulting in a decrease in the thermal conductivity of the aerogel to 0.034 W m-1 K-1 while simultaneously increasing its solar reflectance and infrared emissivity (8-13 μm) to 95.74 % and 97.15 %, respectively. The aerogel cooler achieved a sub-ambient cooling temperature of ~9.68 °C during the daytime and maintained its cooling effectiveness even on cloudy days. The fluorinated aerogels demonstrated excellent hydrophobicity and chemical durability after outdoor exposure and heat aging tests. This work opens up a new pathway to design low-cost cellulose-based materials for efficient thermal management of energy-saving buildings around the world.

Solution-processed tungsten diselenide as an inorganic hole transport material for moisture-stable perovskite solar cells in the n-i-p architecture

Some of the obstacles to the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are their long-term moisture stability and material cost of the constituent layers, such as the commonly used spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer (HTL). Replacing the spiro-OMeTAD with low-cost inorganic hole transport materials (HTMs) are important to further elevate the attractiveness of PSCs for commercialization. Perovskite-compatible, solution-exfoliated two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are being considered as viable candidates for inorganic HTMs. We consider one such TMDC, WSe2 which was chemically exfoliated using dichlorobenzene (DCB), a perovskite-compatible solvent, as it was integrated with triple cation perovskite absorbers within the solar cell stack. The WSe2 HTL required heat treatment processes to be maintained below 100 °C in order to preserve the integrity of the underlying perovskite; despite this lower temperature post treatment process, the structural morphology of the film revealed its dense and pinhole-free nature. Temperature-dependent transport studies conducted on the WSe2 film provided evidence of its semiconducting character and its ability to extract holes well from the underlying triple-cation Cs0.05FA0.79MA0.16PbI2.45Br0.55 absorber. The inorganic HTL offered better environmental stability in moisture-rich environments of up to 60 % relative humidity, in comparison to spiro-OMeTAD HTL-based devices which degraded faster as a result of pinholes.