Computational screening of methylammonium based halide perovskites with bandgaps suitable for perovskite-perovskite tandem solar cells

Stabilizing tetramethylammonium lead iodide perovskite and exploring its electronic and optical absorption for solar cell absorber application

Modeling perovskites as solar cell absorbers has become popular due to the breakthrough of methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3). In this study, we modeled a tetramethylammonium lead iodide (CH3)4NPbI3 structure. We further confirmed the stability of the structure by determining the phonon dispersion using density functional perturbation theory. We calculated the spin-orbit and non-spin-orbit coupling-based electronic structure using the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof exchange-correlation functional within the generalized gradient approximation of the density functional theory and the self-consistent GW quasiparticle methods. Similarly, the absorption spectra were calculated from the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric tensor obtained from solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation using the GW quasiparticle database. The solar cell absorber spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency was calculated at 293.15 K. The self-consistent GW method without spin-orbit coupling reported bandgaps of 2.63 eV and 2.89 eV for GW0 and GW methods, respectively, in agreement with experimental reports. The phonon dispersion showed positive phonon modes across the high symmetry point, which attest to its thermodynamic stability. The absorption coefficient on the order of 105 was reported along the ultraviolet region. The standard limited maximum efficiency between 7% and 12% was recorded at 293.15 K between 0.01 and 100 μm absorber thicknesses. The thermodynamic stability, high absorption coefficient, and low transmittance indicated exciting prospects for a non-transparent (CH3)4NPbI3 solar cell absorber.

High-Performance Photovoltaic Materials Based on the Superlattice Structures of Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskite and Superhalogen Hybrid Perovskite

The use of superlattice structures is an attractive strategy for expanding the family of perovskites and obtaining excellent optoelectronic materials. Mixing of cations and partial replacement of halogens by superhalogens are advantageous for improving the stability and optoelectronic properties of hybrid perovskites. Herein, the superlattice structures of the (CsPbI₃)_n/MAPbI₂BF₄, (FAPbI₃)_n/MAPbI₂BF₄, (MAPbI₃)_n/CsPbI₂BF₄, and (FAPbI₃)_n/CsPbI₂BF₄ hybrid perovskites were investigated using first-principles density functional theory calculations. The results show that these superlattice structures have tunable direct band gaps and small effective electron and hole masses. Additionally, the charge densities for the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum states are located in different regions of the superlattices. Suggesting that these structures are type-II superlattices that show greatly reduced electron-hole recombination rates. Excellent optical absorption properties for all of perovskite superlattices and the calculated power conversion efficiency of 22.77% for the single-junction solar cells based on the (FAPbI₃)₃/MAPbI₂BF₄ and (FAPbI₃)₃/CsPbI₂BF₄ perovskites were obtained.