Advances in Mixed Tin-Lead Narrow-Bandgap Perovskites for Single-Junction and All-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells.

Organic-inorganic metal-halide perovskites have received great attention for photovoltaic (PV) applications owing to their superior optoelectronic properties and the unprecedented performance development. For single-junction PV devices, although lead (Pb)-based perovskite solar cells have achieved 26.1% efficiency, the mixed tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskites offer more ideal bandgap tuning capability to enable an even higher performance. The Sn-Pb perovskite (with a bandgap tuned to ≈1.2 eV) is also attractive as the bottom subcell for a tandem configuration to further surpass the Shockley-Queisser radiative limit for the single-junction devices. The performance of the all-perovskite tandem solar cells has gained rapid development and achieved a certified efficiency up to 29.1%. In this article, the properties and recent development of state-of-the-art mixed Sn-Pb perovskites and their application in single-junction and all-perovskite tandem solar cells are reviewed. Recent advances in various approaches covering additives, solvents, interfaces, and perovskite growth are highlighted. The authors also provide the perspective and outlook on the challenges and strategies for further development of mixed Sn-Pb perovskites in both efficiency and stability for PV applications.

Resolving electron and hole transport properties in semiconductor materials by constant light-induced magneto transport.

The knowledge of minority and majority charge carrier properties enables controlling the performance of solar cells, transistors, detectors, sensors, and LEDs. Here, we developed the constant light induced magneto transport method which resolves electron and hole mobility, lifetime, diffusion coefficient and length, and quasi-Fermi level splitting. We demonstrate the implication of the constant light induced magneto transport for silicon and metal halide perovskite films. We resolve the transport properties of electrons and holes predicting the material's effectiveness for solar cell application without making the full device. The accessibility of fourteen material parameters paves the way for in-depth exploration of causal mechanisms limiting the efficiency and functionality of material structures. To demonstrate broad applicability, we further characterized twelve materials with drift mobilities spanning from 10-3 to 103 cm2V-1s-1 and lifetimes varying between 10-9 and 10-3 seconds. The universality of our method its potential to advance optoelectronic devices in various technological fields.

Minimizing Interfacial Recombination in 1.8 eV Triple-Halide Perovskites for 27.5% Efficient All-Perovskite Tandems.

All-perovskite tandem solar cells show great potential to enable the highest performance at reasonable costs for a viable market entry in the near future. In particular, wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskites with higher open-circuit voltage (VOC ) are essential to further improve the tandem solar cells' performance. Here, a new 1.8 eV bandgap triple-halide perovskite composition in conjunction with a piperazinium iodide (PI) surface treatment is developed. With structural analysis, it is found that the PI modifies the surface through a reduction of excess lead iodide in the perovskite and additionally penetrates the bulk. Constant light-induced magneto-transport measurements are applied to separately resolve charge carrier properties of electrons and holes. These measurements reveal a reduced deep trap state density, and improved steady-state carrier lifetime (factor 2.6) and diffusion lengths (factor 1.6). As a result, WBG PSCs achieve 1.36 V VOC , reaching 90% of the radiative limit. Combined with a 1.26 eV narrow bandgap (NBG) perovskite with a rubidium iodide additive, this enables a tandem cell with a certified scan efficiency of 27.5%.

Interface engineering for high-performance, triple-halide perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.

Improved stability and efficiency of two-terminal monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells will require reductions in recombination losses. By combining a triple-halide perovskite (1.68 electron volt bandgap) with a piperazinium iodide interfacial modification, we improved the band alignment, reduced nonradiative recombination losses, and enhanced charge extraction at the electron-selective contact. Solar cells showed open-circuit voltages of up to 1.28 volts in p-i-n single junctions and 2.00 volts in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. The tandem cells achieve certified power conversion efficiencies of up to 32.5%.

Managing Excess Lead Iodide with Functionalized Oxo-Graphene Nanosheets for Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Stability issues could prevent lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) from commercialization despite it having a comparable power conversion efficiency (PCE) to silicon solar cells. Overcoming drawbacks affecting their long-term stability is gaining incremental importance. Excess lead iodide (PbI2 ) causes perovskite degradation, although it aids in crystal growth and defect passivation. Herein, we synthesized functionalized oxo-graphene nanosheets (Dec-oxoG NSs) to effectively manage the excess PbI2 . Dec-oxoG NSs provide anchoring sites to bind the excess PbI2 and passivate perovskite grain boundaries, thereby reducing charge recombination loss and significantly boosting the extraction of free electrons. The inclusion of Dec-oxoG NSs leads to a PCE of 23.7 % in inverted (p-i-n) PSCs. The devices retain 93.8 % of their initial efficiency after 1,000 hours of tracking at maximum power points under continuous one-sun illumination and exhibit high stability under thermal and ambient conditions.

Recycled Utilization of a Nanoporous Au Electrode for Reduced Fabrication Cost of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) using metal electrodes have been regarded as promising candidates for next-generation photovoltaic devices because of their high efficiency, low fabrication temperature, and low cost potential. However, the complicated and rigorous thermal deposition process of metal contact electrodes remains a challenging issue for reducing the energy pay-back period in commercial PSCs, as the ubiquitous one-time use of a contact electrode wastes limited resources and pollutes the environment. Here, a nanoporous Au film electrode fabricated by a simple dry transfer process is introduced to replace the thermally evaporated Au electrode in PSCs. A high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.0% is demonstrated in PSCs with the nanoporous Au film electrode. Moreover, the electrode is recycled more than 12 times to realize a further reduced fabrication cost of PSCs and noble metal materials consumption and to prevent environmental pollution. When the nanoporous Au electrode is applied to flexible PSCs, a PCE of 17.3% and superior bending durability of ≈98.5% after 1000 cycles of harsh bending tests are achieved. The nanoscale pores and the capability of the porous structure to impede crack generation and propagation enable the nanoporous Au electrode to be recycled and result in excellent bending durability.

Planar Perovskite Solar Cells with High Efficiency and Fill Factor Obtained Using Two-Step Growth Process.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been regarded as the most promising next-generation photovoltaics (PVs) because of their potential for low-cost fabrication and advances in their development. Superior quality of the photoactive perovskite layer is a main factor for further increasing the PV performance of the organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we successfully obtained perovskite with a high crystallinity and large grain size by utilizing excess PbI2 and SSGP technique and demonstrated a superior PV performance of normal-architecture planar PSCs. The SSGP PSCs with the highest fill factor (FF) reported thus far (83.4%) to our knowledge were obtained without sacrificing other PV parameters. Moreover, a high efficiency of 21.3% (21.6%) with a high FF of 80.0% (81.2%) in forward (reverse) scan was achieved. The unencapsulated SSGP PSCs showed robust continuous light-soaking and thermal stability under harsh characterization conditions. Additionally, we achieved a high efficiency of 20.1% with a negligible hysteresis on the large active area SSGP PSCs (∼1 cm2). The optical properties, efficient carrier extraction, and reduction of recombination loss of the SSGP perovskite significantly contribute to the high PV performance and robust stability of SSGP PSCs.

One-Pot Aqueous Phase Synthesis of CdTe and CdTe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots.

A facile and economical one-pot strategy has been developed for the synthesis of water-solute CdTe and CdTe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) using tellurium dioxide (TeO2) as a tellurium precursor and thioglycolic acid (TGA) as stabilizer without any pre-treatment and inert atmosphere protection. As-synthesized QDs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV-vis and photoluminescence (PL). The spherical particles were uniformly distributed with the average diameters of 3.2 nm (CdTe QDs) and -5 nm (CdTe/ZnS QDs). By altering the reaction conditions, the emission wavelengths of the CdTe core QDs and CdTe/ZnS core/shell QDs could be tuned from 508 to 574 nm and 526 to 600 nm with narrow full widths at half maximum (FWHM) of 33 to 58 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, on the optimum condition, the luminescence efficiency of CdTe/ZnS QDs can achieve to 74%, which was higher than that of CdTe core QDs (24%).