Publication date: 11th March 2026
Morphology-function-degradation relationships in organic and hybrid photovoltaics: Revealed using synchrotron soft X-ray microscopy
Abstract:
Understanding how nanoscale morphology, chemical heterogeneity, and ion dynamics govern performance and stability remains a major challenge across organic photovoltaics (OPV), organic semiconductor (OSC) photocatalysts, and hybrid perovskite devices. In this contribution, I demonstrate how synchrotron-based soft X-ray microscopy provides a unified and chemically sensitive framework to address these questions across different material platforms [1-6].
We combine scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and soft X-ray ptychography (SXP) to investigate donor–acceptor OSC nanoparticles synthesized via nanoprecipitation and miniemulsion routes, model OPV-relevant blends, and vapor-deposited metal-halide perovskite thin films. In OSC nanoparticles used for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, STXM and SXP reveal how synthesis-induced internal morphologies, ranging from highly intermixed to core-shell structures, directly control charge separation, activity, and long-term stability. Intermixed morphologies exhibit enhanced initial hydrogen evolution rates, while core-shell structures show delayed but more stable performance, highlighting a morphology-driven efficiency and stability trade-off that cannot be resolved using bulk or purely optical characterization techniques.
Soft X-ray ptychography provides access to phase contrast beyond X-ray absorption, enabling visualization of internal morphology in weakly absorbing organic systems at spatial resolutions exceeding conventional STXM under comparable or lower dose conditions. I will discuss how dose, contrast mechanisms, and spatial frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ultimately define the accessible resolution in radiation-sensitive soft matter systems.
Extending these approaches to hybrid perovskites under electrical stress, soft X-ray STXM enables direct visualization of light-element ion migration (I, C, N) and associated chemical transformations under operando-relevant biasing conditions. These observations are complemented by hard X-ray nano-XRF measurements, which capture long-range iodine redistribution across device electrodes. Together, these multimodal measurements allow us to link nanoscale chemical evolution to macroscopic electrical degradation pathways.
Beyond individual case studies, this work highlights the broader role of synchrotron soft X-ray microscopy in disentangling morphology-function-degradation relationships across organic and hybrid photovoltaic materials. I willconclude by discussing practical considerations for applying STXM and SXP to OPV and perovskite systems, including radiation damage, acquisition strategies, and emerging opportunities enabled by next-generation synchrotron sources.
References :
1. Phd Thesis (Corentin RIEB, Univ. of Strasbourg, 16/12/2025).
2. Rieb, C., Leclerc, N., Méry, S., Hébraud, A., Swaraj, S. Journal of Physical Chemistry C., 129(41): 18537-18547. (2025).
3. Jun, H., et al. (2023) Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena., 266: art.n° 147358.
4. Dindault, C., et al. (2022) RSC Advances., 12(39): 25570-25577.
5. Jun, H., et al. (2022) Scientific Reports., 12: art.n° 4520
6. PhD thesis (Jun H, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France)
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