1
|
Zang L, Zhao C, Hu X, Tao J, Chen S, Chu J. Emerging Trends in Electron Transport Layer Development for Stable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2400807. [PMID: 38573941 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202400807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) stand at the forefront of photovoltaic research, with current efficiencies surpassing 26.1%. This review critically examines the role of electron transport materials (ETMs) in enhancing the performance and longevity of PSCs. It presents an integrated overview of recent advancements in ETMs, like TiO2, ZnO, SnO2, fullerenes, non-fullerene polymers, and small molecules. Critical challenges are regulated grain structure, defect passivation techniques, energy level alignment, and interfacial engineering. Furthermore, the review highlights innovative materials that promise to redefine charge transport in PSCs. A detailed comparison of state-of-the-art ETMs elucidates their effectiveness in different perovskite systems. This review endeavors to inform the strategic enhancement and development of n-type electron transport layers (ETLs), delineating a pathway toward the realization of PSCs with superior efficiency and stability for potential commercial deployment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lele Zang
- Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Chunhu Zhao
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbon Neutrality and Intelligent, School of Resource & Environment, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha, 410205, China
| | - Xiaobo Hu
- Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jiahua Tao
- Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing, 401120, China
| | - Shaoqiang Chen
- Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Junhao Chu
- Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tui R, Sui H, Mao J, Sun X, Chen H, Duan Y, Yang P, Tang Q, He B. Round-comb Fe 2O 3@SnO 2 heterostructures enable efficient light harvesting and charge extraction for high-performance all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 640:918-927. [PMID: 36907152 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
The precise design of an electron transport layer (ETL) to improve the light-harvesting and quality of perovskite (PVK) film plays a crucial role in the photovoltaic performance of n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, a novel three-dimensional (3D) round-comb Fe2O3@SnO2 heterostructure composites with high conductivity and electron mobility induced by its Type-II band alignment and matched lattice spacing is prepared and employed as an efficient mesoporous ETL for all-inorganic CsPbBr3 PSCs. Arising from the multiple light scattering sites provided by the 3D round-comb structure, the diffuse reflectance of Fe2O3@SnO2 composites is increased to improve the light absorption of the deposited PVK film. Besides, the mesoporous Fe2O3@SnO2 ETL affords not only more active surface for sufficient exposure to the CsPbBr3 precursor solution but also a wettable surface to reduce the barrier for heterogeneous nucleation, which realizes the regulated growth of a high-quality PVK film with less undesired defect. Hence, both the light-harvesting capability, the photoelectrons transport and extraction are improved, and the charge recombination is restrained, delivering an optimized power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.23 % with a high short-circuit current density of 7.88 mA cm-2 for the c-TiO2/Fe2O3@SnO2 ETL based all-inorganic CsPbBr3 PSCs. Moreover, under lasting erosion at 25 °C and 85 % RH for 30 days and light-soaking (AM 1.5G) for 480 h in air atmosphere, the unencapsulated-device shows superiorly persistent durability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Tui
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Haojie Sui
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Jingwei Mao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Xuemiao Sun
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Haiyan Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Yanyan Duan
- State Centre for International Cooperation on Designer Low-Carbon and Environmental Material (SCICDLCEM), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China
| | - Peizhi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technique & Preparation for Renewable Energy Materials, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, PR China
| | - Qunwei Tang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, PR China
| | - Benlin He
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gagliardi S, Rondino F, Paoletti C, Falconieri M. On the Morphology of Nanostructured TiO 2 for Energy Applications: The Shape of the Ubiquitous Nanomaterial. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:2608. [PMID: 35957039 PMCID: PMC9370519 DOI: 10.3390/nano12152608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Nanostructured titania is one of the most commonly encountered constituents of nanotechnology devices for use in energy-related applications, due to its intrinsic functional properties as a semiconductor and to other favorable characteristics such as ease of production, low toxicity and chemical stability, among others. Notwithstanding this diffusion, the quest for improved understanding of the physical and chemical mechanisms governing the material properties and thus its performance in devices is still active, as testified by the large number of dedicated papers that continue to be published. In this framework, we consider and analyze here the effects of the material morphology and structure in determining the energy transport phenomena as cross-cutting properties in some of the most important nanophase titania applications in the energy field, namely photovoltaic conversion, hydrogen generation by photoelectrochemical water splitting and thermal management by nanofluids. For these applications, charge transport, light transport (or propagation) and thermal transport are limiting factors for the attainable performances, whose dependence on the material structural properties is reviewed here on its own. This work aims to fill the gap existing among the many studies dealing with the separate applications in the hope of stimulating novel cross-fertilization approaches in this research field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mauro Falconieri
- ENEA, The Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, C.R. Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (S.G.); (F.R.); (C.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have captured the attention of the global energy research community in recent years by showing an exponential augmentation in their performance and stability. The supremacy of the light-harvesting efficiency and wider band gap of perovskite sensitizers have led to these devices being compared with the most outstanding rival silicon-based solar cells. Nevertheless, there are some issues such as their poor lifetime stability, considerable J–V hysteresis, and the toxicity of the conventional constituent materials which restrict their prevalence in the marketplace. The poor stability of PSCs with regard to humidity, UV radiation, oxygen and heat especially limits their industrial application. This review focuses on the in-depth studies of different direct and indirect parameters of PSC device instability. The mechanism for device degradation for several parameters and the complementary materials showing promising results are systematically analyzed. The main objective of this work is to review the effectual strategies of enhancing the stability of PSCs. Several important factors such as material engineering, novel device structure design, hole-transporting materials (HTMs), electron-transporting materials (ETMs), electrode materials preparation, and encapsulation methods that need to be taken care of in order to improve the stability of PSCs are discussed extensively. Conclusively, this review discusses some opportunities for the commercialization of PSCs with high efficiency and stability.
Collapse
|
5
|
Kim DI, Lee JW, Jeong RH, Boo JH. A high-efficiency and stable perovskite solar cell fabricated in ambient air using a polyaniline passivation layer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:697. [PMID: 35027581 PMCID: PMC8758721 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04547-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past number of years, the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells has remained at 25.5%, reflecting a respectable result for the general incorporation of organometallic trihalide perovskite solar cells. However, perovskite solar cells still suffer from long-term stability issues. Perovskite decomposes upon exposure to moisture, thermal, and UV-A light. Studies related to this context have remained ongoing. Recently, research was mainly conducted on the stability of perovskite against non-radiative recombination. This study improved a critical instability in perovskite solar cells arising from non-radiative recombination and UV-A light using a passivation layer. The passivation layer comprised a polyaniline (PANI) polymer as an interfacial modifier inserted between the active layer and the electron transport layer. Accordingly, the UV-A light did not reach the active layer and confined the Pb2+ ions at PANI passivation layer. This study optimized the perovskite solar cells by controlling the concentration, thickness and drying conditions of the PANI passivation layer. As a result, the efficiency of the perovskite solar cell was achieved 15.1% and showed over 84% maintain in efficiency in the ambient air for one month using the 65 nm PANI passivation layer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dong In Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea
| | - Ji Won Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea
- Institute of Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea
| | - Rak Hyun Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea
- Institute of Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea
| | - Jin-Hyo Boo
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea.
- Institute of Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Vasilopoulou M, Soultati A, Filippatos PP, Mohd Yusoff ARB, Nazeeruddin MK, Palilis LC. Charge transport materials for mesoscopic perovskite solar cells. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C 2022; 10:11063-11104. [DOI: 10.1039/d2tc00828a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
An overview on recent advances in the fundamental understanding of how interfaces of mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (mp-PSCs) with different architectures, upon incorporating various charge transport layers, influence their performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vasilopoulou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Attica, Greece
| | - Anastasia Soultati
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Attica, Greece
| | - Petros-Panagis Filippatos
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Attica, Greece
- Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK
| | - Abd. Rashid bin Mohd Yusoff
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Mohhamad Khadja Nazeeruddin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de l’Industrie 17, CH-1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Recent Progress and Challenges of Electron Transport Layers in Organic–Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells. ENERGIES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/en13215572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Organic–inorganic perovskites are crystalline light absorbers which are gaining great attraction from the photovoltaic community. Surprisingly, the power conversion efficiencies of these perovskite solar cells have rapidly increased by over 25% in 2019, which is comparable to silicon solar cells. Despite the many advances in efficiency, there are still many areas to be improved to increase the efficiency and stability of commercialization. For commercialization and enhancement of applicability, the development of electron transport layer (ETL) and its interface for low temperature processes and efficient charge transfer are very important. In particular, understanding the ETL and its interface is of utmost importance, and when this understanding has been made enough, excellent research results have been published that can improve the efficiency and stability of the device. Here, we review the progress of perovskite solar cells. Especially we discuss recent important development of perovskite deposition method and its engineering as well as the electron transport layer.
Collapse
|
8
|
Hameed M, Mahmood K, Imran M, Nawaz F, Mehran MT. Co-axial electrospray: a versatile tool to fabricate hybrid electron transporting materials for high efficiency and stable perovskite photovoltaics. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2019; 1:1297-1304. [PMID: 36132598 PMCID: PMC9419739 DOI: 10.1039/c8na00409a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We report a cost-effective and simple co-axial electrospray technique to fabricate a hybrid electron transporting material (ETM) consisting of a nanocomposite of hierarchically structured TiO2 nanobeads (NBs) blended with ZnO nanofibers (NFs), namely ZnO NFs + TiO2 NBs, for the first time ever. Owing to its large surface area, highly porous nature and fast electron transport, the hybrid ETM is further used in methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3)-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The optimized cells utilizing the hybrid ETM exhibit a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCEmax) of 20.27%, the highest efficiency reported thus far for hybrid ETMs. Moreover, negligible hysteresis and highly reproducible values of PCE are observed for such cells. The PCE of devices based on the ZnO NF + TiO2 NB hybrid ETM is found to be far superior to that of only ZnO NF and hierarchically structured TiO2 NB-based ETMs. Light-induced transient measurement shows that the significantly rapid electron diffusion and longer electron lifetime of the ZnO NF + TiO2 NB hybrid ETM than of only ZnO NF and hierarchically structured TiO2 NB-based ETMs contribute to the enhanced efficiency in PSCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madsar Hameed
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus 3½ Km. Khurrianwala, Makkuana By-Pass Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Khalid Mahmood
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus 3½ Km. Khurrianwala, Makkuana By-Pass Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences Islamabad Pakistan
| | - Faisal Nawaz
- Department of Humanities & Basic Sciences, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus 3½ Km. Khurrianwala, Makkuana By-Pass Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Taqi Mehran
- School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) H-12 Islamabad Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mahmood K, Khalid A, Shahzad Zafar M, Rehman F, Hameed M, Mehran MT. Enhanced efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells using polymer-coated bilayer zinc oxide nanocrystals as the multifunctional electron‐transporting layer. J Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 538:426-432. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
10
|
Rehman F, Mahmood K, Khalid A, Zafar MS, Hameed M. Solution-processed barium hydroxide modified boron-doped ZnO bilayer electron transporting materials: Toward stable perovskite solar cells with high efficiency of over 20.5. J Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 535:353-362. [PMID: 30316122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
ZnO as an electron transporting material (ETM) in perovskite solar cells has many benefits, including low temperature processability and high mobility. We explore here for the first time, hysteresis-less mesostructured perovskite solar cells with an incredible steady-state efficiency of 20.62% particularly enhancement of the device stability. We anticipated a device structure consisting of a novel fully-solution-processed and low-temperature barium hydroxide hybridized boron-doped ZnO (B:ZnO) bilayer film as electron transport material (ETM). We modify the design of ETMs with reduced trap states density is very crucial to obtain highly stabilized power conversion efficiency (PCE) and adjustable architectures in perovskite solar cells which should produce an impact on emerging highly efficient devices and their future commercialization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faisal Rehman
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus, 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Mahmood
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus, 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Arshi Khalid
- Department of Humanities & Basic Sciences, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus, 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shahzad Zafar
- SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Seobu-Ro, Jangan-Gu, Suwon-Si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Madsar Hameed
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus, 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li W, Elzatahry A, Aldhayan D, Zhao D. Core-shell structured titanium dioxide nanomaterials for solar energy utilization. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:8203-8237. [PMID: 30137079 DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00443a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Because of its unmatched resource potential, solar energy utilization currently is one of the hottest research areas. Much effort has been devoted to developing advanced materials for converting solar energy into electricity, solar fuels, active chemicals, or heat. Among them, TiO2 nanomaterials have attracted much attention due to their unique properties such as low cost, nontoxicity, good stability and excellent optical and electrical properties. Great progress has been made, but research opportunities are still present for creating new nanostructured TiO2 materials. Core-shell structured nanomaterials are of great interest as they provide a platform to integrate multiple components into a functional system, showing improved or new physical and chemical properties, which are unavailable from the isolated components. Consequently, significant effort is underway to design, fabricate and evaluate core-shell structured TiO2 nanomaterials for solar energy utilization to overcome the remaining challenges, for example, insufficient light absorption and low quantum efficiency. This review strives to provide a comprehensive overview of major advances in the synthesis of core-shell structured TiO2 nanomaterials for solar energy utilization. This review starts from the general protocols to construct core-shell structured TiO2 nanomaterials, and then discusses their applications in photocatalysis, water splitting, photocatalytic CO2 reduction, solar cells and photothermal conversion. Finally, we conclude with an outlook section to offer some insights on the future directions and prospects of core-shell structured TiO2 nanomaterials and solar energy conversion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, iChEM and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lee KM, Hou MY, Suryanarayanan V, Wu MC. Sequential Preparation of Dual-Layer Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Films for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells. CHEMSUSCHEM 2018; 11:3234-3242. [PMID: 30022626 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201801249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A dual-layer fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) film has been fabricated by means of sequential spray pyrolysis for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The H-FTO/L-FTO dual layer film consists of a H-FTO layer prepared at high deposition temperature (≈450 °C) and a L-FTO layer, fabricated at low deposition temperature (≈150 °C), which is used to replace the traditional compact TiO2 /FTO layer. The effects of F/Sn molar ratio, precursor solution concentration, and deposition temperature on the electrical, optical, surface morphological, and grain structural characteristics of H-FTO layers have been studied systematically. With an increase in precursor solution concentration, the mobility and carrier concentration of H-FTO increases; however, the grain size and sheet resistance decreases as the precursor solution concentration increases. A high deposition temperature results in a large grain size and enhanced haze value. The L-FTO layer expresses compact layer growth, inconsistent with the H-FTO surface structure, and possesses excellent electron collection and transport efficiency. The effect of the hole-blocking characteristics of L-FTO on the PSC performance is studied. This study provides a novel dual-layer FTO film to replace the traditional compact TiO2 /FTO layer, which is usually prepared by coating TiO2 precursor on FTO following calcination at 450 °C. The H-FTO/L-FTO dual-layer film can simplify the fabrication process and maintain a high power conversion efficiency (PCE); this results in more efficient electron transportation and blocking of holes. The champion device of PSCs with H-FTO/L-FTO shows the highest PCE of 17.37 % under the illumination of 100 mW cm-2 (AM1.5G).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Mu Lee
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan
- Center for Reliability Sciences and Technologies, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Min-Yao Hou
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Vembu Suryanarayanan
- Electro Organic Division, Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, 630 006, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ming-Chung Wu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan
- Center for Reliability Sciences and Technologies, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Yoon S, Ha TJ, Kang DW. Improving the performance and reliability of inverted planar perovskite solar cells with a carbon nanotubes/PEDOT:PSS hybrid hole collector. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:9754-9761. [PMID: 28678254 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02404e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Adopting an efficient charge transport layer is crucial to improve the photovoltaic (PV) performances of organo-lead halide perovskite (PRV) solar cells. In this study, we suggest a novel hybrid hole-transport layer (HTL) consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) for inverted-planar PRV devices. The SWNTs were drop-cast on ITO/glass substrates, and they were partly grown perpendicular to the substrates. Then, we coated PEDOT:PSS to cover the SWNTs for complete electron-blocking. A PRV light-harvester was spin-cast on the hybrid HTL, and the vertical SWNTs protruded into the PRV through penetrating the PEDOT:PSS. Steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy evidenced that the SWNTs/PEDOT:PSS hybrid HTL showed enhanced charge-carrier quenching properties. The hybrid HTL also revealed negligible parasitic absorption loss checked by UV-Vis spectroscopy. These contributed to improve the average power conversion efficiency from 9.4% to 11.0% (up to 12.5% for the best cell) based on fabricated 90 devices. Furthermore, significant suppression of current-voltage hysteresis was attained by employing the hybrid HTL. This study not only manifests unprecedented utilization of the SWNTs for the HTL in inverted planar PRV cells but also paves the way for the development of high-performance and reliable PRV solar cells compatible with flexible processing at low temperature (<150 °C).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saemon Yoon
- Dept. of Solar & Energy Engineering, Cheongju University, Cheongju 363-764, Republic of Korea.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Huang F, Pascoe AR, Wu WQ, Ku Z, Peng Y, Zhong J, Caruso RA, Cheng YB. Effect of the Microstructure of the Functional Layers on the Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1601715. [PMID: 28225146 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201601715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The efficiencies of the hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells have been rapidly approaching the benchmarks held by the leading thin-film photovoltaic technologies. Arguably, one of the most important factors leading to this rapid advancement is the ability to manipulate the microstructure of the perovskite layer and the adjacent functional layers within the device. Here, an analysis of the nucleation and growth models relevant to the formation of perovskite films is provided, along with the effect of the perovskite microstructure (grain sizes and voids) on device performance. In addition, the effect of a compact or mesoporous electron-transport-layer (ETL) microstructure on the perovskite film formation and the optical/photoelectric properties at the ETL/perovskite interface are overviewed. Insight into the formation of the functional layers within a perovskite solar cell is provided, and potential avenues for further development of the perovskite microstructure are identified.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fuzhi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies for Materials Synthesis and Processing, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Alexander R Pascoe
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Wu-Qiang Wu
- Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Zhiliang Ku
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies for Materials Synthesis and Processing, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies for Materials Synthesis and Processing, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jie Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies for Materials Synthesis and Processing, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Rachel A Caruso
- Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Yi-Bing Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies for Materials Synthesis and Processing, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Thakur UK, Kisslinger R, Shankar K. One-Dimensional Electron Transport Layers for Perovskite Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2017; 7:E95. [PMID: 28468280 PMCID: PMC5449976 DOI: 10.3390/nano7050095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The electron diffusion length (Ln) is smaller than the hole diffusion length (Lp) in many halide perovskite semiconductors meaning that the use of ordered one-dimensional (1D) structures such as nanowires (NWs) and nanotubes (NTs) as electron transport layers (ETLs) is a promising method of achieving high performance halide perovskite solar cells (HPSCs). ETLs consisting of oriented and aligned NWs and NTs offer the potential not merely for improved directional charge transport but also for the enhanced absorption of incoming light and thermodynamically efficient management of photogenerated carrier populations. The ordered architecture of NW/NT arrays affords superior infiltration of a deposited material making them ideal for use in HPSCs. Photoconversion efficiencies (PCEs) as high as 18% have been demonstrated for HPSCs using 1D ETLs. Despite the advantages of 1D ETLs, there are still challenges that need to be overcome to achieve even higher PCEs, such as better methods to eliminate or passivate surface traps, improved understanding of the hetero-interface and optimization of the morphology (i.e., length, diameter, and spacing of NWs/NTs). This review introduces the general considerations of ETLs for HPSCs, deposition techniques used, and the current research and challenges in the field of 1D ETLs for perovskite solar cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ujwal K Thakur
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada.
| | - Ryan Kisslinger
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada.
| | - Karthik Shankar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada.
- National Research Council, National Institute for Nanotechnology, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Seo MS, Jeong I, Park JS, Lee J, Han IK, Lee WI, Son HJ, Sohn BH, Ko MJ. Vertically aligned nanostructured TiO2 photoelectrodes for high efficiency perovskite solar cells via a block copolymer template approach. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:11472-11479. [PMID: 27195519 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr01010e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We fabricated perovskite solar cells with enhanced device efficiency based on vertically oriented TiO2 nanostructures using a nanoporous template of block copolymers (BCPs). The dimension and shape controllability of the nanopores of the BCP template allowed for the construction of one-dimensional (1-D) TiO2 nanorods and two-dimensional (2-D) TiO2 nanowalls. The TiO2 nanorod-based perovskite solar cells showed a more efficient charge separation and a lower charge recombination, leading to better performance compared to TiO2 nanowall-based solar cells. The best solar cells employing 1-D TiO2 nanorods showed an efficiency of 15.5% with VOC = 1.02 V, JSC = 20.0 mA cm(-2) and fill factor = 76.1%. Thus, TiO2 nanostructures fabricated from BCP nanotemplates could be applied to the preparation of electron transport layers for improving the efficiency of perovskite solar cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Myung-Seok Seo
- Photo-Electronic Hybrids Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea. and Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
| | - Inyoung Jeong
- Photo-Electronic Hybrids Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea. and Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Korea
| | - Joon-Suh Park
- Materials and Life Science Research Division, Nanophotonics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Jinwoo Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Korea
| | - Il Ki Han
- Materials and Life Science Research Division, Nanophotonics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Wan In Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22201, Korea
| | - Hae Jung Son
- Photo-Electronic Hybrids Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea.
| | - Byeong-Hyeok Sohn
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
| | - Min Jae Ko
- Photo-Electronic Hybrids Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea. and KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chen P, Yin X, Que M, Yang Y, Que W. TiO2 passivation for improved efficiency and stability of ZnO nanorods based perovskite solar cells. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra12126h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We adopted a wet-chemical method to deposit a TiO2 passivation layer on ZnO nanorods, and demonstrated drastically improved photovoltaic performance and device stability of ZnO nanorods based perovskite solar cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Chen
- Electronic Materials Research Laboratory
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education
- International Center for Dielectric Research
- School of Electronic & Information Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
| | - Xingtian Yin
- Electronic Materials Research Laboratory
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education
- International Center for Dielectric Research
- School of Electronic & Information Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
| | - Meidan Que
- Electronic Materials Research Laboratory
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education
- International Center for Dielectric Research
- School of Electronic & Information Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
| | - Yawei Yang
- Electronic Materials Research Laboratory
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education
- International Center for Dielectric Research
- School of Electronic & Information Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
| | - Wenxiu Que
- Electronic Materials Research Laboratory
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education
- International Center for Dielectric Research
- School of Electronic & Information Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Wang BX, Liu TF, Zhou YB, Chen X, Yuan XB, Yang YY, Liu WP, Wang JM, Han HW, Tang YW. Hole-conductor-free perovskite solar cells with carbon counter electrodes based on ZnO nanorod arrays. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:27078-27082. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp04793a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
ZnO/TiO2 NR array is a novelty candidate as an electron collector for hole-conductor-free perovskite solar cells with carbon counter electrodes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B. X. Wang
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| | - T. F. Liu
- Michael Grätzel Center for Mesoscopic Solar Cells
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics
- School of Optical and Electronic Information
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Wuhan
| | - Y. B. Zhou
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| | - X. Chen
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| | - X. B. Yuan
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| | - Y. Y. Yang
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| | - W. P. Liu
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| | - J. M. Wang
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| | - H. W. Han
- Michael Grätzel Center for Mesoscopic Solar Cells
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics
- School of Optical and Electronic Information
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Wuhan
| | - Y. W. Tang
- Institute of Nano-science and Technology
- Central China Normal University
- Wuhan
- China
| |
Collapse
|