Interfacial engineering through lead binding using crown ethers in perovskite solar cells

Interfacial engineering through lead binding using crown ethers in perovskite solar cellsJi-Youn Seo a, Sun-Ju Kim aa Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of KoreaInternational Conference on Hybrid and Organic PhotovoltaicsProceedings of International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV24)València, Spain, 2024 May 12th - 15thOrganizer: Bruno EhrlerOral, Sun-Ju Kim, presentation 195DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.hopv.2024.195Publication date: 6th February 2024In the domain of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the imperative to reconcile impressive photovoltaic performance with lead-related issue and environmental stability has driven innovative solutions. This study pioneers an approach that not only rectifies lead leakage but also places paramount importance on the attainment of rigorous interfacial passivation. Crown ethers, notably benzo-18-crown-6-ether (B18C6), were strategically integrated at the perovskite-hole transport material interface. Crown ethers exhibit a dual role: efficiently sequestering and immobilizing Pb2+ ions through host-guest complexation and simultaneously establishing a robust interfacial passivation layer. Selected crown ether candidates, guided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, demonstrated proficiency in binding Pb2+ ions and optimizing interfacial energetics. Photovoltaic devices incorporating these materials achieved exceptional power conversion efficiency (PCE), notably 21.5% for B18C6, underscoring their efficacy in lead binding and interfacial passivation. Analytical techniques, including time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), unequivocally affirmed Pb2+ ion capture and suppression of non-radiative recombination. Notably, these PSCs maintained efficiencies even after enduring 300 hours of exposure to 85% humidity. References:[1] Kim, S.-J., et al. (2024). "Interfacial engineering through lead binding using crown ethers in perovskite solar cells." Journal of Energy Chemistry.Acknowledgements:This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2021R1F1A1047203). This research was also financially supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) through the International Cooperative R&D program (P0026100). Author RKC is thankful to the NRF grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (2021R1I1A1A01061036). H.C. acknowledges financial support from the NRF grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (RS-2023-00213920). © FUNDACIO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA SCITOnanoGe is a prestigious brand of successful science conferences that are developed along the year in different areas of the world since 2009. 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