δ‐CsPbI3 Intermediate Phase Growth Assisted Sequential Deposition Boosts Stable and High‐Efficiency Triple Cation Perovskite Solar Cells

Cs/FA/MA triple cation perovskite films have been well developed in the antisolvent dripping method, attributable to its outstanding photovoltaic and stability performances. However, a facile and effective strategy is still lacking for fabricating high‐quality large‐grain triple cation perovskite films via sequential deposition method a, which is one of the key technologies for high efficiency perovskite solar cells. To address this issue, a δ‐CsPbI₃ intermediate phase growth (CsPbI₃‐IPG) assisted sequential deposition method is demonstrated for the first time. The approach not only achieves incorporation of controllable cesium into (FAPbI₃)_1–x(MAPbBr₃)_x perovskite, but also enlarges the perovskite grains, manipulates the crystallization, modulates the bandgap, and improves the stability of final perovskite films. The photovoltaic performances of the devices based on these Cs/FA/MA perovskite films with various amounts of the δ‐CsPbI₃ intermediate phase are investigated systematically. Benefiting from moderate cesium incorporation and intermediate phase‐assisted grain growth, the optimized Cs/FA/MA perovskite solar cells exhibit a significantly improved power conversion efficiency and operational stability of unencapsulated devices. This facile strategy provides new insights into the compositional engineering of triple or quadruple cation perovskite materials with enlarged grains and superior stability via a sequential deposition method.     

2D/3D Heterostructure for Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells with Engineered Bandgap Enables Efficiencies Exceeding 25% in Four‐Terminal Tandems with Silicon and CIGS

Wide‐bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with optimal bandgap (E_g) and high power conversion efficiency (PCE) are key to high‐performance perovskite‐based tandem photovoltaics. A 2D/3D perovskite heterostructure passivation is employed for double‐cation wide‐bandgap PSCs with engineered bandgap (1.65 eV ≤ E_g ≤ 1.85 eV), which results in improved stabilized PCEs and a strong enhancement in open‐circuit voltages of around 45 mV compared to reference devices for all investigated bandgaps. Making use of this strategy, semitransparent PSCs with engineered bandgap are developed, which show stabilized PCEs of up to 25.7% and 25.0% in four‐terminal perovskite/c‐Si and perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells, respectively. Moreover, comparable tandem PCEs are observed for a broad range of perovskite bandgaps. For the first time, the robustness of the four‐terminal tandem configuration with respect to variations in the perovskite bandgap for two state‐of‐the‐art bottom solar cells is experimentally validated.     

Low‐Bandgap Mixed Tin‐Lead Perovskites and Their Applications in All‐Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells

Efficient organic–inorganic metal halide perovskite absorbers have gained tremendous research interest in the past decade due to their super optoelectronic properties and defect tolerance. Lead (Pb) halide perovskites enable highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 23%. However, the energy bandgaps of Pb halide perovskites are larger than the optimal bandgap for single junction solar cells, governed by the Shockley–Queisser (SQ) radiative limit. Mixed tin (Sn)‐Pb halide perovskites have drawn significant attention, since their bandgap can be tuned to below 1.2 eV, which opens a door for fabricating all‐perovskite tandem solar cells that can break the SQ radiative limit. This review summarizes the development of low‐bandgap mixed Sn‐Pb PSCs and their applications in all‐perovskite tandem solar cells. Its aim is to facilitate the development of new approaches to achieve high efficiency low‐bandgap single‐junction mixed Sn‐Pb PSCs and all‐perovskite tandem solar cells.     

Tailoring the Interface in FAPbI3 Planar Perovskite Solar Cells by Imidazole-Graphene-Quantum-Dots

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites have reached an unprecedented high efficiency in photovoltaic applications, which makes the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) possible. In the past several years, particular attention has been paid to the stability of PSC devices, which is a critical issue for becoming a practical photovoltaic technology. In particular, the interface-induced degradation of perovskites should be the dominant factor causing poor stability. Here, imidazole bromide functionalized graphene quantum dots (I-GQDs) are demonstrated to regulate the interface between the electron transport layer (ETL) and formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI₃) perovskite layer. The incorporation of I-GQDs not only reduces the interface defects for achieving a better energy level alignment between ETL and perovskite, but also improves the film quality of FAPbI₃ perovskite including enlarged grain size, lower trap density, and a longer carrier lifetime. Consequently, the planar FAPbI₃ PSCs with I-GQDs regulation achieve a high efficiency of 22.37% with enhanced long-term stability.     

Octadecylamine‐Functionalized Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Facilitating the Formation of a Monolithic Perovskite Layer and Stable Solar Cells

Organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites have shown great future for application in solar cells owing to their exceptional optical and electronic properties. To achieve high‐performance perovskite solar cells, a perovskite light absorbing layer with large grains is desirable in order to minimize grain boundaries and recombination during the operation of the device. Herein, a simple yet efficient approach is developed to synthesize perovskite films consisting of monolithic‐like grains with micrometer size through in situ deposition of octadecylamine functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotubes (ODA‐SWCNTs) onto the surface of the perovskite layer. The ODA‐SWCNTs form a capping layer that controls the evaporation rate of organic solvents in the perovskite film during the postthermal treatment. This favorable morphology in turn dramatically enhances the short‐circuit current density of the perovskite solar cells and almost completely eliminates the hysteresis. A maximum power conversion efficiency of 16.1% is achieved with an ODA‐SWCNT incorporated planar solar cell using (FA_0.83MA_0.17)_0.95Cs_0.05Pb(I_0.83Br_0.17)₃ as light absorber. Furthermore, the perovskite solar cells with ODA‐SWCNT demonstrate extraordinary stability with performance retention of 80% after 45 d stability testing under high humidity (60–90%) environment. This work opens up a new avenue for morphology manipulation of perovskite films and enhances the device stability using carbon material.     

Inorganic Ammonium Halide Additive Strategy for Highly Efficient and Stable CsPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells

All-inorganic perovskite cesium lead iodide (CsPbI₃) exhibits excellent prospects for commercial application as a light absorber in single-junction or tandem solar cells due to its outstanding thermal stability and proper bandgap. However, the device performance of CsPbI₃-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is still restricted by the unsatisfactory crystal quality and severe non-radiative recombination. Herein, inorganic additive ammonium halides are introduced into the precursor solution to regulate the nucleation and crystallization of the CsPbI₃ film by exploiting the atomic interaction between the ammonium group and the Pb–I framework. The grain boundaries and interfacial contact of the CsPbI₃ film have been improved, which leads to significant suppression in the non-radiative recombination and an enhancement in the charge transport ability. With these benefits, a high efficiency of 18.7% together with an extraordinarily high fill factor of 0.83–0.84 has been achieved, comparable to the highest records reported so far. Moreover, the cell exhibits ultra-high photoelectrical stability under continuous light illumination and high bias voltage with 96% of its initial power-conversion efficiency being sustained after 2000 h operation, even superior to the world-champion CsPbI₃ solar cell. The findings are promising for the development and application of all-inorganic PSCs using a simple inorganic additive strategy.     

Interplay of Structural and Optoelectronic Properties in Formamidinium Mixed Tin–Lead Triiodide Perovskites

Mixed lead–tin triiodide perovskites are promising absorber materials for low bandgap bottom cells in all‐perovskite tandem photovoltaic devices. Key structural and electronic properties of the FAPb_1−xSn_xI₃ perovskite are presented here as a function of lead:tin content across the alloy series. Temperature‐dependent photoluminescence and optical absorption measurements are used to identify changes in the bandgap and phase transition temperature. The large bandgap bowing parameter, a crucial element for the attainment of low bandgaps in this system, is shown to depend on the structural phase, reaching a value of 0.84 eV in the low‐temperature phase and 0.73 eV at room temperature. The parabolic nature of the bowing at all temperatures is compatible with a mechanism arising from bond bending to accommodate the random placement of unevenly sized lead and tin ions. Charge‐carrier recombination dynamics are shown to fall into two regimes. Tin‐rich compositions exhibit fast, monoexponential recombination that is almost temperature‐independent, in accordance with high levels of electrical doping. Lead‐rich compositions show slower, stretched‐exponential charge‐carrier recombination that is strongly temperature‐dependent, in accordance with a multiphonon assisted process. These results highlight the importance of structure and composition for control of bandgap bowing and charge‐carrier recombination mechanisms in low bandgap absorbers for all‐perovskite tandem solar cells.     

Perovskite Solar Cells Consisting of PTAA Modified with Monomolecular Layer and Application to All-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells with Efficiency over 25%

This study is on the enhancement of the efficiency of wide bandgap (FA_0.8Cs_0.2PbI_1.8Br_1.2) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) used as the top layer of the perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cell. Poly[bis(4-phenyl) (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) amine] (PTAA) and the monomolecular layer called SAM layer are effective hole collection layers for APbI₃ PSCs. However, these hole transport layers (HTL) do not give high efficiencies for the wide bandgap FA_0.8Cs_0.2PbI_1.8Br_1.2 PSCs. It is found that the surface-modified PTAA by monomolecular layer (MNL) improves the efficiency of PSCs. The improved efficiency is explained by the improved FA_0.8Cs_0.2PbI_1.8Br_1.2 film quality, decreased film distortion (low lattice disordering) and low density of the charge recombination site, and improves carrier collection by the surface modified PTAA layer. In addition, the relationship between the length of the alkyl group linking the anchor group and the carbazole group is also discussed. Finally, the wide bandgap lead PSCs (E_g = 1.77 eV) fabricated on the PTAA/monomolecular bilayer give a higher power conversion efficiency of 16.57%. Meanwhile, all-perovskite tandem solar cells with over 25% efficiency are reported by using the PTAA/monomolecular substrate.     

Pressure‐Induced Bandgap Optimization in Lead‐Based Perovskites with Prolonged Carrier Lifetime and Ambient Retainability

Bond length and bond angle exhibited by valence electrons is essential to the core of chemistry. Using lead‐based organic–inorganic perovskite compounds as an exploratory platform, it is demonstrated that the modulation of valence electrons by compression can lead to discovery of new properties of known compounds. Yet, despite its unprecedented progress, further efficiency boost of lead‐based organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells is hampered by their wider bandgap than the optimum value according to the Shockley–Queisser limit. By modulating the valence electron wavefunction with modest hydraulic pressure up to 2.1 GPa, the optimized bandgap for single‐junction solar cells in lead‐based perovskites, for the first time, is achieved by narrowing the bandgap of formamidinium lead triiodide (HC(NH₂)₂PbI₃) from 1.489 to 1.337 eV. Strikingly, such bandgap narrowing is partially retained after the release of pressure to ambient, and the bandgap narrowing is also accompanied with double‐prolonged carrier lifetime. With First‐principles simulation, this work opens a new dimension in basic chemical understanding of structural photonics and electronics and paves an alternative pathway toward better photovoltaic materials‐by‐design.     

Plasmonic‐Induced Photon Recycling in Metal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

Organic–inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells have emerged in the past few years to promise highly efficient photovoltaic devices at low costs. Here, temperature‐sensitive core–shell Ag@TiO₂ nanoparticles are successfully incorporated into perovskite solar cells through a low‐temperature processing route, boosting the measured device efficiencies up to 16.3%. Experimental evidence is shown and a theoretical model is developed which predicts that the presence of highly polarizable nanoparticles enhances the radiative decay of excitons and increases the reabsorption of emitted radiation, representing a novel photon recycling scheme. The work elucidates the complicated subtle interactions between light and matter in plasmonic photovoltaic composites. Photonic and plasmonic schemes such as this may help to move highly efficient perovskite solar cells closer to the theoretical limiting efficiencies.     

Improvement and Regeneration of Perovskite Solar Cells via Methylamine Gas Post‐Treatment

The control of film morphology is crucial in achieving high‐performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, the crystals of the perovskite films are reconstructed by post‐treating the MAPbI₃ devices with methylamine gas, yielding a homogeneous nucleation and crystallization of the perovskite in the triple mesoscopic inorganic layers structured PSCs. As a result, a uniform, compact, and crystalline perovskite layer is obtained after the methylamine gas post‐treatment, yielding high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.26%, 128.8% higher than that of the device before processing. More importantly, this post‐treatment process allows the regeneration of the photodegraded PSCs via the crystal reconstruction and the PCE can recover to 91% of the initial value after two cycles of the photodegradation‐recovery process. This simple method allows for the regeneration of perovskite solar cells on site without reconstruction or replacing any components, thus prolonging the service life of the perovskite solar cells and distinguishing from any other photovoltaic devices in practice.     

Fully High‐Temperature‐Processed SnO2 as Blocking Layer and Scaffold for Efficient,Stable, and Hysteresis‐Free Mesoporous Perovskite Solar Cells

Planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on low‐temperature‐processed (LTP) SnO₂ have demonstrated excellent photovoltaic properties duo to the high electron mobility, wide bandgap, and suitable band energy alignment of LTP SnO₂. However, planar PSCs or mesoporous (mp) PSCs based on high‐temperature‐processed (HTP) SnO₂ show much degraded performance. Here, a new strategy with fully HTP Mg‐doped quantum dot SnO₂ as blocking layer (bl) and a quite thin SnO₂ nanoparticle as mp layer are developed. The performances of both planar and mp PSCs has been greatly improved. The use of Mg‐SnO₂ in planar PSCs yields a high‐stabilized power conversion efficiency (PCE) of close to 17%. The champion of mp cells exhibits hysteresis free and stable performance with a high‐stabilized PCE of 19.12%. The inclusion of thin mp SnO₂ in PSCs not only plays a role of an energy bridge, facilitating electrons transfer from perovskite to SnO₂ bl, but also enhances the contact area of SnO₂ with perovskite absorber. Impedance analysis suggests that the thin mp layer is an “active scaffold” selectively collecting electrons from perovskite and can eliminate hysteresis and effectively suppress recombination. This is an inspiring advance toward high‐performance PSCs with HTP mp SnO₂.     

Efficient and Ambient‐Air‐Stable Solar Cell with Highly Oriented 2D@3D Perovskites

3D organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites have shown great potential in efficient photovoltaic devices. However, the low stability of the 3D perovskite layer and random arrangement of the perovskite crystals hinder its commercialization road. Herein, a highly oriented 2D@3D ((AVA)₂PbI₄@MAPbI₃) perovskite structure combining the advantages of both 2D and 3D perovskite is fabricated through an in situ route. The highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.0% is observed from a 2D@3D perovskite solar cell (PSC), and it also shows significantly enhanced device stability under both inert (90% of initial PCE for 32 d) and ambient conditions (72% of initial PCE for 20 d) without encapsulation. The high efficiency of 18.0% and nearly twofold improvement of device stability in ambient compared with pure 3D PSCs confirm that such 2D@3D perovskite structure is an effective strategy for high performance and increasing stability and thus will enable the timely commercialization of PSCs.     

Naphthacenodithiophene Based Polymers—New Members of the Acenodithiophene Family Exhibiting High Mobility and Power Conversion Efficiency

Wide‐bandgap conjugated polymers with a linear naphthacenodithiophene (NDT) donor unit are herein reported along with their performance in both transistor and solar cell devices. The monomer is synthesized starting from 2,6‐dihydroxynaphthalene with a double Fries rearrangement as the key step. By copolymerization with 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (BT) via a palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling reaction, NDT‐BT co‐polymers with high molecular weights and narrow polydispersities are afforded. These novel wide‐bandgap polymers are evaluated as the semiconducting polymer in both organic field effect transistor and organic photovoltaic applications. The synthesized polymers reveal an optical bandgap in the range of 1.8 eV with an electron affinity of 3.6 eV which provides sufficient energy offset for electron transfer to PC₇₀BM acceptors. In organic field effect transistors, the synthesized polymers demonstrate high hole mobilities of around 0.4 cm² V^–1 s^–1. By using a blend of NDT‐BT with PC₇₀BM as absorber layer in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells, power conversion efficiencies of 7.5% are obtained. This value is among the highest obtained for polymers with a wider bandgap (larger than 1.7 eV), making this polymer also interesting for application in tandem or multijunction solar cells.     

A Self‐Powered and Stable All‐Perovskite Photodetector–Solar Cell Nanosystem

Hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites have attracted intensive interest as light absorbing materials in solid‐state solar cells. Herein, we demonstrate a high‐performance CH₃NH₃PbI₃‐based perovskite photodetector constructed on the flexible indium tin oxide (ITO) coated substrate even after 200 bending cycles. The as‐fabricated devices show high responsivity, broad spectrum response from ultraviolet to whole visible light, long‐term stability, and high on‐off ratio. Particularly, atomic layer deposition technique was used to deposit the ultrathin Al₂O₃ film on devices, functioning as a protection layer to effectively enhance the stability and durability of perovskite photodetectors. The first all‐perovskite self‐powered nanosystem was successfully assembled by integrating a perovskite solar cell with a perovskite photodetector. Driven by the perovskite solar cell, the photodetector exhibits fast and stable response to illuminated light at a low working voltage less than 1.0 V. This stable integrated nanosystem has promising applications in which photodetectors can work in harsh environments without external power sources.     

FAPbI3‐Based Perovskite Solar Cells Employing Hexyl‐Based Ionic Liquid with an Efficiency Over 20% and Excellent Long‐Term Stability

Formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI₃)‐based perovskite materials are of interest for photovoltaics in view of their close‐to‐ideal bandgap, allowing absorption of photons over a broad solar spectrum. However, FAPbI₃‐based materials suffer from a notorious phase transition from the photoactive black phase (α‐FAPbI₃) to nonperovskite yellow phase (δ‐FAPbI₃) under ambient conditions. This transition dramatically reduces light absorbtion, thus, degrading the photovoltaic performance and stability of ensuring solar cells. In this study, 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium iodide (HMII) ionic liquid (IL) is employed as an additive for the first time in FAPbI₃ perovskite to overcome the above‐mentioned issues. HMII incorporation facilitates the grain coarsening of FAPbI₃ crystal owing to its high‐polarity and high‐boiling point, which yields liquid domains between neighboring grains to reduce the activation energy of the grain‐boundary migration. As a result, the FAPbI₃ active layer exhibits micron‐sized grains with substantially suppressed parasitic traps with an Urbach energy reduced by 2 meV. Hence, the resulting perovskite solar cell achieves an efficiency of 20.6% with notable increase in open circuit voltage (V_OC) of 80 mV compared with HMII‐free cells (17.1%). More importantly, the HMII‐doped FAPbI₃‐based cells show a striking enhancement in shelf‐stability under high humidity and thermal stress, retaining >80% of their initial efficiencies at 60 ± 10% relative humidity and ≈95% at 65 °C.     

Controlled n‐Doping in Air‐Stable CsPbI2Br Perovskite Solar Cells with a Record Efficiency of 16.79%

Cesium‐based inorganic perovskites, such as CsPbI₂Br, are promising candidates for photovoltaic applications owing to their exceptional optoelectronic properties and outstanding thermal stability. However, the power conversion efficiency of CsPbI₂Br perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is still lower than those of hybrid PSCs and inorganic CsPbI₃ PSCs. In this work, passivation and n‐type doping by adding CaCl₂ to CsPbI₂Br is demonstrated. The crystallinity of the CsPbI₂Br perovskite film is enhanced, and the trap density is suppressed after adding CaCl₂. In addition, the Fermi level of the CsPbI₂Br is changed by the added CaCl₂ to show heavy n‐type doping. As a result, the optimized CsPbI₂Br PSC shows a highest open circuit voltage of 1.32 V and a record efficiency of 16.79%. Meanwhile, high air stability is demonstrated for a CsPbI₂Br PSC with 90% of the initial efficiency remaining after more than 1000 h aging in air.     

Calculation studies on point defects in perovskite solar cells

The close-to-optimal band gap, large absorption coefficient, low manufacturing cost and rapid increase in power conversion efficiency make the organic-inorganic hybrid halide (CH₃NH₃PbI₃) and related perovskite solar cells very promising for commercialization. The properties of point defects in the absorber layer semiconductors have important influence on the photovoltaic performance of solar cells, so the investigation on the defect properties in the perovskite semiconductors is necessary for the optimization of their photovoltaic performance. In this work, we give a brief review to the first-principles calculation studies on the defect properties in a series of perovskite semiconductors, including the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites and inorganic halide perovskites. Experimental identification of these point defects and characterization of their properties are called for.     

Composition‐Tuned Wide Bandgap Perovskites: From Grain Engineering to Stability and Performance Improvement

Wide bandgap (WB) organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) with a bandgap ranging between 1.7 and 2.0 eV have shown great potential to improve the efficiency of single‐junction silicon or thin‐film solar cells by forming a tandem structure with one of these cells or with a narrow bandgap perovskite cell. However, WB‐OIHPs suffer from a large open‐circuit voltage (V_oc) deficit in photovoltaic devices, which is associated with the phase segregation of the materials under light illumination. In this work the photoinstability is demonstrated and V_oc loss can be addressed by combining grain crystallization and grain boundary passivation, achieved simultaneously through tuning of perovskite precursor composition. Using FA_0.17Cs_0.83PbI_3–xBr_x (x = 0.8, 1.2 1.5, and 1.8), with a varied bandgap from 1.72 to 1.93 eV, as the model system it is illustrated how precursor additive Pb(SCN)₂ should be matched with a proper ratio of FAX (I and Br) to realize large grains with defect‐healed grain boundaries. The optimized WB‐OIHPs show good photostability at both room‐temperature and elevated temperature. Moreover, the corresponding solar cells exhibit excellent photovoltaic performances with the champion V_oc/stabilized power output efficiency reaching 1.244 V/18.60%, 1.284 V/16.51%, 1.296 V/15.01%, and 1.312 V/14.35% for WB‐OIHPs with x = 0.8, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8, respectively.     

Inorganic Rubidium Cation as an Enhancer for Photovoltaic Performance and Moisture Stability of HC(NH2)2PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on organic monovalent cation (methylammonium or formamidinium) have shown excellent optoelectronic properties with high efficiencies above 22%, threatening the status of silicon solar cells. However, critical issues of long‐term stability have to be solved for commercialization. The severe weakness of the state‐of‐the‐art PSCs against moisture originates mainly from the hygroscopic organic cations. Here, rubidium (Rb) is suggested as a promising candidate for an inorganic–organic mixed cation system to enhance moisture‐tolerance and photovoltaic performances of formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI₃). Partial incorporation of Rb in FAPbI₃ tunes the tolerance factor and stabilizes the photoactive perovskite structure. Phase conversion from hexagonal yellow FAPbI₃ to trigonal black FAPbI₃ becomes favored when Rb is introduced. The authors find that the absorbance and fluorescence lifetime of 5% Rb‐incorporated FAPbI₃ (Rb_0.05FA_0.95PbI₃) are enhanced than bare FAPbI₃. Rb_0.05FA_0.95PbI₃‐based PSCs exhibit a best power conversion efficiency of 17.16%, which is much higher than that of the FAPbI₃ device (13.56%). Moreover, it is demonstrated that the Rb_0.05FA_0.95PbI₃ film shows superior stability against high humidity (85%) and the full device made with the mixed perovskite exhibits remarkable long‐term stability under ambient condition without encapsulation, retaining the high performance for 1000 h.