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Strengthening perovskite interfaces with in-situ polymerized self-assembled monolayers
Yuliang Che1, Yang Wang2, Ting Yu1
1College of Materials, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Electronic Ceramic Materials and Devices, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 China.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|January 31, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a new self-assembled polymer hole transport layer (HTL) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This PEDOT-l-COOH (PTLC) HTL improves energy-level alignment and device stability, boosting PSC efficiency and longevity.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a common hole transport layer (HTL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
- PEDOT:PSS suffers from energy-level mismatch with perovskite, causing voltage loss, and its acidic, hygroscopic nature degrades PSC stability.
- There is a need for improved HTLs to enhance PSC performance and operational lifetime.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel self-assembled polymer HTL for PSCs that overcomes the limitations of PEDOT:PSS.
- To improve energy-level alignment between the HTL and perovskite for efficient charge extraction.
- To enhance the stability and performance of inverted PSCs.
Main Methods:
- In-situ polymerization of functionalized 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene with carboxylic acid side groups to create self-assembled polymer HTLs.
- Fabrication of inverted PSCs using the novel PTLC HTL.
- Characterization of PTLC's energy levels, structural properties, and perovskite film morphology.
- Performance testing of PSCs, including efficiency, open-circuit voltage, and operational stability under ambient conditions.
Main Results:
- The self-assembled PTLC HTL exhibits optimal energy-level alignment with perovskite, enhancing charge carrier collection.
- PTLC facilitates heterogeneous nucleation of perovskite, leading to high-quality perovskite films with improved buried interfaces.
- Inverted PSCs with PTLC achieved a champion efficiency of 20.30% and a high open-circuit voltage of 1.03 V, significantly outperforming PEDOT:PSS devices (14.47%, 0.79 V).
- Unsealed PTLC devices maintained 90% of their initial efficiency for 950 hours under 30% relative humidity.
Conclusions:
- Self-assembled polymer HTLs, like PTLC, offer a promising alternative to PEDOT:PSS for high-performance PSCs.
- The PTLC strategy effectively addresses energy-level mismatch and improves device stability.
- This work opens new avenues for developing advanced HTLs for optoelectronic devices and enhancing PSC technology.
