Highly Efficient (>13%) and Robust Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells Using an Ultrasimple All-Carbon-Electrode...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Traditional perovskite solar cells face commercialization hurdles due to fragile, expensive transparent conductive oxide anodes and noble metal cathodes.
• These limitations result in poor flexibility and high material costs, hindering widespread adoption of perovskite photovoltaic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an ultrasimple, flexible, and cost-effective perovskite solar cell using an all-carbon electrode system.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) and noble metal components in perovskite solar cells.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an indium tin oxide (ITO)-free and hole transport layer (HTL)-free all-carbon-electrode flexible perovskite solar cell (AC-F-PSC).
• Utilized a carbon-based anode (CNT-GR) composed of carbon nanotubes and graphene, and a conductive carbon cathode.
• Employed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the electronic properties and interface interactions.
• Applied a heat-pressing technique to improve the perovskite/carbon cathode interface.

Main Results:

• The developed AC-F-PSC achieved a power conversion efficiency of 13.14%, a record for carbon-electrode flexible perovskite solar cells.
• The carbon-based anode demonstrated superior flexibility, low sheet resistance, and high light transmittance compared to ITO.
• DFT calculations revealed that the CNT-GR anode effectively suppresses oxygen vacancies in the SnO2 layer, optimizing energy level alignment.
• The device exhibited remarkable mechanical flexibility, retaining ~71% of its initial efficiency after 4000 bending cycles.

Conclusions:

• An ultrasimple, ITO-free, and HTL-free all-carbon-electrode flexible perovskite solar cell was successfully demonstrated.
• The novel carbon electrode architecture provides a promising pathway for robust, cost-effective, and highly flexible photovoltaic devices.
• This approach addresses key challenges in commercializing perovskite solar technology.