Optimizing Lignosulfonic Acid-Grafted Polyaniline as a Hole-Transport Layer for Inverted CH₃NH₃PbI₃ Perovskite Solar...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Perovskite solar cells offer promising photovoltaic performance.
• Efficient hole-transport layers (HTLs) are crucial for high-performing perovskite solar cells.
• Existing HTLs like PEDOT:PSS face challenges in stability and performance optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel lignosulfonic acid-grafted, polyaniline-doped camphorsulfonic acid (LS-PANI-CSA) as an efficient HTL for perovskite solar cells.
• To investigate the effect of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) treatment on the morphology and electronic properties of LS-PANI-CSA films.
• To enhance the performance and stability of inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells using the optimized LS-PANI-CSA HTL.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of LS-PANI-CSA via a low-temperature solution process.
• Optimization of LS-PANI-CSA film properties through dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) washing.
• Characterization of film morphology, electronic properties, and hydrophobicity.
• Fabrication and performance testing of inverted perovskite solar cells with LS-PANI-CSA HTLs.

Main Results:

• DMSO treatment enhanced LS-PANI-CSA electronic properties and hydrophobicity, crucial for perovskite growth.
• Perovskite layers on DMSO-treated LS-PANI-CSA exhibited higher crystallinity, larger grain sizes, and reduced defects.
• Devices with 15 nm DMSO-treated LS-PANI-CSA achieved a maximum power conversion efficiency of 10.8%, significantly higher than untreated LS-PANI-CSA (5.18%) and comparable to PEDOT:PSS (9.48%).
• The optimized LS-PANI-CSA HTL demonstrated superior device stability compared to both untreated LS-PANI-CSA and PEDOT:PSS.

Conclusions:

• LS-PANI-CSA is a viable and efficient HTL for perovskite solar cells.
• DMSO treatment is an effective method for optimizing LS-PANI-CSA performance.
• The developed HTL offers improved efficiency and enhanced stability for perovskite photovoltaic devices.