Interfacial and structural modifications in perovskite solar cells

Screening of Functional Small Molecules via Modified Machine Learning Strategy toward Efficient All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells

Organic small molecules are proven to be capable of passivating the bulk/interfacial defects in inorganic perovskite solar cells. Considering the burdensome situation to screen the functional small molecules, we employ a modified machine learning (ML) strategy to guide screening suitable small molecules toward efficient solar cells through three modified ML algorithms to construct the prediction model: (i) random forest algorithm (RF), (ii) support vector machine algorithm (SVR), and (iii) XGBoost. Among them, the XGBoost algorithm displays a better overall predictive performance, whereby the R2 index reaches 0.939. Accordingly, eight small molecules are selected to modify the interface of perovskite films, and both the theoretical and experimental results certify that the difluorobenzylamine with additional fluorine atoms has a better interface modification effect among the small molecules containing functional groups, e.g., the benzene ring and amino group. The high accuracy of the modified machine learning model enables us to simplify the small-molecule screening process and form an important step for ongoing developments in perovskite solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.

Structural, vibrational, photoelectrochemical, and optical properties of two-dimensional Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite BA2PbI4 crystals

Two-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites have attracted a lot of attention due to their unique photochemical properties and enhanced stability towards photoluminescence devices. Compared with three-dimensional materials, two-dimensional perovskites show great potential for photoelectric applications due to their tunable band gap, great excitation binding energy, and large crystal anisotropy. Although the synthesis and optical properties of BA₂PbI₄ crystals have been extensively studied, the role of their microstructure in photoelectric applications, their electronic structure, and their electron-phonon interaction are still poorly understood. In this paper, based on the preparation of BA₂PbI₄ crystals, the electronic structure, phonon dispersion, and vibrational properties of BA₂PbI₄ crystals were revealed in detail with the help of density functional theory. The BA₂PbI₄ stability diagram of formation enthalpy was calculated. The crystal structure of the BA₂PbI₄ crystals was characterized and calculated with the aid of Rietveld refinement. A contactless fixed-point lighting device was designed based on the principle of an electromagnetic induction coil, and the points with different thicknesses of BA₂PbI₄ crystal were tested. It is proved that the excitation peak of the bulk is 564 nm, and the surface luminescence peak is 520 nm. Phonon dispersion curves and the total and partial phonon densities of states have been calculated for the BA₂PbI₄ crystals. The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental Fourier infrared spectra. Besides the basic characterization of the BA₂PbI₄ crystals, the photoelectrochemical properties of the materials were also studied, which further proves the excellent photoelectric properties of the BA₂PbI₄ crystals and the broad application prospect.

Grain boundary sliding and distortion on a nanosecond timescale induce trap states in CsPbBr3: ab initio investigation with machine learning force field

Grain boundaries (GBs) in perovskite solar cells and optoelectronic devices are widely regarded as detrimental defects that accelerate charge and energy losses through nonradiative carrier trapping and recombination, but the mechanism is still under debate owing to the diversity of GB configurations and behaviors. We combine ab initio electronic structure and machine learning force field to investigate evolution of the geometric and electronic structure of a CsPbBr₃ GB on a nanosecond timescale, which is comparable with the carrier recombination time. We demonstrate that the GB slides spontaneously within a few picoseconds increasing the band gap. Subsequent structural oscillations dynamically produce midgap trap states through Pb-Pb interactions across the GB. After several hundred picoseconds, structural distortions start to occur, increasing the occurrence of deep midgap states. We identify a distinct correlation of the average Pb-Pb distance and fluctuations in the ion coordination numbers with the appearance of the midgap states. Suppressing GB distortions through annealing and breaking up Pb-Pb dimers by passivation can efficiently alleviate the detrimental effects of GBs in perovskites. The study provides new insights into passivation of the detrimental GB defects, and demonstrates that structural and charge carrier dynamics in perovskites are intimately coupled.

Green synthesis of highly stable CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals using natural deep eutectic solvents as solvents and surface ligands

Perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have attracted widespread attention as promising materials for the optoelectronic field due to their remarkable photophysical properties and structural tunability. However, their poor stability and the use of toxic organic solvents in the preparation process have severely restricted their practical applications. Herein, a facile, rapid and toxic organic solvent-free synthesis strategy of CsPbBr₃ PNCs was developed for the first time via the ligand-assisted reprecipitation (LARP) method using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) as solvents and surface ligands. In this method, the NADESs not only functioned as solvents for green synthesis, but also served simultaneously as surface ligands of CsPbBr₃ PNCs to significantly improve their optical properties and stability. The as-synthesized CsPbBr₃ PNCs exhibited high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY, ∼96.8%), narrow full width at half-maximum (FWHM, ∼18.8 nm) and a high stability that retained 82.9% of PL intensity after 70 days. This work provides a new strategy for the green synthesis of PNCs, which promises feasibility for the industrial large-scale synthesis of high-quality PNCs.

Recent Advances in g-C3N4 for the Application of Perovskite Solar Cells

In this study, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) was extensively utilized as an electron transport layer or interfacial buffer layer for simultaneously realizing photoelectric performance and stability improvement of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This review covers the different g-C₃N₄ nanostructures used as additive and surface modifier layers applied to PSCs. In addition, the mechanism of reducing the defect state in PSCs, including improving the crystalline quality of perovskite, passivating the grain boundaries, and tuning the energy level alignment, were also highlighted in this review. Currently, the power conversion efficiency of PSCs based on modified g-C₃N₄ has been increased up to 22.13%, and its unique two-dimensional (2D) package structure has enhanced the stability of PSCs, which can remain stable in the dark for over 1500 h. Finally, the potential challenges and perspectives of g-C₃N₄ incorporated into perovskite-based optoelectronic devices are also included in this review.

Effect of Pristine Graphene on Methylammonium Lead Iodide Films and Implications on Solar Cell Performance

The relatively low stability of solar cells based on hybrid halide perovskites is the main issue to be solved for the implementation in real life of these extraordinary materials. Degradation is accelerated by temperature, moisture, oxygen, and light and mediated by halide easy hopping. The approach here is to incorporate pristine graphene, which is hydrophobic and impermeable to gases and likely limits ionic diffusion while maintaining adequate electronic conductivity. Low concentrations of few-layer graphene platelets (up to 24 × 10^-3 wt %) were incorporated to MAPbI₃ films for a detailed structural, optical, and transport study whose results are then used to fabricate solar cells with graphene-doped active layers. The lowest graphene content delays the degradation of films with time and light irradiation and leads to enhanced photovoltaic performance and stability of the solar cells, with relative improvement over devices without graphene of 15% in the power conversion efficiency, PCE. A higher graphene content further stabilizes the perovskite films but is detrimental for in-operation devices. A trade-off between the possible sealing effect of the perovskite grains by graphene, that limits ionic diffusion, and the reduction of the crystalline domain size that reduces electronic transport, and, especially, the detected increase of film porosity, that facilitates the access to atmospheric gases, is proposed to be at the origin of the observed trends. This work demonstrated how the synergy between these materials can help to develop cost-effective routes to overcome the stability barrier of metal halide perovskites, introducing active layer design strategies that allow commercialization to take off.

Fundamentals of Hysteresis in Perovskite Solar Cells: From Structure-Property Relationship to Neoteric Breakthroughs

Perovskite solar cells (PSC) have shown a rapid increase in efficiency than other photovoltaic technology. Despite its success in terms of efficiency, this technology is inundated with numerous challenges hindering the progress towards commercial viability. The crucial one is the anomalous hysteresis observed in the photocurrent density-voltage (J-V) response in PSC. The hysteresis phenomenon in the solar cell presents a challenge for determining the accurate power conversion efficiency of the device. A detailed investigation of the fundamental origin of hysteresis behavior in the device and its associated mechanisms is highly crucial. Though numerous theories have been proposed to explain the causes of hysteresis, its origin includes slow transient capacitive current, trapping, and de-trapping process, ion migrations, and ferroelectric polarization. The remaining issues and future research required toward the understanding of hysteresis in PSC device is also discussed.

Simultaneous Enhanced Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells Using Adhesive Fluorinated Polymer Interfacial Material

For enhancing the performance and long-term stability of perovskite solar cell (PSC) devices, interfacial engineering between the perovskite and hole-transporting material (HTM) is important. We developed a fluorinated conjugated polymer PFPT3 and used it as an interfacial layer between the perovskite and HTM layers in normal-type PSCs. Interaction of perovskite and PFPT3 via Pb-F bonding effectively induces an interfacial dipole moment, which resulted in energy-level bending; this was favorable for charge transfer and hole extraction at the interface. The PSC device achieved an increased efficiency of 22.00% with an open-circuit voltage of 1.13 V, short-circuit current density of 24.34 mA/cm², and fill factor of 0.80 from a reverse scan and showed an averaged power conversion efficiency of 21.59%, which was averaged from forward and reverse scans. Furthermore, the device with PFPT3 showed much improved stability under an 85% RH condition because hydrophobic PFPT3 reduced water permeation into the perovskite layer, and more importantly, the enhanced contact adhesion at the PFPT3-mediated perovskite/HTM interface suppressed surface delamination and retarded water intrusion. The fluorinated conjugated polymeric interfacial material is effective for improving not only the efficiency but also the stability of the PSC devices.

Methods of Stability Control of Perovskite Solar Cells for High Efficiency

The increasing demand for renewable energy devices over the past decade has motivated researchers to develop new and improve the existing fabrication techniques. One of the promising candidates for renewable energy technology is metal halide perovskite, owning to its high power conversion efficiency and low processing cost. This work analyzes the relationship between the structure of metal halide perovskites and their properties along with the effect of alloying and other factors on device stability, as well as causes and mechanisms of material degradation. The present work discusses the existing approaches for enhancing the stability of PSC devices through modifying functional layers. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods in boosting device efficiency and reducing fabrication cost are highlighted. In addition, the paper presents recommendations for the enhancement of interfaces in PSC structures.

Zwitterions: promising interfacial/doping materials for organic/perovskite solar cells

This review summarizes the recent progress in zwitterionic materials through the concepts of interfacial dipoles and passivating defects.

Interfacial modification towards highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted tremendous attention due to their high absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility, long diffusion length, and tunable direct bandgap, and their excellent efficiency was boosted to a certified 25.2% efficiency in 2019. However, due to the presence of a high-density of charge traps in perovskite films, plenty of charge recombination occurs at grain boundaries and defects caused by precursor compositions, the process of preparation and crystal growth, thereby restricting the power conversion efficiency (PCE). At present, interfacial modifications by using additives play an important role in various breakthroughs of PSCs. Herein, the effects of various additives with the main types of functional groups, length and spatial configuration of molecules on interfacial modifications in PSCs are reviewed, and their influences on perovskite crystallization and film formation, defect passivation in the bulk and/or at the surface, stabilities of PSCs, and adjusting the interface of structures and energy levels for device performances are also described and summarized. Finally, an outlook of interfacial modifications is provided on the selection and design of efficient additives with respect to the fabrication and development of highly efficient and stable PSCs.