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Monovalent Cation Doping of CH3NH3PbI3 for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells
Published on: March 19, 2017
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Tetramethylurea Based Intermediate Phase Engineering for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Haimao Zhu1, Yuanxin Zhong2, Jiancheng You1
1Institute for Clean Energy and Advanced Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|March 13, 2025
Summary
Tetramethylurea (TMU) solvent enhances perovskite crystallization for more efficient and stable solar cells. This novel approach improves film quality, leading to higher power conversion efficiency and durability.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer high efficiency and low cost but require high-quality perovskite films.
- Film quality is dictated by nucleation and growth, heavily influenced by solvent choice.
- Traditional dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent leads to rapid crystallization, hindering film quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce tetramethylurea (TMU) as a novel solvent for perovskite film formation, replacing DMSO.
- To optimize perovskite crystallization through intermediate phase engineering using TMU.
- To enhance the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.
Main Methods:
- Replacing DMSO with tetramethylurea (TMU) in the perovskite precursor solution.
- Utilizing intermediate phase engineering to control crystallization kinetics.
- Fabricating and testing perovskite solar cell devices.
Main Results:
- TMU demonstrated stronger solute interactions, delaying perovskite phase transition and yielding larger grains with fewer defects.
- Optimized films showed enhanced phase stability after 150 hours under 95% relative humidity or 85°C.
- Device efficiency increased from 19.54% to 21.05%, with long-term stability demonstrated after ≈1000 hours under 50% relative humidity.
Conclusions:
- Tetramethylurea (TMU) is a viable alternative to DMSO for fabricating high-quality perovskite films.
- Intermediate phase engineering with TMU significantly improves PSC efficiency and stability.
- This work provides a new strategy for developing highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.
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