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Updated: Mar 15, 2026
Influence of Hybrid Perovskite Fabrication Methods on Film Formation, Electronic Structure, and Solar Cell Performance
Published on: February 27, 2017
Strongly spatial-confined self-assembled monolayers for high-performance perovskite photovoltaics
Dongyang Li1, Qiming Yin2, Zhiwei Ren3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Photonic Research Institute (PRI), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China; SUSTech Energy Institute for Carbon Neutrality, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Materials for Electric Power, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Spatial confinement of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) enhances the stability and performance of perovskite solar cells. This molecular design strategy overcomes desorption and degradation, leading to durable and efficient devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Organic Electronics
Background:
- Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are crucial for high-efficiency inverted perovskite solar cells (IPSCs).
- Poor operational stability of SAMs hinders commercialization of IPSCs.
- Current SAMs face challenges with molecular desorption, thermal degradation, and solvent resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve the operational stability of SAMs in IPSCs.
- To develop a molecular design principle for enhanced SAM performance.
- To investigate the impact of spatial confinement on SAM durability and interfacial properties.
Main Methods:
- Designed and synthesized a custom molecule (MeO-PABDCB) for SAM formation.
- Utilized robust out-of-plane anchoring and dense in-plane packing for spatial confinement.
- Investigated π-π stacking distances and interfacial bonding.
- Fabricated IPSCs using the engineered SAMs.
- Conducted stability tests including thermal cycling and prolonged maximum power point tracking.
Main Results:
- Engineered SAMs demonstrated suppressed molecular desorption and enhanced thermal/solvent resistance.
- MeO-PABDCB formed strong bonds with ITO and perovskite layers, promoting π-π stacking (3.72 Å).
- The confined SAM structure mitigated interfacial strain, improving hole extraction.
- Achieved a champion PCE of 26.54% with a fill factor of 86.4%.
- Devices retained 90% efficiency after 1000 h of operation and over 90% after 250 thermal cycles.
Conclusions:
- Spatial confinement is a viable strategy for creating durable SAMs in perovskite optoelectronics.
- The developed molecular design principle leads to highly efficient and stable IPSCs.
- This approach addresses key stability limitations, paving the way for commercialization.
