Integrated energy conversion and storage devices: interfacing solar cells, batteries and supercapacitors

The last decade has seen a rapid technological rush aimed at the development of new devices for the photovoltaic conversion of solar energy and for the electrochemical storage of electricity using systems such as supercapacitors and batteries. The next (and even more necessary) step concerns the integration between conversion and storage systems, an activity which requires important developments in the fields of electronic device engineering, power management and materials science. This review discusses the main challenges facing in recent years and presents the most significant results obtained from the integration of photovoltaic cells, supercapacitors and batteries. We will discuss the designs of integration, the impact of nanostructured materials, the possibility of developing electrodes shared between several parts of the devices and the possibility of achieving important objectives in the field of portable electronics, such as lightness, flexibility and safety of components.