Praseodymium-doped triple-cation perovskite layer for enhanced photovoltaic performance

Abstract

Doping a hybrid perovskite semiconductor with metal elements offers an effective means of adjusting its photoelectric properties. To give one example, it has been found that adding lanthanide elements such as Europium (Eu) and Samarium (Sm) into a perovskite layer enhances the photovoltaic performance and photothermal stability of perovskite solar cells. In this study, we therefore added different Praseodymium (Pr)/Lead (Pb) ratios from 0% to 1% to perovskite films in a precursor solution of tri-cation perovskite. We found the photoelectric properties and device performance of perovskite solar cells doped with 0.25% Praseodymium ion (Pr3+) to be significantly improved, with a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.56% obtained. Furthermore, the stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with 0.25% Pr3+ doping improved effectively. Overall, with Pr3+ doping, the carrier mobility was dramatically enhanced, and the carrier recombination effectively hindered. These results therefore indicate that Pr3+ doping causes the perovskite to produce lattice shrinkage. As such, the findings shed light on a fresh dopant engineering tactic for fabricating high performance perovskite solar cells.