Imaging Energy Harvesting and Storage Systems at the Nanoscale

Our scientific understanding of the nanoscale world is continuously growing ever since atomic force microscopy (AFM) has enabled us to “see” materials at this length scale. Beyond morphology, functional imaging is becoming standard practice as new AFM-based techniques are continuously extending its capabilities. Resolving material properties with high spatial accuracy is now extremely critical as future next-generation energy harvesting and storage systems are comprised of complex and intricate nanoscale features. Here, we review recent research discoveries that implemented AFM methods to measure and determine how the electrical, chemical, and/or optical properties influence the overall device behavior. We dedicate a portion of this Review to perovskite solar cells, which are of primary interest to photovoltaic research, and highlight the remarkable progress made toward understanding and controlling their instabilities. We conclude with a summary and outlook anticipating the most pressing materials-related challenges associated with solar cells and batteries and how that will likely be overcome in the near future by nanoimaging through AFM.