Efficient Narrow Bandgap Pb-Sn Perovskite Solar CellsThrough Self-Assembled Hole Transport Layer with IonicHead
byShynggys Zhumagali, Chongwen Li, Mantas Marcinskas, Pia Dally, Yuan Liu,, Esma Ugur, Christopher E. Petoukhoff, Mohammed Ghadiyali, Adi Prasetio, Marco Marengo, Anil R. Pininti, Randi Azmi, Udo Schwingenschlögl, Frédéric Laquai, Erkan Aydin, Edward Sargent, Stefaan De Wolf
ArticleYear:2025
Abstract
Single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved certified powerconversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 26.1%, which approaches their practicalperformance limit. Multi-junction tandem solar cells can unlock even higherPCEs, where narrow-bandgap lead-tin (Pb-Sn) perovskites, with a bandgapof 1.21–1.25 eV, are well-suited as the bottom photo absorber in all-perovskitetandems. Bulk engineering and surface treatments of Pb-Sn perovskites usingLewis base molecules have been shown to reduce the defect density withinthe bulk and at the electron transport layer interface, thereby improving deviceperformance. Nevertheless, the buried interface between Pb-Sn perovskiteand the commonly used hole transport layer PEDOT:PSS remains problematicdue to the reactivity of polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) with Sn 2+ ions,which negatively impacts device performance. To overcome this issue, a novelcarbazole-based self-assembled monolayer, BrNH3 -4PACz is synthesized,that provides a suitable dipole moment at the indium-tin oxide interfacefor efficient hole extraction and features an ionic ammonium head groupthat passivates the perovskite at the buried interface. This dual functionalityenabled the fabrication of a p-i-n architecture Pb-Sn PSC with a bandgapof 1.24 eV, achieving a champion PCE of 23% and an open-circuit voltageof 0.88 V, which ranks among the highest reported values in the literature.