Carbon quantum dot-incorporated nickel oxide for planar p-i-n type perovskite solar cells with enhanced efficiency and stability

Abstract

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have attracted extreme interest as a promising nanocarbon platform for divergence optoelectronics due to their high stability, good dispersibility in solvents, and tunable optical and electronic properties. Herein, planar p-i-n type perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with enhanced efficiency and long-term stability were developed by incorporating CQDs into a nickel oxide (NiO) hole transport layer (HTL). The incorporation of CQDs downshifts the band structure of NiO, leading to good alignment with the work-function of the tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) electrode and the band-edges of the perovskite. The efficient cascade charge transport achieved with the optimized incorporation ratio of CQDs resulted in an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.02%, compared to that of the PSC fabricated with bare NiO (15.66%), even though they were fabricated in air. The suppressed charge recombination accompanied by restricted charge accumulation curtails the J-V hysteresis, with a reduction from 4.5% to less than 1%. Moreover, long-term stability under atmospheric conditions without any encapsulation was achieved with CQD-incorporated NiO. More than 70% of the initial PCE was retained over 190 h. This work suggests a novel strategy for fabricating solution-processible metal oxide interlayers with highly efficient charge migration for divergence energy conversion devices.