Integrating photovoltaics, supercapacitors and electrochemical reactors for portable devices and industrial chemistry plants

The last decade has seen a rapid technological rush aimed at the development of new devices for the photovoltaic conversion of solar energy, for the electrochemical storage of electricity, and for the production of solar fuels. 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. In this contribution we discuss the main challenges our research groups are considering, and present the most significant results obtained from the integration of photovoltaic cells, supercapacitors and electrochemical reactors. We will discuss device architectures, the impact of nanostructured materials, the possibility of developing electrodes shared between several parts of the devices, and the possibility of achieving important targets in the field of portable electronics and industrial chemistry, such as lightness, flexibility, components safety, and in-situ production of chemical everywhere. Among the most relevant contribution, we will highlight: - Planar architectures hosting both DSSC and supercapacitors; - Wearable DSSC/supercapacitor devices embedded in lab coats; - High-voltage integrated devices for IoT indoor applications; - CO2-to-fuels electrochemical conversion powered by perovskite and dye solar cells.