C[tbnd]N-based carbazole-arylamine hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells: Substitution position matters

Abstract

Hole transporting materials (HTMs) containing passivating groups for perovskite materials have attracted much attention for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Among them, CN-based molecules have been proved as efficient HTMs. Herein, a series of novel CN functionalized carbazole-arylamine derivatives with variable CN substitution positions (para, meta, and ortho) on benzene-carbazole skeleton (on the adjacent benzene of carbazole) were synthesized (p-HTM, m-HTM and o-HTM). The experimental results exhibit that the substitution positions of the CN unit on HTMs have minor difference on the HOMO energy level and hydrophobicity. m-HTM has a relatively lower glass transition temperature compared with that of p-HTM and o-HTM. The functional theory calculations show that the CN located on meta position exposed very well, and the exposure direction is also the same with the methoxy. Upon applying these molecules as HTMs in PSCs, their device performance is found to sensitively depend on the substitution position of the CN unit on the molecule skeleton. The devices using m-HTM and o-HTM exhibit better performance than that of p-HTM. Moreover, m-HTM-based devices exhibit better light-soaking performance and long-term stability, which could be resulted from better interaction with the perovskite according to DFT results. Moreover, we further prepared a HTM with two CN units on the symmetrical meta position of molecular skeleton (2m-HTM). Interestingly, 2m-HTM-based devices exhibit relatively inferior performance compared with that of the m-HTM, which could be resulted from weak negative electrical character of CN unit on 2m-HTM. The results give some new insights for designing ideal HTM for efficient and stable PSCs.