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Unifying the Colloidal Homogeneity of Perovskite Precursor for Perovskite Solar Cells
Hechao Zou1, Ming Wang1,2, Baifeng Huang1
1Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|February 10, 2026
Summary
Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) unifies perovskite precursor colloids by dissolving aggregates and promoting homogeneous nucleation. This leads to reduced defects and improved perovskite solar cell performance, increasing power conversion efficiency (PCE).
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Solution-processed metal halide perovskites rely on precursor solutions, which are complex colloidal suspensions.
- Additive engineering is crucial for crystallization kinetics and film morphology, but its role in regulating colloidal environments is not fully understood.
- The bimodal size distribution in perovskite solutions presents a challenge for achieving high-performance devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a multifunctional agent in reconfiguring perovskite precursor colloidal suspensions.
- To elucidate how TFA influences the colloidal coordination environment and size distribution.
- To demonstrate the impact of colloidal homogeneity on perovskite solar cell performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a single-molecule additive in perovskite precursor solutions.
- Analyzed the effect of TFA's electron-withdrawing properties on solvent protonation and solution pH.
- Investigated the dissolution of iodoplumbate aggregates and the resulting changes in colloidal size distribution.
- Examined TFA's influence on homogeneous nucleation and crystal growth.
- Fabricated and characterized perovskite solar cells to evaluate performance improvements.
Main Results:
- TFA shifted the solution pH from alkaline to acidic, collapsing bimodal distributions into homogeneous small colloids by dissolving iodoplumbate aggregates.
- TFA enhanced homogeneous nucleation through direct precursor coordination and unified crystal growth.
- The resulting perovskite films exhibited reduced defects and improved crystallinity.
- Achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) increase from 23.3% to 25.2%, with synergistic gains in open-circuit voltage (VOC), short-circuit current density (JSC), and fill factor (FF).
Conclusions:
- Unifying the colloidal homogeneity of perovskite precursor solutions is critical for advancing perovskite solar cell performance.
- TFA acts as a multifunctional agent that controls both the colloidal state and crystallization process.
- This approach offers a pathway to high-performance, defect-minimized perovskite solar cells.
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