Phthalocyanines, porphyrins and other porphyrinoids as components of perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs) are third-generation devices that are reluctant to leave the laboratory to reach the market due to their limitations, such as their sensitivity to humidity, heat and light. Thus, there is a large volume of research to develop materials and manufacturing methods that make such a step possible. Phthalocyanines (Pcs) and porphyrins (Pors) constitute two families of molecules that have been showing a real utility in improving these devices in terms of efficiency and stability, therefore, a multitude of scientific works focused on this sense can be found. This is because, together with their outstanding and tunable optoelectronic properties, they are stable materials against the elements. In addition, they could be obtained industrially at low cost and applied on a large scale using techniques such as roll-to-roll. The best works from 2019 to 2022 on Pcs, Pors and other porphyrinoids applied in PSCs are here reviewed. We attempt to relate the molecular structure with the performances obtained when applied in certain roles to guide the design of improved structures, maybe capable of pushing this experimental technology to an industrial level.