Cesium Acetate-Induced Interfacial Compositional Change and Graded Band Level in MAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells.

Compositional engineering and interfacial modifications have played pivotal roles in the accomplishment of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Different interfaces in the PSCs influence the performance remarkably either by altering the crystallization of the active material or shifting the energy levels or improving the electrical contact. This work reports how a thin layer of cesium acetate on the TiO2 electron transport layer (ETL) induces generation of a PbI2-rich methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) composition at the ETL/MAPbI3 interface, which downshifts the conduction band level of MAPbI3 to create an energy level gradient favorable for carrier collection, resulting in higher photocurrent, fill factor, and overall power conversion efficiency.

VOC Over 1.4 V for Amorphous Tin-Oxide-Based Dopant-Free CsPbI2Br Perovskite Solar Cells.

CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention because of the rapid development in their efficiency and their great potential as a top cell of tandem solar cells. However, the VOC outputs observed so far in most cases are far from that desired for a top cell. Up to now, with various kinds of treatments, the reported champion VOC is only 1.32 V, with a VOC deficit of 0.60 V. In this work, we found that aging of the SnCl2 precursor solution for the electron-transporting layer can promote the VOC of CsPbI2Br solar cells by employing a dopant-free-polymer hole transport material (HTM) over 1.40 V and efficiency over 15.5% with high reproducibility. With the champion VOC of 1.43 V, the VOC deficit was reduced to <0.50 V, which is achieved for the first time. This simple technique of SnCl2 solution aging forms a uniform and smooth amorphous SnOx film with pure Sn4+, elevates the conduction band of SnOx, and reduces the interfacial gaps and the trap state density of the device, resulting in enhancement in average VOC from ∼1.2 V in the nonaged case to ∼1.4 V in the aged case. Furthermore, the device using an aged SnCl2 solution also exhibits a much better long-term stability than that made of the fresh solution. These achievements in dopant/additive-free CsPbI2Br solar cells can be useful for future research on CsPbI2Br and tandem solar cells.

Niobium Incorporation into CsPbI2Br for Stable and Efficient All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells.

All-inorganic perovskites are attracting increasing attention due to their superior thermal stability than that of the traditional CH3NH3PbI3, while their inferior phase stability in ambient conditions is still an unsolved issue. Here, for the first time, we report the incorporation of niobium (Nb5+) ions into the CsPbI2Br perovskite. Results indicate that Nb5+ can effectively stabilize the photoactive α-CsPbI2Br phase by the possible substitution of Pb2+. With 0.5% Nb doping, the carbon electrode-based all-inorganic perovskite solar cells achieved a high photoconversion efficiency value of 10.42%, 15% higher than that of the control device. The Nb5+ incorporation reduces the charge recombination in the perovskite, leading to a champion Voc value of 1.27 V and a negligible hysteresis effect. This work explicates the high compatibility of all-inorganic perovskite materials and unlocks the opportunities for the use of high-valence ions for perovskite property modification.

The Role of Lanthanum in a Nickel Oxide-Based Inverted Perovskite Solar Cell for Efficiency and Stability Improvement.

A high-performing inverted perovskite solar cell (PSC) always relies on the hole transporting layer (HTL) quality and its interfaces. This work investigates the impact of La incorporation within the NiOx matrix for defects passivation, thus leading to high charge extraction ability and stability without compromising its power conversion efficiency. In the presence of La, the La-NiOx quality is clearly improved; without the formation of pinholes. In addition, the inclusion of La alters the energy band alignment; consequently, enhancing the hole transportation and widening the Voc (>1 V), as compared to the pristine NiOx . The beneficial effect of La was further revealed through the photoluminescence measurement and density of states (DOS) analysis, in which trap states are passivated by La. More importantly, the perovskite solar cell, with La-NiOx as the HTL, exhibits 21 % enhancement in efficiency and a remarkable stability that is greater than that of pristine NiOx . This also unlocks an opportunity for commercialization.

High Electrical Conductivity 2D MXene Serves as Additive of Perovskite for Efficient Solar Cells.

MXenes, a newly intriguing family of 2D materials, have recently attracted considerable attention owing to their excellent properties such as high electrical conductivity and mobility, tunable structure, and termination groups. Here, the Ti3 C2 Tx MXene is incorporated into the perovskite absorber layer for the first time, which aims for efficiency enhancement. Results show that the termination groups of Ti3 C2 Tx can retard the crystallization rate, thereby increasing the crystal size of CH3 NH3 PbI3 . It is found that the high electrical conductivity and mobility of MXene can accelerate the charge transfer. After optimizing the key parameters, 12% enhancement in device performance is achieved by 0.03 wt% amount of MXene additive. This work unlocks opportunities for the use of MXene as potential materials in perovskite solar cell applications.