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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Influence of Hybrid Perovskite Fabrication Methods on Film Formation, Electronic Structure, and Solar Cell Performance
Published on: February 27, 2017
Simultaneous Solvent and Interface Engineering of Electron Transport Layer for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar
Qingquan He1, Ruoyu Li1, Tao Zhang1
1Science and Education Integration College of Energy and Carbon Neutralization, Baima Lake Laboratory, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Conversion and Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Synthesis and Conversion, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
Adding acetyl cyanide (AC) to [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) electron transport layers prevents aggregation in perovskite solar cells. This improves efficiency and stability for next-generation photovoltaics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are promising renewable energy devices.
- Electron transport layers (ETLs) like [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are crucial for PSC performance.
- PCBM aggregation leads to inhomogeneous films, poor defect passivation, and suboptimal energy alignment, hindering efficiency and stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce acetyl cyanide (AC) as a processing additive to mitigate PCBM aggregation in PSCs.
- To investigate the effects of AC on PCBM film morphology, electronic properties, and interfacial characteristics.
- To enhance the efficiency and operational stability of perovskite solar cells.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of acetyl cyanide (AC) into the PCBM precursor solution.
- Characterization of PCBM film morphology and properties using techniques sensitive to aggregation and homogeneity.
- Fabrication and testing of perovskite solar cells with AC-modified PCBM ETLs.
- Evaluation of device efficiency, energy-level alignment, and operational stability under various stress conditions.
Main Results:
- AC effectively disrupts π-π stacking between PCBM molecules via van der Waals interactions, leading to improved dispersion and film homogeneity.
- AC modification enhanced PCBM ETL conductivity and charge extraction, optimized energy-level alignment, and strengthened interfacial passivation.
- AC-modified PSCs achieved a power conversion efficiency of 25.75%.
- Devices exhibited excellent operational stability, retaining over 80% of initial performance after 1400 hours under ambient and 85 °C thermal stress.
Conclusions:
- Acetyl cyanide is a scalable and effective additive for mitigating PCBM aggregation in perovskite solar cells.
- This strategy significantly enhances both the efficiency and operational stability of perovskite photovoltaics.
- The findings offer a pathway towards more robust and high-performing perovskite solar cell technology.
