Enhanced Performance and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells Through Surface Modification with Benzocaine Hydrochloride

Current development of inverted p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs), with nickel oxide as the hole transport layer, is progressing toward lower net costs, higher efficiencies, and superior stabilities. Unfortunately, the high density of defect-based traps on the surface of perovskite films significa...

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Published in:	ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 16; no. 38; pp. 50706 - 50716
Main Authors:	Chen, Zukang, Cao, Shuguang, Luo, Shizi, Gutsev, Lavrenty G., Chen, Xiaoli, Ozerova, Victoria V., Emelianov, Nikita A., Slesarenko, Nikita A., Bolshakova, Valeria S., Zheng, Yupeng, Bi, Zhuoneng, Aldoshin, Sergey M., Troshin, Pavel A., Ramachandran, Bala R., Gutsev, Gennady L., Hsu, Hsien-Yi, Xue, Qifan, Xu, Xueqing
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States American Chemical Society 25-09-2024
Subjects:	Energy, Environmental, and Catalysis Applications p-i-n PSCs energy level alignment surface modification density functional theory defect passivation
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Summary:	Current development of inverted p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs), with nickel oxide as the hole transport layer, is progressing toward lower net costs, higher efficiencies, and superior stabilities. Unfortunately, the high density of defect-based traps on the surface of perovskite films significantly limits the photoelectric conversion efficiency and operational stability of perovskite solar cells. Finding cost-effective interface modifiers is crucial for the further commercial development of p-i-n PSCs. In the present work, we report a passivation strategy using a multifunctional molecule, benzocaine hydrochloride (BHC), which is shown to reduce defect density and enhance the photovoltaic performance and stability of the resultant p-i-n PSCs. It has been revealed that BHC strongly interacts with perovskite precursor components and triggers the evolution of the perovskite absorber film morphology and enables improved surface energy level alignment, thus promoting charge carrier transport and extraction. These properties are beneficial for improving open-circuit voltage (VOC ) and fill factor (FF). Our results show that the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of p-i-n PSCs with nickel oxide as the hole transport layer increased from an initial 20.0% to 22.1% after being passivated with BHC, and these passivated devices also exhibited improved stability. DFT calculations reveal the unusual ability of the BHC passivant to improve band alignment while also preventing the accumulation of holes at the interface. In this work, the advantages of BHC passivation are demonstrated by linking theoretical calculations with optical and electrical characterizations.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1944-8244 1944-8252 1944-8252
DOI:	10.1021/acsami.4c09850