Alkali Metal Chloride-Doped Water-Based TiO2 for Efficient and Stable Planar Perovskite Photovoltaics Exceeding 23% Efficiency

Interfacial Metal Chlorides as a Tool to Enhance Charge Carrier Dynamics, Electroluminescence, and Overall Efficiency of Organic Optoelectronic Devices

Interface engineering is the key to optimizing optoelectronic device performance, addressing challenges like reducing potential barriers, passivating interface traps, and controlling recombination of charges. Metal fluorides such as lithium fluoride are employed in interface modification within organic devices due to their strong dipole characteristics but carry health risks, high processing costs, and minimal impact on interface traps in organic electronics. Hence, this study investigates alternative metal chloride (MC) nanocrystals (sodium, cesium, rubidium, and potassium chlorides) that exhibit a strong dipole moment and are readily processable with the aim of reducing the influence of interface traps. Interfacial properties are assessed via various techniques, including electron paramagnetic resonance, X-ray/ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, capacitance-voltage measurements, and density functional theory calculations. In organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), the influence of MC on charge transfer, trap density, and light emission properties is evaluated. MCs in ZnO:PEIE nanocomposites (NCs) show improved charge transport, accelerated trapping/detrapping in ZnO:PEIE NCs, and a 50% reduction in active traps in NaCl-based devices versus the reference without MCs. RbCl-, CsCl-, and NaCl-based OLEDs exhibit substantial reductions in the potential barrier between the electron injection layer and the metal contact (Al) from 4.43 to 2.93, 3.02, and 4 eV, respectively, accompanied by enhancements of 35, 27, and 25% in electroluminescence intensity.

The Role of Optimal Electron Transfer Layers for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells-A Systematic Review

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which are constructed using organic-inorganic combination resources, represent an upcoming technology that offers a competitor to silicon-based solar cells. Electron transport materials (ETMs), which are essential to PSCs, are attracting a lot of interest. In this section, we begin by discussing the development of the PSC framework, which would form the foundation for the requirements of the ETM. Because of their exceptional electronic characteristics and low manufacturing costs, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a promising proposal for future generations of thin-film solar energy. However, PSCs with a compact layer (CL) exhibit subpar long-term reliability and efficacy. The quality of the substrate beneath a layer of perovskite has a major impact on how quickly it grows. Therefore, there has been interest in substrate modification using electron transfer layers to create very stable and efficient PSCs. This paper examines the systemic alteration of electron transport layers (ETLs) based on electron transfer layers that are employed in PSCs. Also covered are the functions of ETLs in the creation of reliable and efficient PSCs. Achieving larger-sized particles, greater crystallization, and a more homogenous morphology within perovskite films, all of which are correlated with a more stable PSC performance, will be guided by this review when they are developed further. To increase PSCs' sustainability and enable them to produce clean energy at levels previously unheard of, the difficulties and potential paths for future research with compact ETLs are also discussed.

Colloidal CsBr Nanocrystals Triggered Inorganic Cation and Anion Exchange Enables High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

Achieving longitudinal doping of specific ions by surface treatment remains a challenge for perovskite solar cells, which are often limited by dopant and solvent compatibility. Here, with the flowing environment created by CsBr colloidal nanocrystals, ion exchange is induced on the surface of the perovskite film to enable the homogeneous distribution of Cs+ and gradient distribution of Br- simultaneously at whole depth of the film. Meanwhile, assisted by long-chain organic ligands, the excess PbI2 on the surface of perovskite film is converted to a more stable quasi-2D perovskite, which realizes effective passivation of defects on the surface. As a result, the unfavorable n-type doping on the top surface is suppressed, so that the energy level alignment between perovskite and hole transport layer is optimized. On the basis of co-modification of the surface and the bulk, the PCE of champion device reaches 23.22% with enhanced VOC of 1.12 V. Device maintains 97.12% of the initial PCE in dark ambient air at 1% RH after 1056 h without encapsulation, and 91.56% of the initial PCE under light illumination of 1 sun in N2 atmosphere for more than 200 h. The approach demonstrated here provides an effective strategy for the nondestructive introduction of inorganic ions in perovskite film.

Elucidating Charge Carrier Dynamics in Perovskite-Based Tandem Solar Cells

Recently, multijunction tandem solar cells (TSCs) have presented high power conversion efficiency and revealed their immense potential in photovoltaic evolution. It is demonstrated that multiple light absorbers with various bandgap energies overcome the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction solar cells by absorbing the wide-range wavelength photons. Here, the main key challenges are reviewed, especially the charge carrier dynamics in perovskite-based 2-terminal (2-T) TSCs in terms of current matching, and how to manage these issues from a vantage point of characterization. To do this, the effect of recombination layers, optical and fabrication hurdles, and the impact of wide bandgap perovskite solar cells are discussed extensively. Afterward, this review focuses on various optoelectronics, spectroscopic, and theoretical (optical simulation) characterizations to figure out those issues, especially current-matching issues faced by the photovoltaic society. This review comprehensively provides deep insights into the relationship between the current-matching problems and the photovoltaic performance of TSCs through a variety of perspectives. Consequently, it is believed that this review is essential to address the main problems of 2-T TSCs, and the suggestions to elucidate the charge carrier dynamics and its characterization may pave the way to overcome such obstacles to further improve the development of 2-T TSCs in relation to the current-matching problems.

Facet Engineering: A Promising Pathway toward Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Photovoltaics

Perovskite solar cells are considered to be important candidates for future energy applications. The facet orientation causes anisotropy in the photoelectric and chemical properties of the surface of perovskite films and therefore might affect the photovoltaic properties and stability of the devices. Facet engineering has attracted increasing attention only recently in the perovskite solar cell community, and related deep investigation is rather rare. To date, it is still difficult to precisely regulate and directly observe perovskite films with specific crystal facets due to the limitations of solution methods and characterization technology. Consequently, the link between facet orientation and photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells is still controversial. Herein, we highlight the latest progress in the means of direct characterization and regulation of crystal facets and briefly analyze the existing issues and future perspectives of facet engineering in perovskite photovoltaics.

Defect management by a cesium fluoride-modified electron transport layer promotes perovskite solar cells

SnO₂ is a candidate material for electron transport layers (ETLs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, a large number of defects at the SnO₂/perovskite interface lead to notable non-radiative interfacial recombination. Moreover, the energy level arrangement between SnO₂/perovskite does not match well. In this study, a SnO₂/CsF-SnO₂ double-layer ETL was prepared by doping CsF into SnO₂, effectively passivating the defects of the SnO₂ ETL and SnO₂/perovskite interface. The formation of a good energy level arrangement with the perovskite layer reduces the interface non-radiative recombination and improves the performance of the interface charge extraction. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the optimal CsF-modified PSC reached 22.18%, owing to the significant increase in the open-circuit voltage to 1.180 V.

Alkali Metal Cations Modulate the Energy Level of SnO2 via Micro-agglomerating and Anchoring for Perovskite Solar Cells

N-type tin oxide (SnO₂) films are commonly used as an electron transport layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, SnO₂ films are of poor quality due to facile agglomeration under a low-temperature preparation method. In addition, energy level mismatch between the SnO₂ and perovskite (PVK) layer as well as interfacial charge recombination would cause open-circuit voltage loss. In this work, alkali metal oxalates (M-Oxalate, M = Li, Na, and K) are doped into the SnO₂ precursor to solve these problems. First, it is found that the hydrolyzed alkali metal cations tend to change colloid size distribution of SnO₂, in which Na-Oxalate with suitable basicity leads to most uniform colloid size distribution and high-quality SnO₂-Na films. Second, the electron conductivity is enhanced by slightly agglomerated SnO₂-Na, which facilitates the transmission of electrons. Third, alkali metal cations increase the conduction band level of SnO₂ in the sequence of K⁺, Na⁺, and Li⁺ to promote band alignment between ETLs and perovskite. Based on the optimized film quality and energy states of SnO₂-Na, the best PSC efficiency of 20.78% is achieved with a significantly enhanced open-circuit voltage of 1.10 V. This work highlights the function of alkali metal salts on the colloid particle distribution and energy level modulation of SnO₂.