Reducing the Open-Circuit Voltage Loss of PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells via Hybrid Ligand Exchange Treatment

The interface VOC loss between the active layer and the hole transport layer (HTL) of lead sulfide colloidal quantum dot (PbS-CQD) solar cells is a significant factor influencing the efficiency improvement of PbS colloidal quantum dot solar cells (PbS-CQDSCs). Currently, the most advanced solar cells adopt organic P-type HTLs (PbS-EDT) via solid-state ligand exchange with 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) on the CQD top active layer. However, EDT is unable to altogether remove the initial ligand oleic acid from the quantum dot surface, and its high reactivity leads to cracks in the HTL film caused by volume contractions, which inevitably results in significant VOC loss. These flaws prompted this research to develop a method involving hybrid organic ligand exchange using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and 1,2-EDT (PbS-Hybrid) to overcome these drawbacks of VOC loss. The results indicated that the new exchange strategy improved the quality of the HTL film and benefited from the enhanced passivation of the quantum dot surface and better alignment of energy levels, and the average VOC of PbS-Hybrid devices is increased by approximately 25 mV compared to control devices. With the enhanced VOC, the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the devices is improved by 10%, with the highest PCE reaching 13.24%.