Improved Charge Transport and Device Performance in p-i-n Carbon Electrode Perovskite Solar Cells Using SiC-APTES...

Carbon-based electrodes offer a low-cost and stable alternative to noble metals in lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs), yet their integration into high-performing planar p-i-n architectures remains limited by poor interfacial contact and processing-induced damage to thin electron transport layers (ETLs). Here, we introduce 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized cubic SiC (SiC-APTES) nanoparticles as a novel ETL-like additive for carbon pastes (CP). Surface functionalization enables uniform dispersion, dramatically improves the rheology of CP, and promotes intimate contact with the ETL. The SiC-APTES additive to CP boosts the power conversion efficiency from 14.75% to 18.43%, by reducing the series resistance and hysteresis. The resulting devices exhibit good stability under ambient operation, positioning the SiC-APTES additive as an effective strategy for low-cost p-i-n carbon-electrode PSCs toward future scalability.