The chemical structure of donors and acceptors limit the power conversion efficiencies achievable with active layers of binary donor-acceptor mixtures. Here, using quaternary blends, double cascading ...energy level alignment in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic active layers are realized, enabling efficient carrier splitting and transport. Numerous avenues to optimize light absorption, carrier transport, and charge-transfer state energy levels are opened by the chemical constitution of the components. Record-breaking PCEs of 18.07% are achieved where, by electronic structure and morphology optimization, simultaneous improvements of the open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current and fill factor occur. The donor and acceptor chemical structures afford control over electronic structure and charge-transfer state energy levels, enabling manipulation of hole-transfer rates, carrier transport, and non-radiative recombination losses.
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with an inverted structure (often referred to as the p-i-n architecture) are attractive for future commercialization owing to their easily scalable fabrication, reliable ...operation and compatibility with a wide range of perovskite-based tandem device architectures
. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of p-i-n PSCs falls behind that of n-i-p (or normal) structure counterparts
. This large performance gap could undermine efforts to adopt p-i-n architectures, despite their other advantages. Given the remarkable advances in perovskite bulk materials optimization over the past decade, interface engineering has become the most important strategy to push PSC performance to its limit
. Here we report a reactive surface engineering approach based on a simple post-growth treatment of 3-(aminomethyl)pyridine (3-APy) on top of a perovskite thin film. First, the 3-APy molecule selectively reacts with surface formamidinium ions, reducing perovskite surface roughness and surface potential fluctuations associated with surface steps and terraces. Second, the reaction product on the perovskite surface decreases the formation energy of charged iodine vacancies, leading to effective n-type doping with a reduced work function in the surface region. With this reactive surface engineering, the resulting p-i-n PSCs obtained a PCE of over 25 per cent, along with retaining 87 per cent of the initial PCE after over 2,400 hours of 1-sun operation at about 55 degrees Celsius in air.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Metal halide perovskite semiconductors possess outstanding characteristics for optoelectronic applications including but not limited to photovoltaics. Low-dimensional and nanostructured motifs impart ...added functionality which can be exploited further. Moreover, wider cation composition tunability and tunable surface ligand properties of colloidal quantum dot (QD) perovskites now enable unprecedented device architectures which differ from thin-film perovskites fabricated from solvated molecular precursors. Here, using layer-by-layer deposition of perovskite QDs, we demonstrate solar cells with abrupt compositional changes throughout the perovskite film. We utilize this ability to abruptly control composition to create an internal heterojunction that facilitates charge separation at the internal interface leading to improved photocarrier harvesting. We show how the photovoltaic performance depends upon the heterojunction position, as well as the composition of each component, and we describe an architecture that greatly improves the performance of perovskite QD photovoltaics.
Maximizing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells that can exceed the Shockley-Queisser single-cell limit requires a high-performing, stable perovskite top ...cell with a wide bandgap. We developed a stable perovskite solar cell with a bandgap of ~1.7 electron volts that retained more than 80% of its initial PCE of 20.7% after 1000 hours of continuous illumination. Anion engineering of phenethylammonium-based two-dimensional (2D) additives was critical for controlling the structural and electrical properties of the 2D passivation layers based on a lead iodide framework. The high PCE of 26.7% of a monolithic two-terminal wide-bandgap perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell was made possible by the ideal combination of spectral responses of the top and bottom cells.
Lead‐halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) or more broadly, nanocrystals possess advantageous features for solution‐processed photovoltaic devices. The nanocrystal surface ligands play a crucial role ...in the transport of photogenerated carriers and ultimately affect the overall performance of PQD solar cells. Significantly improved CsPbI3 PQD synthetic yield and solar‐cell performance through surface ligand management are demonstrated. The treatment of a secondary amine, di‐n‐propylamine (DPA), provides a mild and efficient approach to control the surface ligand density of PQDs, which has an apparently different working mechanism compared to previously reported surface treatments. Using an optimal DPA concentration, the treatment can simultaneously remove both long‐chain insulating surface ligands of oleic acid and oleylamine, even for unpurified PQDs with high ligand density. As a result, the electrical coupling between PQDs is enhanced, leading to improved charge transport, reduced carrier recombination, and a high power conversion efficiency approaching 15% for CsPbI3‐PQD‐based solar cells. In addition, the production yield of CsPbI3 PQDs can be increased by a factor of 8. These results highlight the importance of developing new ligand‐management strategies, specifically for emerging PQDs to achieve scalable and high‐performance perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices.
Di‐n‐propylamine solution in methyl acetate is successfully demonstrated as an efficient solid‐state treatment for CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dot (PQD) solar cells, and a record power conversion efficiency of ≈15% and high reproducibility are achieved for CsPbI3 PQD solar cells.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Surface manipulation of quantum dots (QDs) has been extensively reported to be crucial to their performance when applied into optoelectronic devices, especially for photovoltaic devices. In this ...work, an efficient surface passivation method for emerging CsPbI3 perovskite QDs using a variety of inorganic cesium salts (cesium acetate (CsAc), cesium idodide (CsI), cesium carbonate (Cs2CO3), and cesium nitrate (CsNO3)) is reported. The Cs‐salts post‐treatment can not only fill the vacancy at the CsPbI3 perovskite surface but also improve electron coupling between CsPbI3 QDs. As a result, the free carrier lifetime, diffusion length, and mobility of QD film are simultaneously improved, which are beneficial for fabricating high‐quality conductive QD films for efficient solar cell devices. After optimizing the post‐treatment process, the short‐circuit current density and fill factor are significantly enhanced, delivering an impressive efficiency of 14.10% for CsPbI3 QD solar cells. In addition, the Cs‐salt‐treated CsPbI3 QD devices exhibit improved stability against moisture due to the improved surface environment of these QDs. These findings will provide insight into the design of high‐performance and low‐trap‐states perovskite QD films with desirable optoelectronic properties.
This work reports an efficient post‐treatment method for CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) using cesium cations, which can passivate the CsPbI3 surface and improve the electron coupling of QDs. Finally, the best CsPbI3 QD solar cell with an impressive efficiency of 14.10% is achieved by cesium acetate (CsAc) and exhibits improved stability against moisture.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The performance of three-dimensional (3D) organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be enhanced through surface treatment with 2D layered perovskites that have efficient charge ...transport. We maximized hole transport across the layers of a metastable Dion-Jacobson (DJ) 2D perovskite that tuned the orientational arrangements of asymmetric bulky organic molecules. The reduced energy barrier for hole transport increased out-of-plane transport rates by a factor of 4 to 5, and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the 2D PSC was 4.9%. With the metastable DJ 2D surface layer, the PCE of three common 3D PSCs was enhanced by approximately 12 to 16% and could reach approximately 24.7%. For a triple-cation–mixed-halide PSC, 90% of the initial PCE was retained after 1000 hours of 1-sun operation at ~40°C in nitrogen.
Organic–inorganic halide perovskites incorporating two-dimensional (2D) structures have shown promise for enhancing the stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the bulky spacer cations ...often limit charge transport. Here, we report on a simple approach based on molecular design of the organic spacer to improve the transport properties of 2D perovskites, and we use phenethylammonium (PEA) as an example. We demonstrate that by fluorine substitution on the para position in PEA to form 4-fluorophenethylammonium (F-PEA), the average phenyl ring centroid–centroid distances in the organic layer become shorter with better aligned stacking of perovskite sheets. The impact is enhanced orbital interactions and charge transport across adjacent inorganic layers as well as increased carrier lifetime and reduced trap density. Using a simple perovskite deposition at room temperature without using any additives, we obtained a power conversion efficiency of >13% for (F-PEA)2MA4Pb5I16-based PSCs. In addition, the thermal stability of 2D PSCs based on F-PEA is significantly enhanced compared to those based on PEA.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Metal halide perovskite quantum dots (Pe‐QDs) are of great interest in new‐generation photovoltaics (PVs). However, it remains challenging in the construction of conductive and intact Pe‐QD films to ...maximize their functionality. Herein, a ligand‐assisted surface matrix strategy to engineer the surface and packing states of Pe‐QD solids is demonstrated by a mild thermal annealing treatment after ligand exchange processing (referred to as “LE‐TA”) triggered by guanidinium thiocyanate. The “LE‐TA” method induces the formation of surface matrix on CsPbI3 QDs, which is dominated by the cationic guanidinium (GA+) rather than the SCN−, maintaining the intact cubic structure and facilitating interparticle electrical interaction of QD solids. Consequently, the GA‐matrix‐confined CsPbI3 QDs exhibit remarkably enhanced charge mobility and carrier diffusion length compared to control ones, leading to a champion power conversion efficiency of 15.21% when assembled in PVs, which is one of the highest among all Pe‐QD solar cells. Additionally, the “LE‐TA” method shows similar effects when applied to other Pe‐QD PV systems like CsPbBr3 and FAPbI3 (FA = formamidinium), indicating its versatility in regulating the surfaces of various Pe‐QDs. This work may afford new guidelines to construct electrically conductive and structurally intact Pe‐QD solids for efficient optoelectronic devices.
A ligand‐assisted matrix to regulate surface and packing states of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) is demonstrated, which involves a ligand exchange and a mild thermal annealing process that are triggered by guanidinium thiocyanate. Consequently, the CsPbI3 QD solar cells (QDSCs) deliver a champion power conversion efficiency of 15.21%, which is the highest report among all CsPbI3 QDSCs.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Perovskite based photovoltaic devices hold the promise to greatly reduce the cost of solar energy production; however, this potential depends greatly on the ability to deposit perovskite active ...layers using large scale deposition methods such as slot-die coating without sacrificing efficiency. Using a perovskite precursor ink with long wet-film processing window, we demonstrate efficient perovskite solar cells based on slot-die coated perovskite layer. We found almost no difference in the photophysical and structural details of perovskite films that were deposited by spin coating to films deposited by slot-die coating. We explored various slot-die coating parameters to determine their effect on the performance of the device metrics. In addition to slot-die coating, we demonstrate the versatility of this wide wet-film processing window by fabricating perovskite solar cells with active layers deposited by spin coating, blade coating, and spray coating that all exhibited similar performance.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, KILJ, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK