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Yin Y, Garcia-Quintana L, Chapsky A, Llusca Jane M, Evans DR. Through thickness anisotropy in all inorganic perovskite thin films via two-step synthesis: implications for voltaic devices. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024. [PMID: 39192707 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc03152k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Cesium-lead-bromide (CsPbBr3) has shown promise in thin film photovoltaics due to its desirable energy band gap, charge mobility and chemical and thermal stability. The low solubility of its single crystal in organic solvents has driven development of the two-step spin-coating technique. In this work, precursor solutions of different PbBr2 and CsBr concentrations were spin-coated and investigated via Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The properties of the CsxPbyBrz film in cross-section demonstrate this method leads to varying stoichiometries, work functions and band gaps through the thickness. This anisotropy of the perovskite thickness has ramifications for design of photovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Yin
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia.
| | - Laura Garcia-Quintana
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia.
| | - Alexandra Chapsky
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide, 5000, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Marta Llusca Jane
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia.
| | - Drew R Evans
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia.
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2
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Farhad SFU, Tanvir NI, Bitu MNA, Hossain E, Mamun MA, Quddus MS, Alam MS, Moniruzzaman M, Nandigana P, Panda SK. Conformal zinc sulfide coating of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods by two-step hydrothermal synthesis on wide bandgap seed layers for lead-free perovskite solar cells. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 35:385704. [PMID: 38838651 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad544a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs) were grown hydrothermally on the wide bandgap (∼3.86 - 4.04 eV) seed layers (SLs) of grain size ∼162 ± 35 nm, prepared using ball-milled derived ZnO powder. The synthesized ZnO NRs were further decorated with ZnS nanocrystals to achieve a ZnO NR-ZnS core-shell (CS)-like nano-scaffolds by a subsequent hydrothermal synthesis at 70 °C for 1 h. UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, x-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) coupled with Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses confirmed the formation of ZnS atop the vertically aligned ZnO NR arrays of ∼1.79 ± 0.17µm length and ∼165 ± 27 nm diameter. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/EDX analyses revealed that vertically aligned ZnO NRs (core dia. ∼181 ± 12 nm) arrays are conformally coated by an ultrathin ZnS (∼25 ± 7 nm) shell layer with a preferential ZnS{111}/ZnO{10-10}-like partial epitaxy. The ZnO NRs exhibited a sharp band edge near ∼384 nm having optical bandgap energy (Eg) of ∼3.23 eV. However, the ZnO NR-ZnS CS exhibited double absorption bands atEg∼ 3.20 eV (ZnO-core) andEg∼ 3.78 eV (ZnS-shell). The ZnS{111}/ZnO{10-10}-nano-scaffolds could be utilized to facilitate the enhanced absorption of UV photons as well as the radial junction formation between the Pb-free perovskite absorber and ZnS/ZnO NRs layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Farid Uddin Farhad
- Energy Conversion and Storage Research (ECSR), Industrial Physics Division (IPD), BCSIR Dhaka Laboratories, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Central Analytical and Research Facilities (CARF), BCSIR, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Nazmul Islam Tanvir
- Energy Conversion and Storage Research (ECSR), Industrial Physics Division (IPD), BCSIR Dhaka Laboratories, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Central Analytical and Research Facilities (CARF), BCSIR, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Nur Amin Bitu
- Energy Conversion and Storage Research (ECSR), Industrial Physics Division (IPD), BCSIR Dhaka Laboratories, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Elius Hossain
- Energy Conversion and Storage Research (ECSR), Industrial Physics Division (IPD), BCSIR Dhaka Laboratories, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Al Mamun
- Atomic Energy Center, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Md Saiful Quddus
- Central Analytical and Research Facilities (CARF), BCSIR, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Shaha Alam
- Central Analytical and Research Facilities (CARF), BCSIR, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Moniruzzaman
- Central Analytical and Research Facilities (CARF), BCSIR, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Pardhasaradhi Nandigana
- EMF Division, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu 630003, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Subhendu K Panda
- EMF Division, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu 630003, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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Purushothaman P, Karpagam S. What Should be Considered While Designing Hole-Transporting Material for Perovskite Solar Cells? A Special Attention to Thiophene-Based Hole-Transporting Materials. Top Curr Chem (Cham) 2024; 382:21. [PMID: 38829461 DOI: 10.1007/s41061-024-00464-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The molecular design and conformations of hole-transporting materials (HTM) have unravelled a strategy to enhance the performance of environmentally sustainable perovskite solar cells (PSC). Several attempts have been made and several are underway for improving the efficiency of PSCs by designing an efficient HTM, which is crucial to preventing corrosion, facilitating effective hole transportation, and preventing charge recombination. There is a need for a potential alternative to the current market-dominating HTM due to its high cost of production, dopant requirements, moisture sensitivity, and low stability. Among several proposed HTMs, molecules derived from thiophene exhibit unique behaviour, such as the interaction with under-coordinated Pb2+, thereby facilitating the passivation of surface defects in the perovskite layer. In addition, coupling a suitable side chain imparts a hydrophobic character, eventually leading to the development of a moisture-sensitive and highly stable PSC. Furthermore, thiophene-backboned polymers with ionic pendants have been employed as an interfacial layer between PSC layers, with the backbone facilitating efficient charge transfer. This perspective article comprehensively presents the design strategy, characterization, and function of HTMs associated with thiophene-derived molecules. Hence, it is observed that thiophene-formulated HTMs have an enhanced passivation effect, good performance in an open-circuit environment, longevity, humidity resistance, thermostability, good hole extraction, and mobility in a dopant-free condition. For a better understanding, the article provides a comparative description of the activity and function of thiophene-based small molecules and polymers and their effect on device performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palani Purushothaman
- Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Subramanian Karpagam
- Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Dharmale N, A A, Srivastava A, Chaudhury S. Performance analysis of un-doped and doped titania (TiO 2 ) as an electron transport layer (ETL) for perovskite solar cells. J Mol Model 2024; 30:154. [PMID: 38691236 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-024-05943-y] [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: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are carried out on pure and doped rutile TiO2 . The bandgap (Eg ) for pristine, S-doped, Fe-doped, and Fe/S co-doped materials is direct, with values of 2.98 eV, 2.18 eV, 1.58 eV, and 1.40 eV. The effective mass of charge carriers (m*) and ratio of effective masses of holes to effective masses of electrons (R) are also investigated, and it is discovered that Fe/S co-doped materials have the lowest charge carrier recombination rate. The Fe/S co-doped material has the highest ε ( ω ) . α ( ω ) of doped materials shifted into the visible range. Due to the high dopant concentration in Fe and Fe/S-doped cases, the Eg is lowered to a relatively small value; hence, only pristine and S-doped materials are verified as electron transport layer (ETL). A solar cell device analysis employing pure and S-doped rutile TiO2 as ETL is completed using DFT-derived parameters in SCAPS-1D modeling software for the first time. For the optimized solar cells, current-voltage (IV) characteristics, quantum efficiency (QE), capacitance-voltage (CV) characteristics, and capacitance-frequency (Cf) characteristics are provided. The aim of the present study is to improve efficiency of perovskite solar cell by doping as well as to improve accuracy of simulation by applying DFT extracted parameters as input. From the analysis, improvement is found in efficiency of doped TiO2 compared to un-doped TiO2 . The efficiency of the PSC with S-doped ETL is 1.418% higher than the PSC with un-doped ETL. METHOD Quantumwise Automistic Tool Kit (ATK) is used to extract DFT parameters. Using these DFT parameters as input in SCAPS-1D (Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator), solar cells for doped and un-doped material are simulated. The density functional theory (DFT)-based orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbital (OLCAO) technique is used. Structural optimization is done using the LBFGS (Limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno). PBESol-GGA (Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof solid-generalized gradient approximation) is applied as exchange correlation for calculating structural parameters, while MGGA-TB09 (meta-generalized gradient approximation-Tran and Blaha) is applied as exchange correlation for calculating optical and electronic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neerja Dharmale
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj College of Engineering, Shegaon, Khamgaon road, Shegaon, 444203, Maharashtra, India.
| | - Aadhityan A
- CNR-ISM, Division of Ultrafast Processes in Materials (FLASHit), National Research Council, Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Via Salaria Km 29.3, Monterotondo Scalo, I-00016, Lazio, Italy.
| | - Ashutosh Srivastava
- School of Computer Science Engineering and Technology, Bennett University, Greater Noida, 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Saurabh Chaudhury
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Cachar, 780010, Assam, India
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Puerto Galvis CE, González Ruiz DA, Martínez-Ferrero E, Palomares E. Challenges in the design and synthesis of self-assembling molecules as selective contacts in perovskite solar cells. Chem Sci 2024; 15:1534-1556. [PMID: 38303950 PMCID: PMC10829004 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04668k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Self-assembling molecules (SAMs), as selective contacts, play an important role in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), determining the performance and stability of these photovoltaic devices. These materials offer many advantages over other traditional materials used as hole-selective contacts, as they can be easily deposited on a large area of metal oxides, can modify the work function of these substrates, and reduce optical and electric losses with low material consumption. However, the most interesting thing about SAMs is that by modifying the chemical structure of the small molecules used, the energy levels, molecular dipoles, and surface properties of this assembled monolayer can be modulated to fine-tune the desired interactions between the substrate and the active layer. Due to the important role of organic chemistry in the field of photovoltaics, in this review, we will cover the current challenges for the design and synthesis of SAMs PSCs. Discussing, the structural features that define a SAM, (ii) disclosing how commercial molecules inspired the synthesis of new SAMs; and (iii) detailing the pros- and cons- of the reported synthetic protocols that have been employed for the synthesis of molecules for SAMs, helping synthetic chemists to develop novel structures and promoting the fast industrialization of PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Puerto Galvis
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) Avda. Països Catalans, 16 Tarragona Spain
| | - Dora A González Ruiz
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) Avda. Països Catalans, 16 Tarragona Spain
- Departament d'Enginyeria Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica., Universitat Rovira i Virgili Avda. Països Catalans, 26 Tarragona Spain
| | | | - Emilio Palomares
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) Avda. Països Catalans, 16 Tarragona Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) Passeig Lluïs Companys, 23 Barcelona Spain
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Afre RA, Pugliese D. Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review of the Latest Advances in Materials, Fabrication Techniques, and Stability Enhancement Strategies. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:192. [PMID: 38398920 PMCID: PMC10890723 DOI: 10.3390/mi15020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are gaining popularity due to their high efficiency and low-cost fabrication. In recent decades, noticeable research efforts have been devoted to improving the stability of these cells under ambient conditions. Moreover, researchers are exploring new materials and fabrication techniques to enhance the performance of PSCs under various environmental conditions. The mechanical stability of flexible PSCs is another area of research that has gained significant attention. The latest research also focuses on developing tin-based PSCs that can overcome the challenges associated with lead-based perovskites. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in materials, fabrication techniques, and stability enhancement strategies for PSCs. It discusses the recent progress in perovskite crystal structure engineering, device construction, and fabrication procedures that has led to significant improvements in the photo conversion efficiency of these solar devices. The article also highlights the challenges associated with PSCs such as their poor stability under ambient conditions and discusses various strategies employed to enhance their stability. These strategies include the use of novel materials for charge transport layers and encapsulation techniques to protect PSCs from moisture and oxygen. Finally, this article provides a critical assessment of the current state of the art in PSC research and discusses future prospects for this technology. This review concludes that PSCs have great potential as a low-cost alternative to conventional silicon-based solar cells but require further research to improve their stability under ambient conditions in view of their definitive commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh A. Afre
- Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology (CoEN), Faculty of Engineering, Assam down town University (AdtU), Guwahati 781026, Assam, India;
| | - Diego Pugliese
- National Institute of Metrological Research (INRiM), Strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Torino, Italy
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Yu X, Ge W, Fan L, Fan B, Peng R, Jin B. C 60-CN: A bifunctional interface modification material for perovskite solar cells. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 650:553-559. [PMID: 37423182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.178] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is regularly used as an electron transport material in n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, massive defects exist on the TiO2 surface, which will lead to serious hysteresis and interface charge recombination of the device, thus affecting the device's efficiency. In this study, a cyano fullerene pyrrolidine derivative (C60-CN) was synthesized and applied to PSCs for the first time to modify the TiO2 electron transport layer. Systematic studies have shown that the addition of the C60-CN modification layer on the TiO2 surface will enlargement the perovskite grain size, improve the perovskite film quality, enhance electron transport, and reduce charge recombination. The C60-CN layer can significantly reduce the density of trap states in the perovskite solar cells. As a result, the PSCs based on C60-CN/TiO2 obtained a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.60%, suppressing the hysteresis and improving the stability, whereas the PCE of the control device using the original TiO2 ETL was lower, 17.19%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Mianyang 621010, PR China; Kunshan GCL Photoelectric Material Ltd. Co, Suzhou 215300, PR China
| | - Wenqi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Mianyang 621010, PR China; Kunshan GCL Photoelectric Material Ltd. Co, Suzhou 215300, PR China
| | - Lisheng Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Mianyang 621010, PR China; Kunshan GCL Photoelectric Material Ltd. Co, Suzhou 215300, PR China
| | - Bing Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Mianyang 621010, PR China; Kunshan GCL Photoelectric Material Ltd. Co, Suzhou 215300, PR China
| | - Rufang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Mianyang 621010, PR China; Kunshan GCL Photoelectric Material Ltd. Co, Suzhou 215300, PR China
| | - Bo Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Mianyang 621010, PR China; Kunshan GCL Photoelectric Material Ltd. Co, Suzhou 215300, PR China.
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Moiz SA, Alshaikh MS, Alahmadi ANM. Simulation Design of Novel Non-Fluorine Polymers as Electron Transport Layer for Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:4387. [PMID: 38006111 PMCID: PMC10675704 DOI: 10.3390/polym15224387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Significant progress has been made in the advancement of perovskite solar cells, but their commercialization remains hindered by their lead-based toxicity. Many non-toxic perovskite-based solar cells have demonstrated potential, such as Cs2AgBi0.75Sb0.25Br6, but their power conversion efficiency is inadequate. To address this issue, some researchers are focusing on emerging acceptor-donor-acceptor'-donor-acceptor (A-DA'D-A)-type non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) for Cs2AgBi0.75Sb0.25Br6 to find effective electron transport layers for high-performance photovoltaic responses with low voltage drops. In this comparative study, four novel A-DA'D-A-type NFAs, BT-LIC, BT-BIC, BT-L4F, and BT-BO-L4F, were used as electron transport layers (ETLs) for the proposed devices, FTO/PEDOT:PSS/Cs2AgBi0.75Sb0.25Br6/ETL/Au. Comprehensive simulations were conducted to optimize the devices. The simulations showed that all optimized devices exhibit photovoltaic responses, with the BT-BIC device having the highest power conversion efficiency (13.2%) and the BT-LIC device having the lowest (6.8%). The BT-BIC as an ETL provides fewer interfacial traps and better band alignment, enabling greater open-circuit voltage for efficient photovoltaic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Abdul Moiz
- Device Simulation Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (M.S.A.); (A.N.M.A.)
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Armstrong PJ, Chapagain S, Panta R, Grapperhaus C, Druffel T. Synthesizing and formulating metal oxide nanoparticle inks for perovskite solar cells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:12248-12261. [PMID: 37751155 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc02830e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The perovskite solar cell has commercial potential due to the low-cost of materials and manufacturing processes with cell efficiencies on par with traditional technologies. Nanomaterials have many properties that make them attractive for the perovskite devices, including low-cost inks, low temperature processing, stable material properties and good charge transport. In this feature article, the use of nanomaterials in the hole transport and electron transport layers are reviewed. Specifically, SnO2 and NiOx are the leading materials with the most promise for translation to large scale applications. The review includes a discussion of the synthesis, formulation, and processing of these nanoparticles and provides insights for their further deployment towards commercially viable perovskite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Armstrong
- University of Louisville, Department of Chemistry, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Sashil Chapagain
- University of Louisville, Department of Chemistry, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Rojita Panta
- University of Louisville, Department of Chemistry, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Craig Grapperhaus
- University of Louisville, Department of Chemistry, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Thad Druffel
- University of Louisville, Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
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Drygała A, Starowicz Z, Gawlińska-Nęcek K, Karolus M, Lipiński M, Jarka P, Matysiak W, Tillová E, Palček P, Tański T. Hybrid Mesoporous TiO 2/ZnO Electron Transport Layer for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cell. Molecules 2023; 28:5656. [PMID: 37570627 PMCID: PMC10419676 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155656] [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: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained major attention as potentially useful photovoltaic technology due to their ever-increasing power-conversion efficiency (PCE). The efficiency of PSCs depends strongly on the type of materials selected as the electron transport layer (ETL). TiO2 is the most widely used electron transport material for the n-i-p structure of PSCs. Nevertheless, ZnO is a promising candidate owing to its high transparency, suitable energy band structure, and high electron mobility. In this investigation, hybrid mesoporous TiO2/ZnO ETL was fabricated for a perovskite solar cell composed of FTO-coated glass/compact TiO2/mesoporous ETL/FAPbI3/2D perovskite/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au. The influence of ZnO nanostructures with different percentage weight contents on the photovoltaic performance was investigated. It was found that the addition of ZnO had no significant effect on the surface topography, structure, and optical properties of the hybrid mesoporous electron-transport layer but strongly affected the electrical properties of PSCs. The best efficiency rate of 18.24% has been obtained for PSCs with 2 wt.% ZnO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Drygała
- Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18a Street, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland;
| | - Zbigniew Starowicz
- Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, Reymonta 25 Street, 30-059 Cracow, Poland; (Z.S.); (K.G.-N.); (M.L.)
| | - Katarzyna Gawlińska-Nęcek
- Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, Reymonta 25 Street, 30-059 Cracow, Poland; (Z.S.); (K.G.-N.); (M.L.)
| | - Małgorzata Karolus
- Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Silesia, 1a 75 Pułku Piechoty Street, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland;
| | - Marek Lipiński
- Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, Reymonta 25 Street, 30-059 Cracow, Poland; (Z.S.); (K.G.-N.); (M.L.)
| | - Paweł Jarka
- Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18a Street, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland;
| | - Wiktor Matysiak
- Scientific and Didactic Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Material Technologies, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Towarowa 7 Street, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland;
| | - Eva Tillová
- Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Žilina, Univerzitná 1 Street, 010 26 Zilina, Slovakia; (E.T.); (P.P.)
| | - Peter Palček
- Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Žilina, Univerzitná 1 Street, 010 26 Zilina, Slovakia; (E.T.); (P.P.)
| | - Tomasz Tański
- Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18a Street, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland;
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Rosales Medina PY, Avelar Muñoz F, Flores Sigala E, Rosales RG, Berumen Torres JA, Araiza Ibarra JDJ, Tototzintle Huitle H, Méndez García VH, Ortega Sigala JJ. Growth of Nanocolumnar TiO 2 Bilayer by Direct Current Reactive Magnetron Sputtering in Glancing-Angle Deposition Configuration for High-Quality Electron Transport Layer. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1483. [PMID: 37630019 PMCID: PMC10456511 DOI: 10.3390/mi14081483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The electron transport layer (ETL) plays a crucial role in solar cell technology, particularly in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), where nanostructured TiO2 films have been investigated as superior ETLs compared to compact TiO2. In this study, we explored the nanocolumnar growth of TiO2 in the anatase phase for bilayer thin films by DC reactive magnetron sputtering (MS) technique and glancing-angle deposition (GLAD). For the growth of the compact TiO2 layer, it was found that the crystalline quality of the films is strongly dependent on the sputtering power, and the samples deposited at 120 and 140 W are those with the best crystalline quality. However, for the nanocolumnar layer, the reactive atmosphere composition determined the best crystalline properties. By optimizing the growth parameters, the formation of TiO2 nanocolumns with a cross-sectional diameter ranging from 50 to 75 nm was achieved. The average thickness of the films exceeded 12.71 ± 0.5 µm. All nanostructured films were grown at a constant GLAD angle of 70°, and after deposition, the measured inclination angle of the nanocolumns is very close to this, having values between 68 and 80°. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between the quality of the initial layer and the enhanced growth of the TiO2 nanocolumns. All bilayer films are highly transparent, allowing light to pass through up to 90%, and present a band gap with values between 3.7 and 3.8 eV. This article offers the experimental parameters for the fabrication of a nanocolumnar TiO2 using the magnetron sputtering technique and the glancing-angle deposition configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perla Yanet Rosales Medina
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
| | - Fernando Avelar Muñoz
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
| | - Elida Flores Sigala
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
| | - Roberto Gómez Rosales
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
| | - Javier Alejandro Berumen Torres
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
| | - José de Jesús Araiza Ibarra
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
| | - Hugo Tototzintle Huitle
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
| | - Víctor Hugo Méndez García
- CIACYT, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Sierra Leona #550-2A, Col. Lomas de San Luis, San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico;
| | - José Juan Ortega Sigala
- Unidad Académica de Física, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Campus Universitario II, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Hidráulica, Zacatecas 98068, Mexico; (F.A.M.); (E.F.S.); (R.G.R.); (J.A.B.T.); (J.d.J.A.I.); (H.T.H.); (J.J.O.S.)
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12
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Podapangi SK, Jafarzadeh F, Mattiello S, Korukonda TB, Singh A, Beverina L, Brown TM. Green solvents, materials, and lead-free semiconductors for sustainable fabrication of perovskite solar cells. RSC Adv 2023; 13:18165-18206. [PMID: 37333793 PMCID: PMC10269851 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01692g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Perovskite materials research has received unprecedented recognition due to its applications in photovoltaics, LEDs, and other large area low-cost electronics. The exceptional improvement in the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) achieved over the last decade has prompted efforts to develop and optimize device fabrication technologies for the industrial and commercial space. However, unstable operation in outdoor environments and toxicity of the employed materials and solvents have hindered this proposition. While their optoelectronic properties are extensively studied, the environmental impacts of the materials and manufacturing methods require further attention. This review summarizes and discusses green and environment-friendly methods for fabricating PSCs, particularly non-toxic solvents, and lead-free alternatives. Greener solvent choices are surveyed for all the solar cell films, (i.e. electron and hole transport, semiconductor, and electrode layers) and their impact on thin film quality, morphology and device performance is explored. We also discuss lead content in perovskites, its environmental impact and sequestration routes, and progress in replacing lead with greener alternatives. This review provides an analysis of sustainable green routes in perovskite solar cell fabrication, discussing the impact of each layer in the device stack, via life cycle analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh K Podapangi
- CHOSE (Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy), Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome-Tor Vergata via del Politecnico 1 00133 Rome Italy
| | - Farshad Jafarzadeh
- CHOSE (Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy), Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome-Tor Vergata via del Politecnico 1 00133 Rome Italy
| | - Sara Mattiello
- Department of Materials Science, State University of Milano-Bicocca Via Cozzi 55 I-20126 Milano Italy
| | - Tulja Bhavani Korukonda
- Department of Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Hauz Khas New Delhi-110016 India
| | - Akash Singh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Luca Beverina
- Department of Materials Science, State University of Milano-Bicocca Via Cozzi 55 I-20126 Milano Italy
| | - Thomas M Brown
- CHOSE (Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy), Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome-Tor Vergata via del Politecnico 1 00133 Rome Italy
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13
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Zakaria Y, Aïssa B, Fix T, Ahzi S, Mansour S, Slaoui A. Moderate temperature deposition of RF magnetron sputtered SnO 2-based electron transporting layer for triple cation perovskite solar cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9100. [PMID: 37277370 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35651-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are still facing the two main challenges of stability and scalability to meet the requirements for their potential commercialization. Therefore, developing a uniform, efficient, high quality and cost-effective electron transport layer (ETL) thin film to achieve a stable PSC is one of the key factors to address these main issues. Magnetron sputtering deposition has been widely used for its high quality thin film deposition as well as its ability to deposit films uniformly on large area at the industrial scale. In this work, we report on the composition, structural, chemical state, and electronic properties of moderate temperature radio frequency (RF) sputtered SnO2. Ar and O2 are employed as plasma-sputtering and reactive gases, respectively. We demonstrate the possibility to grow a high quality and stable SnO2 thin films with high transport properties by reactive RF magnetron sputtering. Our findings show that PSC devices based on the sputtered SnO2 ETL have reached a power conversion efficiency up to 17.10% and an average operational lifetime over 200 h. These uniform sputtered SnO2 thin films with improved characteristics are promising for large photovoltaic modules and advanced optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Zakaria
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 34110, Doha, Qatar
- Laboratoire ICube‑CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67037, Strasbourg, France
| | - B Aïssa
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 34110, Doha, Qatar.
| | - T Fix
- Laboratoire ICube‑CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67037, Strasbourg, France
| | - S Ahzi
- Laboratoire ICube‑CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67037, Strasbourg, France
| | - S Mansour
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 34110, Doha, Qatar
| | - A Slaoui
- Laboratoire ICube‑CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67037, Strasbourg, France
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14
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Moiz SA, Alahmadi ANM, Alshaikh MS. Lead-Free FACsSnI 3 Based Perovskite Solar Cell: Designing Hole and Electron Transport Layer. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:nano13091524. [PMID: 37177069 PMCID: PMC10179919 DOI: 10.3390/nano13091524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, lead-based perovskites solar cells have demonstrated excellent power-conversion efficiency. Despite their remarkable progress, the commercialization of lead-based perovskites is hampered by lead toxicity concerns. The recently discovered non-toxic FACsSnI3 perovskite has the potential to replace lead-based perovskites in solar cell applications. Since the perovskite material FACsSnI3 (FA0.85Cs0.15SnI3) is relatively new, there is a lack of information, particularly regarding the design features required for electron and hole-transport layers for efficient photovoltaic responses. The important variables, such as electron affinity, energy band gap, film thickness, and doping density of both electron and hole-transport layers, were simulated and modeled separately and iteratively in this study to achieve the most efficient photovoltaic response. Finally, the absorber layer thickness of FACsSnI3 perovskite is tuned to achieve a maximum power-conversion efficiency of slightly more than 24%. We hope that the findings of this study will serve as a strong guideline for future research and the design of lead-free perovskite solar cells for efficient photovoltaic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Abdul Moiz
- Device Simulation Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed N M Alahmadi
- Device Simulation Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Saleh Alshaikh
- Device Simulation Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
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15
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Lalpour N, Mirkhani V, Keshavarzi R, Moghadam M, Tangestaninejad S, Mohammadpoor-Baltork I, Gao P. Self-healing perovskite solar cells based on copolymer-templated TiO 2 electron transport layer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6368. [PMID: 37076530 PMCID: PMC10115803 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33473-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Inorganic hole-transport materials (HTMs) such as copper indium disulfide (CIS) have been applied in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to improve the poor stability of the conventional Spiro-based PSCs. However, CIS-PSCs' main drawback is their lower efficiency than Spiro-PSCs. In this work, copolymer-templated TiO2 (CT-TiO2) structures have been used as an electron transfer layer (ETL) to improve the photocurrent density and efficiency of CIS-PSCs. Compared to the conventional random porous TiO2 ETLs, copolymer-templated TiO2 ETLs with a lower refractive index improve the transmittance of input light into the cell and therefore enhance the photovoltaic performance. Interestingly, a large number of surface hydroxyl groups on the CT-TiO2 induce a self-healing effect in perovskite. Thus, they provide superior stability in CIS-PSC. The fabricated CIS-PSC presents a conversion efficiency of 11.08% (Jsc = 23.35 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.995, and FF = 0.477) with a device area of 0.09 cm2 under 100 mW/cm2. Moreover, these unsealed CIS-PSCs retained 100% of their performance after aging tests for 90 days under ambient conditions and even increased from 11.08 to 11.27 over time due to self-healing properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakisa Lalpour
- Department of Chemistry, Catalysis Division, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Valiollah Mirkhani
- Department of Chemistry, Catalysis Division, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran.
| | - Reza Keshavarzi
- Department of Chemistry, Catalysis Division, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran.
| | - Majid Moghadam
- Department of Chemistry, Catalysis Division, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Shahram Tangestaninejad
- Department of Chemistry, Catalysis Division, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran
| | | | - Peng Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Design and Assembly of Functional Nanostructures, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
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16
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MDACl2-Modified SnO2 Film for Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cells. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28062668. [PMID: 36985640 PMCID: PMC10056177 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The electron transport layer (ETL) with excellent charge extraction and transport ability is one of the key components of high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). SnO2 has been considered as a more promising ETL for the future commercialization of PSCs due to its excellent photoelectric properties and easy processing. Herein, we propose a facile and effective ETL modification strategy based on the incorporation of methylenediammonium dichloride (MDACl2) into the SnO2 precursor colloidal solution. The effects of MDACl2 incorporation on charge transport, defect passivation, perovskite crystallization, and PSC performance are systematically investigated. First, the surface defects of the SnO2 film are effectively passivated, resulting in the increased conductivity of the SnO2 film, which is conducive to electron extraction and transport. Second, the MDACl2 modification contributes to the formation of high-quality perovskite films with improved crystallinity and reduced defect density. Furthermore, a more suitable energy level alignment is achieved at the ETL/perovskite interface, which facilitates the charge transport due to the lower energy barrier. Consequently, the MDACl2-modified PSCs exhibit a champion efficiency of 22.30% compared with 19.62% of the control device, and the device stability is also significantly improved.
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17
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Chowdhury TA, Bin Zafar MA, Sajjad-Ul Islam M, Shahinuzzaman M, Islam MA, Khandaker MU. Stability of perovskite solar cells: issues and prospects. RSC Adv 2023; 13:1787-1810. [PMID: 36712629 PMCID: PMC9828105 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra05903g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Even though power conversion efficiency has already reached 25.8%, poor stability is one of the major challenges hindering the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Several initiatives, such as structural modification and fabrication techniques by numerous ways, have been employed by researchers around the world to achieve the desired level of stability. The goal of this review is to address the recent improvements in PSCs in terms of structural modification and fabrication procedures. Perovskite films are used to provide a broad range of stability and to lose up to 20% of their initial performance. A thorough comprehension of the effect of the fabrication process on the device's stability is considered to be crucial in order to provide the foundation for future attempts. We summarize several commonly used fabrication techniques - spin coating, doctor blade, sequential deposition, hybrid chemical vapor, and alternating layer-by-layer. The evolution of device structure from regular to inverted, HTL free, and ETL including the changes in material utilization from organic to inorganic, as well as the perovskite material are presented in a systematic manner. We also aimed to gain insight into the functioning stability of PSCs, as well as practical information on how to increase their operational longevity through sensible device fabrication and materials processing, to promote PSC commercialization at the end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanzi Ahmed Chowdhury
- Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, International Islamic University ChittagongKumiraBangladesh
| | - Md. Arafat Bin Zafar
- Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, International Islamic University ChittagongKumiraBangladesh
| | - Md. Sajjad-Ul Islam
- Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, International Islamic University ChittagongKumiraBangladesh
| | - M. Shahinuzzaman
- Institute of Fuel Research and Development, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR)Dhaka 1205Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Aminul Islam
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya50603 Kuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - Mayeen Uddin Khandaker
- Centre for Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies, School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University47500 Bandar SunwaySelangorMalaysia,Department of General Educational Development, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, Daffodil International UniversityDIU RdDhaka 1341Bangladesh
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18
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Mahmood K, Akhtar HH, Qutab HG, Ramzan N, Sharif R, Rehman A, Khalid A, Mehran MT. Solution processed high performance perovskite solar cells based on a silver nanowire-titanium dioxide hybrid top electrode. RSC Adv 2022; 12:35350-35357. [PMID: 36540254 PMCID: PMC9732838 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra06778a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Longer silver nanowires (AgNWs) > 50 μm and even 90 μm in length have been produced via a polyol method by just changing the stirring speed at a temperature of 130 °C. As-synthesized longer AgNWs are further utilized to construct transparent conductive AgNWs films by a facile drop-casting technique that attained a sheet resistance of 14.5 Ω sq-1 and transmittance over 85%, which is higher than ITO film. The use of a AgNWs/TiO2 hybrid electrode decreases the sheet resistance to 8.3 Ω sq-1, which is attributed to the enhancement of connections between AgNWs by filling the empty spaces between nanowires and TiO2 nanoparticles. Transparent perovskite solar cells (PSCs) on the basis of these AgNWs and AgNWs/TiO2 hybrid top electrodes were made and examined. Due to the light scattering nature of TiO2 nanoparticles, optical transmittance of the AgNWs/TiO2 hybrid electrode enhances to some extent after the coating of a TiO2 layer. Both cell efficiencies and stability of the PSCs are enhanced by using the AgNWs/TiO2 top electrode. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.65% was attained for perovskite devices based on only the AgNW electrode with a sheet resistance of 14.5 Ω sq-1. A PCE of 14.53% was achieved after coating with TiO2 nanoparticles, indicating the layer effect of TiO2 coating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Mahmood
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Husnanin Akhtar
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Haji Ghulam Qutab
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Naveed Ramzan
- Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE), University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore Pakistan
| | - Rabia Sharif
- Department of Chemical & Polymer Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Faisalabad Campus 3½ Km. Khurrianwala - Makkuana By-Pass Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Abdul Rehman
- 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 Taqi Mehran
- School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology NUST H-12 Islamabad Pakistan
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Nitrogen-Doped Titanium Dioxide as a Hole Transport Layer for High-Efficiency Formamidinium Perovskite Solar Cells. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27227927. [PMID: 36432027 PMCID: PMC9694249 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer advantages over widely deployed silicon solar cells in terms of ease of fabrication; however, the device is still under rigorous materials optimization for cell performance, stability, and cost. In this work, we explore a version of a PSC by replacing the polymeric hole transport layer (HTL) such as Spiro-OMeTAD, P3HT, and PEDOT: PSS with a more air-stable metal oxide, viz., nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2:N). Numerical simulations on formamidinium (FA)-based PSCs in the FTO/TiO2/FAPbI3/Ag configuration have been carried out to depict the behaviour of the HTL as well as the effect of absorber layer thickness (∆t) on photovoltaic parameters. The results show that the cell output increases when the HTL bandgap increases from 2.5 to 3.0 eV. By optimizing the absorber layer thickness and the gradient in defect density (Nt), the device structure considered here can deliver a maximum power conversion efficiency of ~21.38% for a lower HTL bandgap (~2.5 eV) and ~26.99% for a higher HTL bandgap of ~3.0 eV. The results are validated by reproducing the performance of PSCs employing commonly used polymeric HTLs, viz. Spiro-OMeTAD, P3HT, and PEDOT: PSS as well as high power conversion efficiency in the highly crystalline perovskite layer. Therefore, the present study provides high-performing, cost-effective PSCs using TiO2:N.
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20
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Ali I, Faraz Ud Din M, Cuzzupè DT, Fakharuddin A, Louis H, Nabi G, Gu ZG. Ti 3C 2T x-Modified PEDOT:PSS Hole-Transport Layer for Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells. Molecules 2022; 27:7452. [PMID: 36364279 PMCID: PMC9655112 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PSS is a commonly used hole-transport layer (HTL) in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to its compatibility with low-temperature solution processing. However, it possesses lower conductivity than other conductive polymers and metal oxides, along with surface defects, limiting its photovoltaic performance. In this study, we introduced two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx (MXene) as an additive in the PEDOT:PSS HTL with varying doping concentrations (i.e., 0, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.1 wt.%) to tune the electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS and to modify the properties of the perovskite film atop it. We noted that the grain size of the CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI3) perovskite layer grown over an optimal concentration of MXene (0.03 wt.%)-doped PEDOT:PSS increased from 250 nm to 400 nm, reducing charge recombination due to fewer grain boundaries. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) revealed increased work function (WF) from 4.43 eV to 4.99 eV with 0.03 wt.% MXene doping, making the extraction of holes easier due to a more favorable energy level alignment with the perovskite. Quantum chemical investigations based on density functional theory (DFT) were conducted at the ωB97XD/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory to provide more insight into the stability, bonding nature, and optoelectronic properties of the PEDOT:PSS-MXene system. The theoretical investigations revealed that the doping of PEDOT:PSS with Ti3C2Tx could cause a significant effect on the electronic properties of the HTL, as experimentally demonstrated by an increase in the electrical conductivity. Finally, the inverted PSCs employing 0.03 wt.% MXene-doped PEDOT:PSS showed an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.1%, up from 12.5% for a reference PSC employing a pristine PEDOT:PSS HTL. The champion device with a 0.03 wt.% MXene-PEDOT:PSS HTL achieved 15.5% PCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israt Ali
- Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | | | | | - Azhar Fakharuddin
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Hitler Louis
- Computational and Bio-Simulation Research Group, University of Calabar, Calabar 1115, Nigeria
| | - Ghulam Nabi
- Energy Materials Lab (Physics), University of Gujrat, Gujrat 50700, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Zhi-Gang Gu
- Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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21
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Increasing the stability of perovskite solar cells with dibenzofulvene-based hole transporting materials. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.141190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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22
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Mahjabin S, Haque MM, Sobayel K, Selvanathan V, Jamal MS, Bashar MS, Sultana M, Hossain MI, Shahiduzzaman M, Algethami M, Alharthi SS, Amin N, Sopian K, Akhtaruzzaman M. Investigation of Morphological, Optical, and Dielectric Properties of RF Sputtered WO x Thin Films for Optoelectronic Applications. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:3467. [PMID: 36234594 PMCID: PMC9565653 DOI: 10.3390/nano12193467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Tungsten oxide (WOx) thin films were synthesized through the RF magnetron sputtering method by varying the sputtering power from 30 W to 80 W. Different investigations have been conducted to evaluate the variation in different morphological, optical, and dielectric properties with the sputtering power and prove the possibility of using WOx in optoelectronic applications. An Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), stylus profilometer, and atomic force microscope (AFM) have been used to investigate the dependency of morphological properties on sputtering power. Transmittance, absorbance, and reflectance of the films, investigated by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, have allowed for further determination of some necessary parameters, such as absorption coefficient, penetration depth, optical band energy gap, refractive index, extinction coefficient, dielectric parameters, a few types of loss parameters, etc. Variations in these parameters with the incident light spectrum have been closely analyzed. Some important parameters such as transmittance (above 80%), optical band energy gap (~3.7 eV), and refractive index (~2) ensure that as-grown WOx films can be used in some optoelectronic applications, mainly in photovoltaic research. Furthermore, strong dependencies of all evaluated parameters on the sputtering power were found, which are to be of great use for developing the films with the required properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samiya Mahjabin
- Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | - Md. Mahfuzul Haque
- Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | - K. Sobayel
- Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | - Vidhya Selvanathan
- Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | - M. S. Jamal
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - M. S. Bashar
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Munira Sultana
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Ismail Hossain
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Md. Shahiduzzaman
- Nanomaterials Research Institute (NanoMaRi), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Merfat Algethami
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sami S. Alharthi
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nowshad Amin
- Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (The National Energy University), Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Malaysia
| | - Kamaruzzaman Sopian
- Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | - Md. Akhtaruzzaman
- Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
- Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8573, Ibaraki, Japan
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23
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Rahimichatri A, Liu J, Jahani F, Qiu L, Chiechi RC, Hummelen JC, Koster LJA. A method for identifying the cause of inefficient salt-doping in organic semiconductors. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. C 2022; 10:13093-13098. [PMID: 36324637 PMCID: PMC9494613 DOI: 10.1039/d1tc06062g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Doping to enhance the electrical conductivity of organic semiconductors is not without its challenges: The efficacy of this process depends on many factors and it is not always clear how to remedy poor doping. In the case of doping with salts, one of the possible causes of poor doping is a limited yield of integer charge transfer resulting in the presence of both cations and anions in the film. The charge of such ions can severely limit the electrical conductivity, but their presence is not easily determined. Here we introduce a set of simple conductivity measurements to determine whether poor doping in the case where the dopant is a salt is due to limited integer charge transfer. By tracking how the conductivity changes over time when applying a bias voltage for an extended amount of time we can pinpoint whether unwanted ions are present in the film. Firstly, we introduce the principle of this approach by performing numerical simulations that include the movement of ions. We show that the conductivity can increase or decrease depending on the type of ions present in the film. Next, we show that the movement of these dopant ions causes a build-up of space-charge, which makes the current-voltage characteristic non-linear. Next, we illustrate how this approach may be used in practice by doping a fullerene derivative with a series of organic salts. We thus provide a tool to make the optimization of doping more rational.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rahimichatri
- Zernike institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - J Liu
- Zernike institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - F Jahani
- Zernike institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - L Qiu
- Zernike institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - R C Chiechi
- Zernike institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - J C Hummelen
- Zernike institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - L J A Koster
- Zernike institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
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24
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Zhang Z, Tang Z, Zhou Y, Wang P, Yang J, Zhu S. Intermolecular hydrogen bond and π-π stacking improve electron mobility of phenanthroline-based electron-transporting materials. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2022.113865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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25
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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.
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26
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Quy H, Bark CW. Ni-Doped SnO 2 as an Electron Transport Layer by a Low-Temperature Process in Planar Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:22256-22262. [PMID: 35811856 PMCID: PMC9260750 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on a planar structure have recently become more attractive due to their simple manufacturing process and relatively low cost, while most perovskite solar cells employ highly porous TiO2 as an electron transport layer in mesoporous devices offering higher energy conversion efficiency (PCE). In planar structural devices, non-radiative recombination effects of the absorber layer and the electron transport layer cause potential loss and lower PCE. We created an efficient electron transport layer by combining low-temperature Ni-doped SnO2 with SDBS as a surfactant (denoted as Ni:SnO2). Doping Ni+ into low-temperature solution-processed SnO2 increased the power conversion efficiency of PSCs from 17.8 to 19.7%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoang
V. Quy
- Division
of Energy Technology, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute
of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Korea
| | - Chung W. Bark
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Korea
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27
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Sekar K, Nakar R, Bouclé J, Doineau R, Nadaud K, Schmaltz B, Poulin-Vittrant G. Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Growth of ZnO Nanowires on AZO Substrates for FACsPb(IBr) 3 Perovskite Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:2093. [PMID: 35745435 PMCID: PMC9229726 DOI: 10.3390/nano12122093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Electron and hole transport layers (ETL and HTL) play an essential role in shaping the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells. While compact metal oxide ETL have been largely explored in planar n-i-p device architectures, aligned nanowires or nanorods remain highly relevant for efficient charge extraction and directional transport. In this study, we have systematically grown ZnO nanowires (ZnO NWs) over aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) substrates using a low-temperature method, hydrothermal growth (HTG). The main growth parameters were varied, such as hydrothermal precursors concentrations (zinc nitrate hexahydrate, hexamethylenetetramine, polyethylenimine) and growing time, in order to finely control NW properties (length, diameter, density, and void fraction). The results show that ZnO NWs grown on AZO substrates offer highly dense, well-aligned nanowires of high crystallinity compared to conventional substrates such as FTO, while demonstrating efficient FACsPb(IBr)3 perovskite device performance, without the requirement of conventional compact hole blocking layers. The device performances are discussed based on NW properties, including void fraction and aspect ratio (NW length over diameter). Finally, AZO/ZnO NW-based devices were fabricated with a recent HTL material based on a carbazole moiety (Cz-Pyr) and compared to the spiro-OMeTAD reference. Our study shows that the Cz-Pyr-based device provides similar performance to that of spiro-OMeTAD while demonstrating a promising stability in ambient conditions and under continuous illumination, as revealed by a preliminary aging test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthick Sekar
- GREMAN UMR 7347, Université de Tours, CNRS, INSA Centre Val de Loire, 37071 Tours, CEDEX 2, France; (R.N.); (R.D.); (K.N.)
- Univ. Limoges, XLIM, UMR 7252, 87000 Limoges, France;
- CNRS, XLIM, UMR 7252, 87000 Limoges, France
| | - Rana Nakar
- GREMAN UMR 7347, Université de Tours, CNRS, INSA Centre Val de Loire, 37071 Tours, CEDEX 2, France; (R.N.); (R.D.); (K.N.)
| | - Johann Bouclé
- Univ. Limoges, XLIM, UMR 7252, 87000 Limoges, France;
- CNRS, XLIM, UMR 7252, 87000 Limoges, France
| | - Raphaël Doineau
- GREMAN UMR 7347, Université de Tours, CNRS, INSA Centre Val de Loire, 37071 Tours, CEDEX 2, France; (R.N.); (R.D.); (K.N.)
| | - Kevin Nadaud
- GREMAN UMR 7347, Université de Tours, CNRS, INSA Centre Val de Loire, 37071 Tours, CEDEX 2, France; (R.N.); (R.D.); (K.N.)
| | - Bruno Schmaltz
- PCM2E EA 6299, Université de Tours, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France;
| | - Guylaine Poulin-Vittrant
- GREMAN UMR 7347, Université de Tours, CNRS, INSA Centre Val de Loire, 37071 Tours, CEDEX 2, France; (R.N.); (R.D.); (K.N.)
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28
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Yin Z, Lu B, Chen Y, Guo C. Advances of Commercial and Biological Materials for Electron Transport Layers in Biological Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:900269. [PMID: 35711642 PMCID: PMC9194854 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.900269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Electron transport layer (ETL), one of the important layers for high-performing perovskite solar cells (PSCs), also has great potential in bioengineering applications. It could be used for biological sensors, biological imaging, and biomedical treatments with high resolution or efficiency. Seldom research focused on the development of biological material for ETL and their application in biological uses. This review will introduce commercial and biological materials used in ETL to help readers understand the working mechanism of ETL. And the ways to prepare ETL at low temperatures will also be introduced to improve the performance of ETL. Then this review summarizes the latest research on material doping, material modification, and bilayer ETL structures to improve the electronic transmission capacity of ETLs. Finally, the application of ETLs in bioengineering will be also shown to demonstrate that ETLs and their used material have a high potential for biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifu Yin
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China
| | - Biao Lu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanbo Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China
| | - Caixia Guo
- Presidents’ Office of China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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29
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A Morphological Study of Solvothermally Grown SnO2 Nanostructures for Application in Perovskite Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12101686. [PMID: 35630907 PMCID: PMC9143344 DOI: 10.3390/nano12101686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Tin(IV) oxide (SnO2) nanostructures, which possess larger surface areas for transporting electron carriers, have been used as an electron transport layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the reported power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of this type of PSCs show a large variation. One of the possible reasons for this phenomenon is the low reproducibility of SnO2 nanostructures if they are prepared by different research groups using various growth methods. This work focuses on the morphological study of SnO2 nanostructures grown by a solvothermal method. The growth parameters including growth pressure, substrate orientation, DI water-to-ethanol ratios, types of seed layer, amount of acetic acid, and growth time have been systematically varied. The SnO2 nanomorphology exhibits a different degree of sensitivity and trends towards each growth factor. A surface treatment is also required for solvothermally grown SnO2 nanomaterials for improving photovoltaic performance of PSCs. The obtained results in this work provide the research community with an insight into the general trend of morphological changes in SnO2 nanostructures influenced by different solvothermal growth parameters. This information can guide the researchers to prepare more reproducible solvothermally grown SnO2 nanomaterials for future application in devices.
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30
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Svanström S, García-Fernández A, Jacobsson TJ, Bidermane I, Leitner T, Sloboda T, Man GJ, Boschloo G, Johansson EMJ, Rensmo H, Cappel UB. The Complex Degradation Mechanism of Copper Electrodes on Lead Halide Perovskites. ACS MATERIALS AU 2022; 2:301-312. [PMID: 35578703 PMCID: PMC9100662 DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialsau.1c00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Lead halide perovskite
solar cells have reached power conversion
efficiencies during the past few years that rival those of crystalline
silicon solar cells, and there is a concentrated effort to commercialize
them. The use of gold electrodes, the current standard, is prohibitively
costly for commercial application. Copper is a promising low-cost
electrode material that has shown good stability in perovskite solar
cells with selective contacts. Furthermore, it has the potential to
be self-passivating through the formation of CuI, a copper salt which
is also used as a hole selective material. Based on these opportunities,
we investigated the interface reactions between lead halide perovskites
and copper in this work. Specifically, copper was deposited on the
perovskite surface, and the reactions were followed in detail using
synchrotron-based and in-house photoelectron spectroscopy. The results
show a rich interfacial chemistry with reactions starting upon deposition
and, with the exposure to oxygen and moisture, progress over many
weeks, resulting in significant degradation of both the copper and
the perovskite. The degradation results not only in the formation
of CuI, as expected, but also in the formation of two previously unreported
degradation products. The hope is that a deeper understanding of these
processes will aid in the design of corrosion-resistant copper-based
electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Svanström
- Condensed Matter Physics of Energy Materials, Division of X-ray Photon Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alberto García-Fernández
- Division of Applied Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - T. Jesper Jacobsson
- Young Investigator Group Hybrid Materials Formation and Scaling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialen und Energie GmbH, Albert-Einstein Straße 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ieva Bidermane
- Uppsala-Berlin Joint Laboratory on Next Generation Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Torsten Leitner
- Uppsala-Berlin Joint Laboratory on Next Generation Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamara Sloboda
- Division of Applied Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gabriel J. Man
- Condensed Matter Physics of Energy Materials, Division of X-ray Photon Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerrit Boschloo
- Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, Box 538, 75121 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Håkan Rensmo
- Condensed Matter Physics of Energy Materials, Division of X-ray Photon Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ute B. Cappel
- Division of Applied Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
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31
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Lin CH, Hu L, Guan X, Kim J, Huang CY, Huang JK, Singh S, Wu T. Electrode Engineering in Halide Perovskite Electronics: Plenty of Room at the Interfaces. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2108616. [PMID: 34995372 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202108616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Contact engineering is a prerequisite for achieving desirable functionality and performance of semiconductor electronics, which is particularly critical for organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites due to their ionic nature and highly reactive interfaces. Although the interfaces between perovskites and charge-transporting layers have attracted lots of attention due to the photovoltaic and light-emitting diode applications, achieving reliable perovskite/electrode contacts for electronic devices, such as transistors and memories, remains as a bottleneck. Herein, a critical review on the elusive nature of perovskite/electrode interfaces with a focus on the interfacial electrochemistry effects is presented. The basic guidelines of electrode selection are given for establishing non-polarized interfaces and optimal energy level alignment for perovskite materials. Furthermore, state-of-the-art strategies on interface-related electrode engineering are reviewed and discussed, which aim at achieving ohmic transport and eliminating hysteresis in perovskite devices. The role and multiple functionalities of self-assembled monolayers that offer a unique approach toward improving perovskite/electrode contacts are also discussed. The insights on electrode engineering pave the way to advancing stable and reliable perovskite devices in diverse electronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ho Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Long Hu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Xinwei Guan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Jiyun Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Chien-Yu Huang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Jing-Kai Huang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Simrjit Singh
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Tom Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
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32
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Sun Y, Chen W, Sun Z. A mini review: Constructing perovskite p-n homojunction solar cells. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.08.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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33
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Sánchez-Godoy HE, Salim KMM, Rodríguez-Rojas R, Zarazúa I, Masi S. In Situ Ethanolamine ZnO Nanoparticle Passivation for Perovskite Interface Stability and Highly Efficient Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12050823. [PMID: 35269311 PMCID: PMC8912770 DOI: 10.3390/nano12050823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) has interesting optoelectronic properties, but suffers from chemical instability when in contact with perovskite interfaces; hence, the perovskite deposited on the top degrades promptly. Surface passivation strategies alleviate this instability issue; however, synthesis to passivate ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in situ has received less attention. Here, a new synthesis at low temperatures with an ethanolamine post treatment has been developed. By using ZnO NPs prepared with ethanolamine and butanol (BuOH), (E-ZnO), the stability of the FA0.9Cs0.1PbI3 (FACsPI)−ZnO interface was achieved, with a photoconversion efficiency of >18%. Impedance spectroscopy demonstrates that the recombination at the interface was reduced in the system with E-ZnO/perovskite compared to common SnO2/perovskite and that the quality of the perovskite on the top is clearly due to the ZnO in situ passivation with ethanolamine. This work extends the use of E-ZnO as an n-type charge extraction layer and demonstrates its feasibility with methylammonium perovskite. Moreover, this study paves the way for other in situ passivation methods with different target molecules, along with new insights regarding the perovskite interface rearrangement when in contact with the modified electron transport layer (ETL).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - K. M. Muhammed Salim
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, 12071 Castellon de la Plana, Spain;
| | - Rubén Rodríguez-Rojas
- Centro Universitario de los Lagos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Lagos de Moreno 47460, Mexico; (H.E.S.-G.); (R.R.-R.)
| | - Isaac Zarazúa
- Centro Universitario de los Lagos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Lagos de Moreno 47460, Mexico; (H.E.S.-G.); (R.R.-R.)
- Correspondence: (I.Z.); (S.M.)
| | - Sofia Masi
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, 12071 Castellon de la Plana, Spain;
- Correspondence: (I.Z.); (S.M.)
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34
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Performance-Enhancing Sulfur-Doped TiO2 Photoanodes for Perovskite Solar Cells. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12010429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
High-performance electron transport layer (ETL) anode generally needs to form a uniform dense layer with suitable conduction band position and good electron transport properties. The TiO2 photoanode is primarily applied as the ETL because it is low-cost, has diverse thin-film preparation methods and has good chemical stability. However, pure TiO2 is not an ideal ETL because it lacks several important criteria, such as low conductivity and conduction band mismatch with compositional-tailored perovskite. Thus, TiO2 is an inefficient photo-anode or ETL for high-performance perovskite devices. In this study, sulfur as dopant in the TiO2 photo-anode thin film is used to fabricate solid-state planar perovskite solar cells in relatively high humidity (40–50%). The deposited S-doped thin film improves the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the device to 6.0%, with the un-doped TiO2 producing a PCE of 5.1% in the best device. Improvement in PCE is due to lower recombination and higher photocurrent density, resulting in 18% increase in PCE (5.1–6.0%).
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35
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Kini GP, Parashar M, Jahandar M, Lee J, Chung S, Cho K, Shukla VK, Singh R. Structure–property relationships of diketopyrrolopyrrole- and thienoacene-based A–D–A type hole transport materials for efficient perovskite solar cells. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2nj00294a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Two DPP-based hole-transporting materials with different aromatic π-bridges have been synthesized and tested for perovskite solar cells. Improved power conversion efficiency and stability were achieved by employing DPP-TT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gururaj P. Kini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Mritunjaya Parashar
- Department of Applied Physics, School of Vocational Studies and Applied Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201312, India
| | - Muhammad Jahandar
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), 797 Changwon-daero, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, Gyeongnam, 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewon Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Sein Chung
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, South Korea
| | - Kilwon Cho
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, South Korea
| | - Vivek Kumar Shukla
- Department of Applied Physics, School of Vocational Studies and Applied Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201312, India
| | - Ranbir Singh
- School of Computing and Electrical Engineering (SCEE), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India
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36
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Tin Oxide Modified Titanium Dioxide as Electron Transport Layer in Formamidinium-Rich Perovskite Solar Cells. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14237870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The design of electron transport layers (ETLs) with good optoelectronic properties is one of the keys to the improvement of the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Titanium dioxide (TiO2), one of the most widely used ETL in PSCs, is characterized by low electrical conductivity that increases the series resistance of PSCs, thus limiting their PCEs. In this work, we incorporated tin oxide (SnO2) into titanium dioxide (TiO2) and studied the evolution of its microstructural and optoelectronic properties with SnO2 loading. The thin films were then integrated as ETLs in a regular planar Formamidinium (FA)-rich mixed lead halide PSCs so as to assess the overall effect of SnO2 incorporation on their charge transport and Photovoltaic (PV) characteristics. Analysis of the fabricated PSCs devices revealed that the best performing devices; based on the ETL modified with 0.2 proportion of SnO2; had an average PCE of 17.35 ± 1.39%, which was about 7.16% higher than those with pristine TiO2 as ETL. The improvement in the PCE of the PSC devices with 0.2 SnO2 content in the ETL was attributed to the improved electron extraction and transport ability as revealed by the Time Resolved Photoluminescence (TRPL) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) studies.
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37
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Design and Modelling of Eco-Friendly CH3NH3SnI3-Based Perovskite Solar Cells with Suitable Transport Layers. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14217200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
An ideal n-i-p perovskite solar cell employing a Pb free CH3NH3SnI3 absorber layer was suggested and modelled. A comparative study for different electron transport materials has been performed for three devices keeping CuO hole transport material (HTL) constant. SCAPS-1D numerical simulator is used to quantify the effects of amphoteric defect based on CH3NH3SnI3 absorber layer and the interface characteristics of both the electron transport layer (ETL) and hole transport layer (HTL). The study demonstrates that amphoteric defects in the absorber layer impact device performance significantly more than interface defects (IDL). The cell performed best at room temperature. Due to a reduction in Voc, PCE decreases with temperature. Defect tolerance limit for IL1 is 1013 cm−3, 1016 cm−3 and 1012 cm−3 for structures 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The defect tolerance limit for IL2 is 1014 cm−3. With the proposed device structure FTO/PCBM/CH3NH3SnI3/CuO shows the maximum efficiency of 25.45% (Voc = 0.97 V, Jsc = 35.19 mA/cm2, FF = 74.38%), for the structure FTO/TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3/CuO the best PCE is obtained 26.92% (Voc = 0.99 V, Jsc = 36.81 mA/cm2, FF = 73.80%) and device structure of FTO/WO3/CH3NH3SnI3/CuO gives the maximum efficiency 24.57% (Voc = 0.90 V, Jsc = 36.73 mA/cm2, FF = 74.93%) under optimum conditions. Compared to others, the FTO/TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3/CuO system provides better performance and better defect tolerance capacity.
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38
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Liu Y, Li Y, Xu W, Chen X, Wang J, Yan S, Bao J, Qin T. Preparation of Micron-sized Methylamine-PbCl 3 perovskite grains by controlling phase transition engineering for selective Ultraviolet-harvesting transparent photovoltaics. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 607:1083-1090. [PMID: 34583030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.09.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Selective ultraviolet-harvesting transparent perovskite solar cells (T-PSCs) have attracted great interest because of their high transmittance and unique photovoltaic properties, especially in the fields of smart windows for power generation and building glass. However, owing to the unsatisfactory solubility of PbCl2 in most conventional solvents, preparing transparent methylammonium lead chloride (MAPbCl3) films with high quality and sufficient thickness by conventional methods poses a substantial challenge for their application deployment in T-PSCs. In this work, two novel strategies based on an ion-exchange procedure for controlling phase transition engineering (CPTE) are proposed. For CPTE-2, an optimized cubic phase MAPbCl3 film with a large grain size and high full coverage is prepared by transforming the tetragonal phase MAPbI3 precursor into the cubic phase MAPbCl3. Establishing relevant models based on crystal parameters investigates the formation mechanism of this high-quality MAPbCl3 film. Accordingly, the resultant T-PSCs exhibit remarkable film quality and micron-sized grains and reach an optimum efficiency of 0.33% (JSC = 0.66 mA cm-2, VOC = 1.14 V, and FF = 43.72%).
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Affiliation(s)
- You Liu
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yufan Li
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Wenxin Xu
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xianglin Chen
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jungan Wang
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Suhao Yan
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jusheng Bao
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tianshi Qin
- Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China.
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39
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Jaffri SB, Ahmad KS. Newfangled progressions in the charge transport layers impacting the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells. REV INORG CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/revic-2021-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells have rapidly emerged as a newfangled material for solar energy harnessing. Perovskite solar cells have succeeded in gaining a power conversion efficiency of 25% in the last year, further enhancement in the efficiency is anticipated due to advanced engineering of the different components making up the complete cell architecture with enhanced performance, stability and efficiency. Significant components of perovskite solar cell configurational architecture are the electron transport layer, active perovskite absorber layer, hole transport layer and counter electrode. Considering the profound role of transport layers in charge mobility, current review has particularly elucidated the advancements in the charge transport layers. The time duration of the review is from 2010 to 2021. However, the special focus has been laid on the recent articles. The influence of different organic and inorganic materials used for development of transport layers influencing the cell performance have been summarized. Materials used for transport layers have been modified by utilization of myriad of engineered substances through doping and surface functionalization strategies but every method have been marked by posing serious challenges towards the stability and efficiency of the cell and thus, hindering its commercialization. The review also provides an elucidation of the mechanical challenges and abatement strategies. These strategies are associated with the charge transport layers for enhancement of cell functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaan Bibi Jaffri
- Department of Environmental Sciences , Fatima Jinnah Women University , The Mall, 46000 , Rawalpindi , Pakistan
| | - Khuram Shahzad Ahmad
- Department of Environmental Sciences , Fatima Jinnah Women University , The Mall, 46000 , Rawalpindi , Pakistan
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40
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Santos J, Calbo J, Sandoval-Torrientes R, García-Benito I, Kanda H, Zimmermann I, Aragó J, Nazeeruddin MK, Ortí E, Martín N. Hole-Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells Employing an Anthradithiophene Core. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:28214-28221. [PMID: 34105947 PMCID: PMC9205564 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c05890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A decade after the report of the first efficient perovskite-based solar cell, development of novel hole-transporting materials (HTMs) is still one of the main topics in this research field. Two of the main advance vectors of this topic lie in obtaining materials with enhanced hole-extracting capability and in easing their synthetic cost. The use of anthra[1,9-bc:5,10-b'c']dithiophene (ADT) as a flat π-conjugated frame for bearing arylamine electroactive moieties allows obtaining two novel highly efficient HTMs from very cheap precursors. The solar cells fabricated making use of the mixed composition (FAPbI3)0.85(MAPbBr3)0.15 perovskite and the novel ADT-based HTMs show power conversion efficiencies up to 17.6% under 1 sun illumination compared to the 18.1% observed when using the benchmark compound 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD). Detailed density functional theory calculations allow rationalization of the observed opto-electrochemical properties and predict a flat molecular structure with a low reorganization energy that supports the high conductivity measured for the best-performing HTM.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Santos
- Facultad
de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Joaquín Calbo
- Instituto
de Ciencia Molecular, Universidad de Valencia, Paterna 46980, Spain
| | | | - Inés García-Benito
- Facultad
de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Hiroyuki Kanda
- Group
for Molecular Engineering of Functional Materials, EPFL VALAIS, Sion 1951, Switzerland
| | - Iwan Zimmermann
- Group
for Molecular Engineering of Functional Materials, EPFL VALAIS, Sion 1951, Switzerland
| | - Juan Aragó
- Instituto
de Ciencia Molecular, Universidad de Valencia, Paterna 46980, Spain
| | | | - Enrique Ortí
- Instituto
de Ciencia Molecular, Universidad de Valencia, Paterna 46980, Spain
| | - Nazario Martín
- Facultad
de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
- IMDEA-Nanociencia, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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41
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Abstract
The increasing demand for renewable energy devices over the past decade has motivated researchers to develop new and improve the existing fabrication techniques. One of the promising candidates for renewable energy technology is metal halide perovskite, owning to its high power conversion efficiency and low processing cost. This work analyzes the relationship between the structure of metal halide perovskites and their properties along with the effect of alloying and other factors on device stability, as well as causes and mechanisms of material degradation. The present work discusses the existing approaches for enhancing the stability of PSC devices through modifying functional layers. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods in boosting device efficiency and reducing fabrication cost are highlighted. In addition, the paper presents recommendations for the enhancement of interfaces in PSC structures.
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42
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Vallem V, Sargolzaeiaval Y, Ozturk M, Lai YC, Dickey MD. Energy Harvesting and Storage with Soft and Stretchable Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2004832. [PMID: 33502808 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202004832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This review highlights various modes of converting ambient sources of energy into electricity using soft and stretchable materials. These mechanical properties are useful for emerging classes of stretchable electronics, e-skins, bio-integrated wearables, and soft robotics. The ability to harness energy from the environment allows these types of devices to be tetherless, thereby leading to a greater range of motion (in the case of robotics), better compliance (in the case of wearables and e-skins), and increased application space (in the case of electronics). A variety of energy sources are available including mechanical (vibrations, human motion, wind/fluid motion), electromagnetic (radio frequency (RF), solar), and thermodynamic (chemical or thermal energy). This review briefly summarizes harvesting mechanisms and focuses on the materials' strategies to render such devices into soft or stretchable embodiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veenasri Vallem
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Yasaman Sargolzaeiaval
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Mehmet Ozturk
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Ying-Chih Lai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
- Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, Research Center for Sustainable Energy and Nanotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
| | - Michael D Dickey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
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43
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Ceratti DR, Cohen AV, Tenne R, Rakita Y, Snarski L, Jasti NP, Cremonesi L, Cohen R, Weitman M, Rosenhek-Goldian I, Kaplan-Ashiri I, Bendikov T, Kalchenko V, Elbaum M, Potenza MAC, Kronik L, Hodes G, Cahen D. The pursuit of stability in halide perovskites: the monovalent cation and the key for surface and bulk self-healing. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2021; 8:1570-1586. [PMID: 34846465 DOI: 10.1039/d1mh00006c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We find significant differences between degradation and healing at the surface or in the bulk for each of the different APbBr3 single crystals (A = CH3NH3+, methylammonium (MA); HC(NH2)2+, formamidinium (FA); and cesium, Cs+). Using 1- and 2-photon microscopy and photobleaching we conclude that kinetics dominate the surface and thermodynamics the bulk stability. Fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy, as well as results from several other methods, relate the (damaged) state of the halide perovskite (HaP) after photobleaching to its modified optical and electronic properties. The A cation type strongly influences both the kinetics and the thermodynamics of recovery and degradation: FA heals best the bulk material with faster self-healing; Cs+ protects the surface best, being the least volatile of the A cations and possibly through O-passivation; MA passivates defects via methylamine from photo-dissociation, which binds to Pb2+. DFT simulations provide insight into the passivating role of MA, and also indicate the importance of the Br3- defect as well as predicts its stability. The occurrence and rate of self-healing are suggested to explain the low effective defect density in the HaPs and through this, their excellent performance. These results rationalize the use of mixed A-cation materials for optimizing both solar cell stability and overall performance of HaP-based devices, and provide a basis for designing new HaP variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Ceratti
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Materials and Interfaces, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel.
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44
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Zhang Z, Wang S, Liu X, Chen Y, Su C, Tang Z, Li Y, Xing G. Metal Halide Perovskite/2D Material Heterostructures: Syntheses and Applications. SMALL METHODS 2021; 5:e2000937. [PMID: 34927847 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202000937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed the great success achieved by metal halide perovskites (MHPs) in photovoltaic and related fields. However, challenges still remain in further improving their performance, as well as, settling the stability issue for future commercialization. Recently, MHP/2D material heterostructures that combining MHPs with the low-cost and solution-processable 2D materials have demonstrated unprecedented improvement in both performance and stability due to the distinctive features at hetero-interface. The diverse fabrication techniques of MHPs and 2D materials allow them to be assembled as heterostructures with different configurations in a variety of ways. Moreover, the large families of MHPs and 2D materials provide the opportunity for the rational design and modification on compositions and functionalities of MHP/2D materials heterostructures. Herein, a comprehensive review of MHP/2D material heterostructures from syntheses to applications is presented. First, various fabrication techniques for MHP/2D material heterostructures are introduced by classifying them into solid-state methods and solution-processed methods. Then the applications of MHP/2D heterostructures in various fields including photodetectors, solar cells, and photocatalysis are summarized in detail. Finally, current challenges for the development of MHP/2D material heterostructures are highlighted, and future opportunities for the advancements in this research field are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Zhang
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D materials for Optoelectronic Science & Technology (ICL-2D MOST), Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Sisi Wang
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D materials for Optoelectronic Science & Technology (ICL-2D MOST), Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Xinfeng Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Center of Excellence for Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yonghua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (Nanjing Tech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Chenliang Su
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D materials for Optoelectronic Science & Technology (ICL-2D MOST), Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Zikang Tang
- Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Ying Li
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D materials for Optoelectronic Science & Technology (ICL-2D MOST), Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Guichuan Xing
- Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
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45
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Altinkaya C, Aydin E, Ugur E, Isikgor FH, Subbiah AS, De Bastiani M, Liu J, Babayigit A, Allen TG, Laquai F, Yildiz A, De Wolf S. Tin Oxide Electron-Selective Layers for Efficient, Stable, and Scalable Perovskite Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2005504. [PMID: 33660306 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202005504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have become a promising photovoltaic (PV) technology, where the evolution of the electron-selective layers (ESLs), an integral part of any PV device, has played a distinctive role to their progress. To date, the mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2 )/compact TiO2 stack has been among the most used ESLs in state-of-the-art PSCs. However, this material requires high-temperature sintering and may induce hysteresis under operational conditions, raising concerns about its use toward commercialization. Recently, tin oxide (SnO2 ) has emerged as an attractive alternative ESL, thanks to its wide bandgap, high optical transmission, high carrier mobility, suitable band alignment with perovskites, and decent chemical stability. Additionally, its low-temperature processability enables compatibility with temperature-sensitive substrates, and thus flexible devices and tandem solar cells. Here, the notable developments of SnO2 as a perovskite-relevant ESL are reviewed with emphasis placed on the various fabrication methods and interfacial passivation routes toward champion solar cells with high stability. Further, a techno-economic analysis of SnO2 materials for large-scale deployment, together with a processing-toxicology assessment, is presented. Finally, a perspective on how SnO2 materials can be instrumental in successful large-scale module and perovskite-based tandem solar cell manufacturing is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesur Altinkaya
- Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, 06010, Turkey
| | - Erkan Aydin
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Esma Ugur
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Furkan H Isikgor
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Anand S Subbiah
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Michele De Bastiani
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Jiang Liu
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Aslihan Babayigit
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 1, Diepenbeek, Limburg, 3590, Belgium
- IMEC vzw. Division IMOMEC, Wetenschapspark 1, Diepenbeek, Limburg, 3590, Belgium
| | - Thomas G Allen
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Frédéric Laquai
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Yildiz
- Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, 06010, Turkey
| | - Stefaan De Wolf
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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46
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Kumar A, Ojha SK, Vyas N, Ojha AK. Designing Organic Electron Transport Materials for Stable and Efficient Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells: A Theoretical Study. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:7086-7093. [PMID: 33748622 PMCID: PMC7970561 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this article, electron transporting layer (ETL) materials are designed to enhance the performance and stability of methyl ammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The optical and electronic properties of the designed ETLs are investigated using density functional theory. The designed ETLs show better charge mobility compared to nickel phthalocyanines (NiPcs). The NiPc, a hole transporting layer material, shows ETL-like behavior for PSCs with the substitution of different electron withdrawing groups (X = F, Cl, Br, and I). The stability and electron injection behavior of the designed ETLs are improved. The Br16NiPc shows the highest charge mobility. Further, the stability of the designed ETLs is relatively better compared to NiPc. Due to the hydrophobic nature, the designed ETLs act as a passivation layer for perovskites and prevent the absorber materials from degradation in the presence of moisture and provide extra stability to the PSCs. The effect of designed ETLs on the performance of MAPbI3 solar cells is also investigated. The PSCs designed with Br16NiPc as an ETL shows a relatively better (23.23%) power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to a TiO2-based device (21.55%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Kumar
- Department
of Physics, Chhatrasal Govt. PG college, Panna 488001, India
- Department
of Physics, Motilal Nehru National Institute
of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, India
| | - Saurav Kumar Ojha
- Department
of Physics, Motilal Nehru National Institute
of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, India
| | - Nidhi Vyas
- School
of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Animesh K. Ojha
- Department
of Physics, Motilal Nehru National Institute
of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, India
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47
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Preparation and Properties of Films of Organic-Inorganic Perovskites MAPbX3 (MA = CH3NH3; X = Cl, Br, I) for Solar Cells: A Review. THEOR EXP CHEM+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11237-021-09666-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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48
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Charge Transporting Materials Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition in Perovskite Solar Cells. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14041156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Charge transporting materials (CTMs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have played an important role in improving the stability by replacing the liquid electrolyte with solid state electron or hole conductors and enhancing the photovoltaic efficiency by the efficient electron collection. Many organic and inorganic materials for charge transporting in PSCs have been studied and applied to increase the charge extraction, transport and collection, such as Spiro-OMeTAD for hole transporting material (HTM), TiO2 for electron transporting material (ETM) and MoOX for HTM etc. However, recently inorganic CTMs are used to replace the disadvantages of organic materials in PSCs such as, the long-term operational instability, low charge mobility. Especially, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has many advantages in obtaining the conformal, dense and virtually pinhole-free layers. Here, we review ALD inorganic CTMs and their function in PSCs in view of the stability and contribution to enhancing the efficiency of photovoltaics.
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Solis C, Durantini JE, Macor L, Heredia DA, Gonzalez Lopez EJ, Durantini EN, Mangione MI, Rappich J, Dittrich T, Otero L, Gervaldo M. Electrochemical formation of photoactive organic heterojunctions. Porphyrin-C60 polymeric photoelectrochemical cells. Electrochim Acta 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2020.137333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Recent Advances and Challenges in Halide Perovskite Crystals in Optoelectronic Devices from Solar Cells to Other Applications. CRYSTALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst11010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have attracted tremendous attention as a key material in various optoelectronic devices. Distinctive optoelectronic properties, such as a tunable energy band position, long carrier diffusion lengths, and high charge carrier mobility, have allowed rapid progress in various perovskite-based optoelectronic devices (solar cells, photodetectors, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and lasers). Interestingly, the developments of each field are based on different characteristics of perovskite materials which are suitable for their own applications. In this review, we provide the fundamental properties of perovskite materials and categorize the usages in various optoelectronic applications. In addition, the prerequisite factors for those applications are suggested to understand the recent progress of perovskite-based optoelectronic devices and the challenges that need to be solved for commercialization.
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