Low-Cost Hole-Transporting Materials Based on Carbohelicene for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are a promising next-generation photovoltaic technology.
• Efficient and stable hole-transporting materials (HTMs) are crucial for PSC performance and longevity.
• Conventional HTMs like spiro-OMeTAD face challenges in stability and cost.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel carbohelicene-based HTMs for enhanced PSCs.
• To investigate the structure-property relationships of these new HTMs.
• To evaluate the performance and stability of PSCs incorporating these novel HTMs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of two carbohelicene-based HTMs, CH1 and CH2.
• Fabrication of PSC devices using CH1 and CH2 as HTMs.
• Characterization of device efficiency, phase stability, and ambient stability.

Main Results:

• CH1 and CH2 exhibit unique CH-π interactions and good phase stability.
• PSCs based on CH1 and CH2 achieved high efficiencies of 19.36% and 18.71%, respectively.
• Devices demonstrated superior ambient stability, retaining 90% performance after 500 h of aging.

Conclusions:

• Carbohelicene-based HTMs offer a promising alternative to conventional materials for PSCs.
• The unique structural features of carbohelicenes contribute to improved device performance and stability.
• The low production cost of these novel HTMs supports their potential for commercial PSC applications.