Polarized Ferroelectric Polymers for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells suffer from energy loss due to nonradiative recombination.
• This recombination occurs within the perovskite layer and at device interfaces, limiting overall efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a strategy for improving perovskite solar cell performance by addressing nonradiative recombination.
• To investigate the combined effects of internal doping with ferroelectric polymers and external electric field control.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of polarized ferroelectric (PFE) polymers into methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) and/or at interfaces.
• Analysis of PFE polymer effects on build-in field (BIF), MAPbI3 crystallization, and trap state density.
• Electrical characterization of modified perovskite solar cells.

Main Results:

• PFE polymer doping led to ordered MA+ cation arrangement and preferred growth orientation in MAPbI3 films, reducing trap states.
• Enhanced BIF was observed due to a widened depletion region and the interfacial dipole effect of PFE polymers.
• A significant reduction in voltage loss (0.14 V) was achieved by suppressing nonradiative recombination.

Conclusions:

• The combined strategy effectively suppresses nonradiative recombination and enhances the BIF in perovskite solar cells.
• The PFE polymer integration leads to improved device performance, achieving 21.38% power conversion efficiency and 1.14 V open-circuit voltage.