A novel 3-methylthiophene additive to boost the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a practical candidate for new-generation photovoltaic devices to meet global energy demands. Recently, researchers' attempts have been focused on the crucial issues related to PSCs, i.e., stability and performance. In this research, MAPbI₃-based PSCs were prepared via a two-step deposition process. To boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the prepared PSCs, an additive engineering approach was employed. A novel 3-methylthiophene (MTP) organic molecule was added to the methylammonium iodide (MAI)/isopropanol (IPA) solution precursor. The additive improved the crystallinity of the perovskite layer, which indicates a more desirable film with lower surface defects and larger particle size. Modified PSCs reduced carries recombination rate at the interfacial of perovskite/hole transport layer (HTL), and the charge transport process is facilitated due to a desirable delocalized π-electron system of the MTP additive. The PCE of PSCs in the presence of MTP additive improved from 12.32% to 16.93% for pristine devices. Importantly, MTP-based PSCs showed higher ambient air stability due to the hydrophobic structure of MTP compared to pristine PSCs.