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Simultaneous Top and Bottom Perovskite Interface Engineering by Fullerene Surface Modification of Titanium Dioxide as
John Ciro1, Santiago Mesa1, Juan Felipe Montoya1
1Centro de Investigación, Innovación y Desarrollo de Materiales-CIDEMAT, Facultad de Ingeniería and ‡Grupo de Estado Sólido, Instituto de Física, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA , Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín 050010, Colombia.
This study introduces a novel fullerene modification for titanium dioxide electron transport layers in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This method enhances charge transfer and reduces defects, boosting device efficiency for both rigid and flexible applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Optimizing the interface between the electron transport layer (ETL) and perovskite is critical for high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
- Fullerene modification of titanium dioxide (TiO2) ETLs is promising but hindered by solubility issues in solution-processed PSCs.
- Existing methods face challenges with low-temperature processing and integration into scalable device fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a new method for fullerene modification of TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) ETLs for solution-processed PSCs.
- To investigate the impact of this fullerene-TiO2 NP interface on perovskite layer properties and device performance.
- To demonstrate the efficiency gains in both rigid and flexible perovskite solar cell architectures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of TiO2 nanoparticle inks for ETLs.
- Introduction of a novel fullerene modification method for the TiO2 NP surface.
- Characterization using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to analyze ETL morphology.
- Fabrication and performance testing of rigid and flexible PSC devices.
Main Results:
- The modified ETL forms a network of TiO2 NPs interconnected by fullerenes, enhancing the perovskite interface.
- Improved charge transfer at the ETL/perovskite interface and reduced surface trap states at the perovskite/buffer layer interface.
- Achieved 17.2% power conversion efficiency (PCE) in rigid PSCs and a stabilized 12.2% PCE in flexible PSCs.
Conclusions:
- The developed fullerene modification method offers a viable route for improving ETL performance in low-temperature solution-processed PSCs.
- This approach significantly enhances charge dynamics and surface passivation, leading to higher device efficiencies.
- The method shows strong potential for the scalable fabrication of efficient rigid and flexible perovskite solar cells.
