Dehydration-Reaction-Based Low-Temperature Synthesis of Amorphous SnO for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Carrier-transporting materials are crucial for optoelectronic devices like solar cells.
• Amorphous metal oxides offer facile fabrication and good electronic properties for perovskite solar cells and flexible electronics.
• Existing amorphous metal oxide electron-transporting layers (ETLs) limit perovskite solar cell efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-temperature synthesis method for amorphous tin oxide (SnO).
• To evaluate amorphous SnO as an ETL in perovskite solar cells.
• To assess the performance and stability of devices utilizing this novel ETL.

Main Methods:

• A moderate dehydration reaction was employed for low-temperature synthesis of amorphous SnO.
• Amorphous SnO was integrated as the ETL in perovskite solar cells.
• Device performance metrics including power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability were measured.
• Flexible perovskite solar cells and LEDs were fabricated using amorphous SnO.

Main Results:

• Achieved a record 20.4% PCE in perovskite solar cells with amorphous SnO ETL synthesized below 100 °C.
• Demonstrated remarkable device stability, retaining 85% of initial efficiency after over 4800 hours.
• Attained 11.7% PCE in flexible perovskite solar cells.
• Fabricated LEDs with amorphous SnO, achieving over 3% external quantum efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Low-temperature synthesized amorphous SnO is a highly effective ETL for high-performance perovskite solar cells.
• This material significantly enhances device efficiency and long-term stability.
• Amorphous SnO shows promise for applications in flexible electronics and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).