Manipulated Crystallization and Passivated Defects for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells via Addition of Ammonium Iodide

Healing the Buried Interface by a Plant-Derived Green Passivator for Carbon-Based CsPbIBr2 Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted extensive attention in photovoltaic applications owing to their superior efficiency, and the buried interface plays a significant role in determining the efficiency and stability of PSCs. Herein, a plant-derived small molecule, ergothioneine (ET), is adopted to heal the defective buried interface of CsPbIBr2-based PSC to improve power conversion efficiency (PCE). Because of the strong interaction between Lewis base groups (-C═O and -C═S) in ET and uncoordinated Pb2+ in the perovskite film from the theoretical simulations and experimental results, the defect density of the CsPbIBr2 perovskite film is significantly reduced, and therefore, the nonradiative recombination in the corresponding device is simultaneously suppressed. Consequently, the target device achieves a high PCE of 11.13% with an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.325 V for hole-free, carbon-based CsPbIBr2 PSCs and 14.56% with a VOC of 1.308 V for CsPbI2Br PSCs. Furthermore, because of the increased ion migration energy, the detrimental phase segregation in this mixed-halide perovskite is weakened, delivering excellent long-term stability for the unencapsulated device in ambient conditions over 70 days with a 96% retention rate of initial efficiency.

Perovskite single-crystal thin films: preparation, surface engineering, and application

Perovskite single-crystal thin films (SCTFs) have emerged as a significant research hotspot in the field of optoelectronic devices owing to their low defect state density, long carrier diffusion length, and high environmental stability. However, the large-area and high-throughput preparation of perovskite SCTFs is limited by significant challenges in terms of reducing surface defects and manufacturing high-performance devices. This review focuses on the advances in the development of perovskite SCTFs with a large area, controlled thickness, and high quality. First, we provide an in-depth analysis of the mechanism and key factors that affect the nucleation and crystallization process and then classify the methods of preparing perovskite SCTFs. Second, the research progress on surface engineering for perovskite SCTFs is introduced. Third, we summarize the applications of perovskite SCTFs in photovoltaics, photodetectors, light-emitting devices, artificial synapse and field-effect transistor. Finally, the development opportunities and challenges in commercializing perovskite SCTFs are discussed.

Multi-functional Strategy: Ammonium Citrate-Modified SnO2 ETL for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

The tin oxide (SnO₂) electron transport layer (ETL) plays a crucial role in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the heterogeneous dispersion of commercial SnO₂ colloidal precursors is far from optimized, resulting in dissatisfied device performance with SnO₂ ETL. Herein, a multifunctional modification material, ammonium citrate (TAC), is used to modify the SnO₂ ETL, bringing four benefits: (1) due to the electrostatic interaction between TAC molecules and SnO₂ colloidal particles, more uniformly dispersed colloidal particles are obtained; (2) the TAC molecules distributed on the surface of SnO₂ provide nucleation sites for the perovskite film growth, promoting the vertical growth of the perovskite crystal; (3) TAC-doped SnO₂ shows higher electron conductivity and better film quality than pristine SnO₂ while offering better energy-level alignment with the perovskite layer; and (4) TAC has functional groups of C═O and N-H containing lone pair electrons, which can passivate the defects on the surface of SnO₂ and perovskite films through chemical bonding and inhibit the device hysteresis. In the end, the device based on TAC-doped ETL achieved an increased power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.58 from 19.75% of the reference without such treatment. Meanwhile, the PSCs using the TAC-doped SnO₂ as the ETL maintained 88% of their initial PCE after being stored for about 1000 h under dark conditions and controlled RH of 10-25%.

2,2'-Dihydroxy-4,4'-dimethoxy-benzophenon as Bifunctional Additives for Passivated Defects and Improved Photostability of Efficient Perovskite Photovoltaics

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have developed rapidly in the past decade, but their commercial applications are restricted by further improvement in their photovoltaic performance and stability. Herein, we propose a facile and effective method employing 2,2'-dihydroxy-4,4'-dimethoxy-benzophenon (BP6) as bifunctional additive to construct efficient and photostable PSCs. BP6, as an additive, improves the crystallization quality of perovskite absorbers and further inhibits defect-mediated non-radiative recombination through interaction between the C═O group and defects; as a UV absorber, BP6 protects the PSCs from UV degradation by effectively absorbing UV light through molecular tautomerism under continuous strong UV irradiation. Eventually, the champion PSC demonstrates an efficiency of 22.85% with enhanced UV stability after addition of 0.024 wt % BP6. These results reveal that addition of UV absorbers (such as BP6 in this study) is a simple and effective strategy to fabricate efficient and photostable PSCs.

Enhanced Thermal Stability of Planar Perovskite Solar Cells Through Triphenylphosphine Interface Passivation

While extensive research has driven the rapid efficiency trajectory noted to date for organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs), their thermal stability remains one of the key issues hindering their commercialization. Herein, a significant reduction in surface defects (a precursor to perovskite instability) could be attained by introducing triphenylphosphine (TPP), an effective Lewis base passivator, to the vulnerable perovskite/spiro-OMeTAD interface. Not only did TPP passivation enable a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.22 % to be achieved, these devices also exhibited superior ambient and thermal stability. Unlike the pristine device, which exhibited a sharp descend to 16 % of its initial PCE on storing in relative humidity of 10 %, at 85 °C for more than 720 h, the TPP-passivated devices retained 71 % of its initial PCE. Hence, this study presents a facile yet excellent approach to attain high-performing yet thermally stable PSCs.