Issue 31, 2017

A high performance and low-cost hole transporting layer for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Here we report a small molecule oxidant 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyano-quinodimethane (F4TCNQ) doped, low cost 2′,7′-bis(bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amino)spiro[cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene-4,9′-fluorene] (FDT) hole transporting layer (HTL) for efficient mixed organic cation based MA0.6FA0.4PbI3 (MA = methyl ammonium, FA = formamidinium) perovskite solar cells (PSCs), fabricated via a highly reproducible controlled nucleation assisted restricted volume solvent annealing method, having full temperature compatibility with flexible substrates. The optimized (1 wt%) F4TCNQ doped FDT HTL based devices (F-FDT devices) demonstrate simultaneous enhancement of photovoltaic performance and device stability as well as significant reduction in photo-current hysteresis, as compared to conventional bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amine lithium (Li-TFSI) additive based FDT HTL devices (L-FDT devices). Adding to the merits, F-FDT PSCs exhibit about 75% higher device stability compared to conventional L-FDT devices during the course of three weeks. Mott–Schottky analysis and in-depth charge transport characterization were carried out using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the fabricated devices to understand the superior performance of the F-FDT devices. In addition, detailed polaronic intensity characterization of the doped HTL films was performed via ultraviolet-visible near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy to investigate the underlying mechanism. Mitigated photocurrent hysteresis in the F-FDT devices has also been examined in terms of the inherent electrode polarization phenomenon. Furthermore, the superior device stability of the F-FDT PSCs has been probed in terms of variation in electronic properties, surface wettability, crystallinity, and microstrain dislocation density, and a detailed picture of the underlying mechanism behind stability enhancement is presented.

Graphical abstract: A high performance and low-cost hole transporting layer for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 May 2017
Accepted
10 Jul 2017
First published
12 Jul 2017

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017,19, 21033-21045

A high performance and low-cost hole transporting layer for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

M. A. Mahmud, N. K. Elumalai, M. B. Upama, D. Wang, V. R. Gonçales, M. Wright, C. Xu, F. Haque and A. Uddin, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 21033 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP03551A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements