Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cells Research Articles

Enhanced optoelectronic characteristics of La-doped ZnO and its compatibility with Cs-doped MAPbI3 perovskite absorber material

Abstract The present study investigates the structural, electrical and optical characteristics of pristine and lanthanum (La)-doped zinc oxide electron transport layers (ETLs) fabricated by the sol gel method and their compatibility with Cs0.10MA0.90Pb(I0.9Br0.10)3 absorber layer for perovskite solar cells. All the ETLs were deposited under same deposition conditions, with the only difference in La percentage in the precursor solutions, ranging from 0 to 6%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated the presence of crystalline ZnO thin films and the absence of any impurity phases after La-doping. The calculated crystallite size, determined using Scherrer’s equation, increased from 11.13 to 21.76 nm after the introduction of dopant. The doping with 4% La led to the decrease in the optical bandgap from 3.32 eV of pristine ZnO to 3.23 eV. SEM analysis revealed better morphology of perovskite/4% La:ZnO specimen, which facilitated the absorbance and reduced the charge carrier recombination. It also exhibited superior resilience towards moisture and humidity which will eventually contribute to the development of more stable and efficient planar perovskite solar cells (PCSs).

Tuning Pyrrolo[3,2-b] pyrrole Core-based hole transport materials properties via Addition of fluorine for highly efficient and Stable planar perovskite solar cells

Hole-transport materials (HTM) play a crucial role in functioning perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this research, we develop and synthesize two pyrrolo[3,2-b] pyrrole core (PP) based small molecular HTMs, FPPY and BPPY with/without (w/wo) fluorine (F) substitution on PP core that connected to the carbazole diphenylamine peripheral end groups, respectively. The F-substituted fused electron-rich pyrrole ring core greatly impacts FPPY molecular surface charge distribution, which contributes to higher hole extraction properties and excellent band alignment. Finally, FPPY-based PSCs obtain a best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.3 %, significantly higher than BPPY (20.1 %). After aging 2000 h at ambient condition (25 °C, 30–50 % RH), the FPPY-based device still keeps over 87 % of its initial PCE.

Inorganic ammonium salt doping in nickel oxide for highly efficient planar perovskite solar cells

Inorganic ammonium salt doping in nickel oxide for highly efficient planar perovskite solar cells

Multifunctional buried interface engineering via phenyl-phosphonic acid for efficient and stable SnO2-based planar perovskite solar cells

Tin dioxide (SnO2) is widely used as an electron transport layer (ETL) in efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to its excellent optoelectronic properties and low-temperature solution preparation process. However, SnO2 ETLs fabricated by the conventional solution method have many defects, among which Sn dangling bonds (i.e., oxygen vacancies) are particularly prominent. Herein, a simple buried interface engineering is employed to introduce phenyl-phosphinic acid (PPA) into the surface of SnO2 film for the preparation of highly efficient PSCs. A series of test results have shown that the phosphate group (PO) in PPA can not only passivate oxygen vacancy defects on the surface of SnO2, but also improve the film-forming quality of the upper perovskite, thereby exhibiting better photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability. Ultimately, the optimized device achieves a maximum PCE of 22.81 %, an improvement of about 15 % over the control device (19.82 %). Meanwhile, the nonencapsulated device based on SnO2-PPA ETL shows much better storage and light stability than the control SnO2.

Regulating TiO2 Deposition Using a Single-Anchored Ligand for High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells.

Planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as a promising photovoltaic technology, have been extensively studied, with strong expectations for commercialization. Improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs is necessary to accelerate their practical application, in which the electron transport layer (ETL) plays a key part. Herein, a single-anchored ligand of phenylphosphonic acid (PPA) is utilized to regulate the chemical bath deposition of a TiO2 ETL, further improving the PCE of planar PSCs. The PPA possesses a steric benzene ring and a phosphoric acid group, which can inhibit the particle aggregation of the TiO2 film through steric hindrance, leading to optimized interface (ETL/perovskite) contact. In addition, the incorporated PPA can induce the upshift of the Fermi-level of the TiO2 film, which is beneficial for interfacial electron transport. As a consequence, the PSCs with PPA-TiO2 achieve a PCE of 24.83%, which is higher than that (24.21%) of PSCs with TiO2. In addition, the unencapsulated PSCs with PPA-TiO2 also exhibit enhanced stability when stored in ambient conditions.

Ambient-atmosphere fabricated perovskite solar cells with formamidinium iodide passivation for enhanced light absorption

The exceptional photoelectric characteristics and high conversion efficiency have positioned metal halide perovskite as a significant breakthrough in recent thin-film photovoltaic technology. Despite these advantages, perovskite crystalline lattices often contain defects like interstitials, vacancies, and impurities at grain boundaries and surfaces, along with dangling bonds, contributing to the nonradiative recombination processes among photocarriers, which hamper device performance and stability. In this context, we present a simple method to mitigate electronic defects occurring at the interface between perovskite (Cs0.17FA0.83Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3 films and the hole transport layer by applying organic salt, namely formamidinium iodide (FAI), in an eco-friendly isopropanol (IPA) antisolvent to treat the perovskite surface. Incorporating FAI reduces grain boundaries, enhances carrier transportation, and boosts power conversion efficiency from 13.59 % to 15.10 % under 1 sun measurement with an active area of 0.09 cm2. Similarly, under 1000 lx illumination, efficiency improves from 26.70 % to 28.69 %, with enhanced stability. This study offers a cost-effective and low-temperature method via the utilization of carbon electrodes to fabricate highly efficient planar perovskite solar cells under an air atmosphere, showcasing the potential for stable and economically viable photovoltaic solutions.

Multifunctional urea in modification of SnO2 interface for high efficiency planar perovskite solar cells

At present, the unprecedented rapid development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) shows its great commercial application potential. However, there are many detrimental defects at indium tin-oxide (ITO)/electron transport layer (ETL)/perovskite interface, leading to severe non-radiative recombination and limiting the further improvements in power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this paper, urea is explored for modifying the back and front side of Tin oxides (SnO2) ETL. This study finds that urea pretreatment of SnO2 can achieve the passivation purpose for oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl groups, while adjust energy level of SnO2. As a result, photo-carrier transport is significantly improved and produces a champion PCE of 21.51 % with an open-circuit voltage of 1.141 V based on urea pretreatment device. This work paves a new route for fabricating the better-performing SnO2 ETL.

Praseodymium doped nickel oxide as hole-transport layer for efficient planar Perovskite Solar Cells

Hybrid organic/inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have acquired significant consideration due to high power conversion efficiency (PCE). In PSCs, electron and hole extraction layers have a significant influence on their overall performance. In inverted p-i-n structure-based PSCs, NiOx has been frequently employed as a hole transport layer (HTL) due to its simple processing, wide bandgap, high optical transmittance, excellent chemical stability, and low processing temperature for large-scale fabrication. However, NiOx suffers from low electrical conductivity. Doping of NiOx is an effective technique employed for enhancing electrical as well as optical properties. Herein, the praseodymium doped NiOx (Pr-NiOx) was synthesized by sol-gel method, and films were fabricated to investigate the effect of Pr dopant on the optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic performance of PSCs. Results indicated that Pr doping significantly improved the hole mobility by about threefold and conductivity of NiOx films from 4.68 × 10-6 S cm-1 to 8.27 × 10-6 S cm-1. Moreover, it also enhanced the compactness and interfaces of NiOx HTL. PSCs based on 4 % Pr-doped NiOx HTL- yielded PCE of 9.35 % which is 32.43 % more than the PSCs fabricated using undoped NiOx HTL. The enhanced PCE of PSC devices with Pr-doped NiOx could be attributed to efficient extraction of a hole from an active absorbing layer of perovskite thereby, lowering the probability of unsuitable charge carrier recombination. This work exhibits that Pr-doped NiOx thin film could be a promising alternative material for efficient and stable inverted PSCs.

Perovskite Crystallization Regulation via Antimonene Quantum Sheets for Highly Efficient and Stable Solar Cells.

The two-step deposition method offers significant advantages in the production of high-performance planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Nevertheless, there are still numerous challenges in regulating perovskite crystallization during the two-step process. In this work, two-dimensional (2D) material antimonene quantum sheets (AMQSs) as an additive are introduced to regulate the crystallization process of perovskite. As a result, perovskite films with high crystalline quality and vertical growth orientation are obtained by AMQSs providing heterogeneous nucleation sites with the penetration of a mixture solution of AMQSs and FAI into the PbI2 layer. Also, the influence mechanism of AMQSs on the crystallization of perovskite film is analyzed in details. At the same time, due to the chemical interaction between antimonene and the uncoordinated Pb2+, the defects in the perovskite are efficiently passivated. In addition, the energy level at the perovskite/SnO2 interface becomes more matched, leading to improved charge transport and extraction with the incorporation of AMQSs. Benefiting from the versatile AMQSs, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs made by PbI2 + FAI:AMQSs is improved from 20.65 to 22.31% with the vastly enhanced Jsc and Voc. The ambient and operational stability of the unencapsulated PSCs fabricated using the PbI2 + FAI:AMQSs method were significantly improved, retaining 80% of the original PCE after being stored in a dark environment at a relative humidity of 30-40% for 18 days and 83% of the original PCE following continuous AM 1.5G illumination for 200 h.

Amino-rich carbon quantum dots decorated SnO2 ETL with enhanced charge extraction for efficient perovskite solar cells

An electron transport layer (ETL) with excellent conductivity and charge extraction ability plays a vital role in accelerating charge extraction and transportation for achieving highly efficient planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, amino-rich carbon quantum dots (shortened as ACDs hereafter) with multi-roles are developed and introduced into SnO2 precursor solution to enhance the photoelectric properties of SnO2. First, the conductivity and the Fermi energy level of SnO2 are improved via electron injection from ACDs. With the help of ACDs, the conductivity of SnO2:ACDs is increased from 2.77 × 10−2 mS/cm2 to 6.56 × 10−2 mS/cm2 under illumination, which contribute to efficient charge transport and collection within PSC device. Secondly, the amino functional groups on the surface of ACDs promote the saturated growth of perovskite grain, forming high-quality photoactive layers. When deposited on the SnO2:ACDs, the average gain size of perovskite film is increased from 0.86 μm to 1.1 μm. These outstanding properties greatly accelerate the charge extraction and reduce the trap density within the perovskite layer. As a result, the PSC with ACDs exhibit a champion efficiency of 22.02 % compared with 20.33 % of the control device, and the device stability is also significantly improved.

Multifunctional Polymer Restraint of the Agglomeration of SnO2 Nanocrystals for Efficient and Stable Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

The aggregation of SnO2 nanocrystals due to van der Waals interactions is not conducive to the realization of a compact and pinhole-free electron transport layer (ETL). Herein, we have utilized potassium alginate (PA) to self-assemble SnO2 nanocrystals, forming a PA-SnO2 ETL for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, PA can be effectively absorbed onto the surface of SnO2. This inhibits the agglomeration of SnO2 nanocrystals in solution, forming a smoother pinhole-free film. This also changes the surface contact potential (CPD) of the SnO2 film, which leads to a reduction in the energy barrier between the ETL and the perovskite layers, promotes effective charge transfer, and reduces trap density. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs with a PA-SnO2 ETL increased from 19.24% to 22.16%, and the short-circuit current (JSC) was enhanced from 23.52 to 25.21 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the PA-modified unpackaged device demonstrates better humidity stability compared to the original device.

Highly efficient and durable planar carbon-based perovskite solar cells enabled by polystyrene modified hole-transporting layers

The efficiency and durability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are closely related to the property and stability of each functional layer involved in device. Owing to the excellent hole transport properties, the additive-doped Spiro-OMeTAD (2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis (N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine) 9,9′-spirobifluorene) has become an excellent hole-transporting material for obtaining highly efficient PSCs. However, the hygroscopic nature of additives and the pinholes caused by poor film-forming capability inevitably impair the performance and long-term stability of Spiro-OMeTAD and the resulting PSCs. In this study, the hydrophobic polymer polystyrene (PS) was incorporated to improve the hydrophobicity and film-forming capability of the additive-doped Spiro-OMeTAD films. Based on the PS-modified Spiro-OMeTAD and carbon electrodes, the derived planar carbon-based PSCs exhibited significantly enhanced long-term stability, which can maintain 92% of its initial efficiency after aging for 2500 h under ambient atmosphere without encapsulation. In addition, the PS-modified Spiro-OMeTAD exhibited improved morphology with reduced pinholes, contributing to significantly enhanced interfacial carrier transport. Finally, a champion power conversion efficiency of 21.06% was obtained, which is one of the highest efficiencies reported for the planar carbon-based PSCs to date.

Preparation of Zn2+ doped NiCo2O4: Hole transport layer for high performance of perovskite solar cells

Inorganic hole transport materials (HTMs) play an important role for the stability and efficiency of planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Among the numerous inorganic HTMs, NiCo2O4 with its excellent performance is the emerging candidate for hole transport layers (HTLs) and is attracting increasing attention. However, the low electrical conductivity and optical transmittance of NiCo2O4 severely limit the device performance. Herein, the Zn2+ was used to dope NiCo2O4 to improve the electrical conductivity and optical transmittance of NiCo2O4. And the effects of the concentration of Zn2+ on the morphology, structure and properties of NiCo2O4 were investigated. The morphology and transparency of ZnxNi1-xCo2O4 would not be affected when the concentration of Zn2+ is below 0.1, but when it is up to 0.15 and 0.2, the morphology of NiCo2O4 clustered together or showed a diamond-shaped block, and the optical transmittance also decreased significantly. Meanwhile, with the increase of doping amount, the conductivity and hole mobility are gradually increased. As a result, the optimal concentration of Zn2+ is 0.1. Besides, the Zn0.1Ni0.9Co2O4 possessed a significant improvement in hole extraction and better band alignment compared to the NiCo2O4. And hence, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs fabricated in open air is up to 13.41% by using Zn0.1Ni0.9Co2O4. This work develops a potential strategy for developing highly efficient and stable PSCs, opens up a new horizon for the development of inorganic HTMs.

Unraveling the Mechanism of Alkali Metal Fluoride Post-Treatment of SnO2 for Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

The facile synthesis and beneficial properties of tin oxide have driven the development of efficient planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To increase the PSC performance, alkali salts are used to treat the SnO2 surface to minimize the defect states. However, the underlying mechanism of alkali cations' role in the PSCs needs further exploration. Herein the effect of alkali fluoride salts (KF, RbF, and CsF) on the properties of SnO2 and PSC performance is investigated. The results show different alkali have significant roles depending on their nature. Larger cations Cs+ preferably locate at the SnO2 film surface to passivate surface defects and enhance conductivity, while smaller cations like Rb+ or K+ cations tend to diffuse into the perovskite layer to reduce trap density of the material. The former effect leads to enhanced fill factor while the latter effect increases the open circuit voltage of the device. It is then demonstrated that a dual cation post-treatment of the SnO2 layer with RbF and CsF achieves PSC with a significantly higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.66% compared to pristine PSC with a PCE of 19.71%. This highlights the significance of defect engineering of SnO2 using selective multiple alkali treatment to improve PSC performance.

Synergistic Optimization of Buried Interface by Multifunctional Organic–Inorganic Complexes for Highly Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

HighlightsHighly performed perovskite solar cells are achieved via introducing organic–inorganic CL–NH complex as multifunctional interfacial layer.CL–NH complex not only reduces oxygen vacancies on the surface of SnO2 but also regulates film crystallization, resulting in a superior device efficiency of 23.69%.The resulting device performs excellent stability with 91.5% initial power conversion efficiency retained after 500 h light illumination.

Multifunctional Aminoglycoside Antibiotics Modified SnO2 Enabling High Efficiency and Mechanical Stability Perovskite Solar Cells

AbstractSnO2 as an electron transport layer (ETL) has been widely used in regular planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) owing to its high optical transmittance, less photocatalytic activity, and low‐temperature processing. However, SnO2‐based PSCs still face many challenges which greatly impair their efficiency and stability of PSCs. Herein, a novel and effective multifunctional modification strategy is proposed by incorporating streptomycin sulfate (STRS) molecules with multiple functional groups into SnO2 ETL. STRS can significantly suppress SnO2 nanoparticle agglomeration, improve the electronic property of SnO2, as well as reduce nonradiative recombination. At the same time, interfacial residual tensile stress is released and the interfacial energy level alignment becomes more matched. As a result, the STRS‐modified PSCs achieve a higher efficiency of 22.89% compared to 20.61% of the control device and exhibit a hysteresis‐free feature. The humidity and thermal stability of PSCs based on STRS‐SnO2 are significantly improved. Furthermore, the efficiency of flexible devices increased from 19.74% to 20.79%, and the devices still maintain >80% of initial PCE after 4500 bending cycles with a bend radius of 5 mm. This study provides a low‐cost, facile, and efficient strategy for achieving high efficiency and stability in PSCs.

A facile surface trap passivation of perovskite absorber enabled by tetrabenzocorrolazine dye for efficient and stable planar perovskite solar cells

The trap-site passivation of perovskite absorbers is very important for reducing charge recombination and resultant energy loss in high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To achieve the successful role of a passivating agent, an appropriate molecular design strategy with specific functional groups should be considered for effective passivation of the defective antisites on the surface of perovskite absorber layers. Here, we designed a tetrabenzocorrolazine phosphorus dye (RC1), that is capable of electron-donating properties with a hydroxyl functionalization, as a multi-functional passivation agent for high-performance PSCs. It is found that the surface properties of the perovskite absorber were stabilized as RC1 interacts with Pb2+ and Cs + cations of the perovskite lattice, providing much improved optoelectronic properties and their charge extraction/collection capability. Moreover, the RC1-passivation successfully reduced carrier recombination and internal energy loss, leading to hysteresis-free power conversion efficiency of 18.922% (14.466% for the control device). The RC1 also retains long-term stability for 2000 h with only 10% efficiency loss of the fresh device. Thus, this study demonstrates a successful passivating capability of functionalized tetrabenzocorrolazine phosphorus dye for high-performance PSCs.

Dual-interface modification strategy via tautomeric UV absorber for efficient and UV stable planar perovskite solar cells

Dual-interface modification strategy via tautomeric UV absorber for efficient and UV stable planar perovskite solar cells

Multifunctional Small Molecule as Buried Interface Passivator for Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

AbstractThe improvement of power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of the perovskite solar cell (PSC) is hindered by carrier recombination originating from the defects at the buried interface of the PSC. It is crucial to suppress the nonradiative recombination and facilitate carrier transfer in PSC via interface engineering. Herein, P‐biguanylbenzoic acid hydrochloride (PBGH) is developed to modify the tin oxide (SnO2)/perovskite interface. The effects of PBGH on carrier transportation, perovskite growth, defect passivation, and PSC performance are systematically investigated. On the one hand, the PBGH can effectively passivate the trap states of Sn dangling bonds and O vacancies on the SnO2 surface via Lewis acid/base coordination, which is conducive to improving the conductivity of SnO2 film and accelerating the electron extraction. On the other hand, PBGH modification assists the formation of high‐quality perovskite film with low defect density due to its strong interaction with PbI2. Consequently, the PBGH‐modified PSC exhibits a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.79%, which is one of the highest PCEs among all the FACsPbI3‐based PSCs reported to date. In addition, the stabilities of perovskite films and devices under high temperature/humidity and light illumination conditions are also systematically studied.

Buried Interface Regulation by Bio-Functional Molecules for Efficient and Stable Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

Among the factors that lead to the reduction of the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) the difficulty involved in realizing a high-quality film and the efficient charge transfer that takes place at the interface between electron-transport layer (ETL) and perovskite is worth mentioning. Here, a strategy for planar-type devices by natural bio-functional interfaces that uses a buried electron-transport layer made of cobalamin complexed tin oxide (SnO2 @B12 ) is demonstrated. Having systematically investigated the effects of SnO2 @B12 interfacial layer in perovskite solar cells, it can be concluded that cobalamin can chemically link the SnO2 layer and the perovskite layer, resulting in improved perovskite film quality and interfacial defect passivation. Utilizing SnO2 @B12 improves the efficiency of planar-type PSCs by 20.60 %. Furthermore, after 250 h of exposure to an ambient atmosphere, unsealed PSCs containing SnO2 @B12 degrade by 10 %. This research provides a viable method for developing bio-functional molecules that will increase the effectiveness and durability of planar-perovskite solar cells.