Xingyue Zhao

Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide as Highly Stable Electron Collection Layer for Perovskite Solar Cells

Although low-temperature, solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) has been widely adopted as the electron collection layer (ECL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) because of its simple synthesis and excellent electrical properties such as high charge mobility, the thermal stability of the perovskite films deposited atop ZnO layer remains as a major issue. Herein, we addressed this problem by employing aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) as the ECL and obtained extraordinarily thermally stable perovskite layers. The improvement of the thermal stability was ascribed to diminish of the Lewis acid-base chemical reaction between perovskite and ECL. Notably, the outstanding transmittance and conductivity also render AZO layer as an ideal candidate for transparent conductive electrodes, which enables a simplified cell structure featuring glass/AZO/perovskite/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au. Optimization of the perovskite layer leads to an excellent and repeatable photovoltaic performance, with the champion cell exhibiting an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.94 V, a short-circuit current (Jsc) of 20.2 mA cm(-2), a fill factor (FF) of 0.67, and an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.6% under standard 1 sun illumination. It was also revealed by steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence that the AZO/perovskite interface resulted in less quenching than that between perovskite and hole transport material.

Working from Both Sides: Composite Metallic Semitransparent Top Electrode for High Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

We report herein perovskite solar cells using solution-processed silver nanowires (AgNWs) as transparent top electrode with markedly enhanced device performance, as well as stability by evaporating an ultrathin transparent Au (UTA) layer beneath the spin-coated AgNWs forming a composite transparent metallic electrode. The interlayer serves as a physical separation sandwiched in between the perovskite/hole transporting material (HTM) active layer and the halide-reactive AgNWs top-electrode to prevent undesired electrode degradation and simultaneously functions to significantly promote ohmic contact. The as-fabricated semitransparent PSCs feature a Voc of 0.96 V, a Jsc of 20.47 mA cm(-2), with an overall PCE of over 11% when measured with front illumination and a Voc of 0.92 V, a Jsc of 14.29 mA cm(-2), and an overall PCE of 7.53% with back illumination, corresponding to approximately 70% of the value under normal illumination conditions. The devices also demonstrate exceptional fabrication repeatability and air stability.

Rational Design of Solution-Processed Ti–Fe–O Ternary Oxides for Efficient Planar CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells with Suppressed Hysteresis

Electron-extraction layer (EEL) plays a critical role in determining the charge extraction and the power conversion efficiencies of the organometal-halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, Ti-Fe-O ternary oxides were first developed to work as an efficient EEL in planar PSC. Compared with the widely used TiOx and the pure FeOx, the ternary composites show superior properties in multiple aspects including the excellent stability of the precursor solution, good coverage on the substrates, outstanding electrical properties, and suitable energy levels. By varying the Fe content from 0 to 100% in the Ti-Fe-O composites, the conductivity of the resultant compact layer was markedly improved, confirmed by consistent results from the conductive atomic force microscopy and the linear sweep voltammetry measurements. Meanwhile, the compositional engineering tunes the energy level alignment of the Ti-Fe-O EEL/CH3NH3PbI3 interface to a region that is favorable for obtaining excellent charge-extraction property. The combinational advantages of the Ti-Fe-O composites significantly improved the photovoltaic performance of the as-prepared solar cells. An increase of over 20% in the short-circuit current (JSC) density has been achieved due to a modified EEL conductivity and energy alignment with the perovskite layer. The reduction in the surface recombination and enhancement of the charge collection efficiency also result in about 15% increase in the fill factor. Notably, the device also showed remarkably alleviated hysteresis behavior, revealing a prominently inhibited surface recombination.

Bifacial Modified Charge Transport Materials for Highly Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Significant efforts have been devoted to enhancing both the performance and long-term stability of lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to promote their practical application. In this context, a self-assembled monolayer composed of a dye molecule is demonstrated for the first time to be efficient in passivating the surface of the hole transport layer, NiO x, in the p-i-n PSCs through multiple functions, including the minimization of energy-level offset, reducing surface trap states, and enhancing wetting between NiO x and perovskite layers coupled with increasing perovskite crystallinity. Consequently, the dye monolayer has sufficiently improved the hole extraction efficiency and suppressed the charge recombination, validated by steady and transient photoluminescence measurements and the electrochemical impedance analysis. Concurrently, a mixed layer of BaSnO3 nanoparticles and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl (PCBM) (barium stannate (BSO)/PCBM) was exploited as an efficient electron transport layer, resulting in superior electron transport properties and correspondingly excellent device stability. By incorporating these bifacial modifications, the device performance of the inverted PSC was propelled to 16.2%, compared with 14.0% for that without any interfacial and compositional engineering. Benefiting from the excellent crystallinity of the perovskite through dye passivation and the blocking of moisture, oxygen, and ion migration by using the hybrid BSO/PCBM layer, over 90% of the initial power conversion efficiency has been preserved for the device after exposure to ambient air for 650 h.

Efficiently Improving the Stability of Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells by Employing Polyethylenimine-Modified Carbon Nanotubes as Electrodes

Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been becoming more and more attractive, owing to their easy-fabrication and suppressed hysteresis, while the ion diffusion between metallic electrode and perovskite layer limit the long-term stability of devices. In this work, we employed a novel polyethylenimine (PEI) modified cross-stacked superaligned carbon nanotube (CSCNT) film in the inverted planar PSCs configurated FTO/NiO x/methylammonium lead tri-iodide (MAPbI3)/6, 6-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/CSCNT:PEI. By modifying CSCNT with a certain concentration of PEI (0.5 wt %), suitable energy level alignment and promoted interfacial charge transfer have been achieved, leading to a significant enhancement in the photovoltaic performance. As a result, a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ∼11% was obtained with a Voc of 0.95 V, a Jsc of 18.7 mA cm-2, a FF of 0.61 as well as negligible hysteresis. Moreover, CSCNT:PEI based inverted PSCs show superior durability in comparison to the standard silver based devices, remaining over 85% of the initial PCE after 500 h aging under various conditions, including long-term air exposure, thermal, and humid treatment. This work opens up a new avenue of facile modified carbon electrodes for highly stable and hysteresis suppressed PSCs.

Perovskite photodetectors prepared by flash evaporation printing

Organometallic halide perovskites have expanded promising approaches for fabricating optoelectronic devices with low cost and high performance since their discovery. Here we propose a novel technique, flash evaporation printing, to prepare perovskite thin films with high quality in an efficient way, whose success is attributed to freestanding carbon nanotube films serving as the flash evaporator. It is convenient to print patterned perovskites using this method due to the compact deposition geometry. The patterned perovskite thin films were further manufactured to planar-type photodetectors, and the performance of the photoelectric devices was evaluated. The as-prepared photodetector shows a considerable peak responsivity and fast temporal response, proving flash evaporation printing an effective route for exploiting high-performance perovskite photodetectors, and this technique can find potential applications in more fields.

Laser induced flash-evaporation printing CH3NH3PbI3 thin films for high performance planar solar cells

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have been emerging as promising light-harvesting materials for high-efficiency solar cells recently. Compared to solution-based methods, vapor-based deposition technologies are more suitable in preparing compact, uniform, and large-scale perovskite thin films. Here, we utilized flash-evaporation printing (FEP), a laser-induced ultrafast single source evaporation method employing a carbon nanotube evaporator, to fabricate high-quality methylammonium lead iodide perovskite thin films. Stoichiometric films with pure tetragonal perovskite phase can be achieved using a controlled methylammonium iodide to lead iodide ratio in evaporation precursors. The film crystallinity and crystal grain growth could further be promoted after postannealing. Planar solar cells (0.06 cm2) employing these perovskite films exhibit a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.8% with insignificant hysteresis, which is among the highest reported PCEs using vapor-based deposition methods. Large-area (1 cm2) devices based on such perovskite films also achieved a stabilized PCE of 11.2%, indicating the feasibility and scalability of our FEP method in fabricating large-area perovskite films for other optoelectronic applications.