“Homogenizing out-of-plane cation composition in perovskite solar cells” (2023), by Zheng Liang et al. Engineering research paper. Original abstract below, unchanged. A free PDF is available.

Homogenizing out-of-plane cation composition in perovskite solar cells

Zheng Liang, Yong Zhang, Huifen Xu et al. · November 1, 2023 · Engineering

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells with the formula FA 1− x Cs x PbI 3 , where FA is formamidinium, provide an attractive option for integrating high efficiency, durable stability and compatibility with scaled-up fabrication. Despite the incorporation of Cs cations, which could potentially enable a perfect perovskite lattice 1,2 , the compositional inhomogeneity caused by A-site cation segregation is likely to be detrimental to the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells 3,4 . Here we visualized the out-of-plane compositional inhomogeneity along the vertical direction across perovskite films and identified the underlying reasons for the inhomogeneity and its potential impact for devices. We devised a strategy using 1-(phenylsulfonyl)pyrrole to homogenize the distribution of cation composition in perovskite films. The resultant p–i–n devices yielded a certified steady-state photon-to-electron conversion efficiency of 25.2% and durable stability.

Free PDF DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06784-0