Issue 7, 2016

Elimination of the light soaking effect and performance enhancement in perovskite solar cells using a fullerene derivative

Abstract

In this work, we investigate how electron extraction layers (EELs) with different dielectric constants affect the device performance and the light-soaking phenomenon in hybrid perovskite solar cells (HPSCs). Fulleropyrrolidine with a triethylene glycol monoethyl ether side chain (PTEG-1) having a dielectric constant of 5.9 is employed as an EEL in HPSCs. The commonly used fullerene derivative [60]PCBM, which has identical energy levels but a lower dielectric constant of 3.9, is used as a reference. The device using PTEG-1 as the EEL shows a negligible light soaking effect, with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.2% before light soaking and a minor increase to 15.7% after light soaking. In contrast, the device using [60]PCBM as the EEL shows severe light soaking, with the PCE improving from 3.8% to 11.7%. Photoluminescence spectroscopy and impedance spectroscopy measurements indicate that trap-assisted recombination at the interface between the hybrid perovskite and the EEL is the cause of the light soaking effect in HPSCs. The trap-assisted recombination is effectively suppressed at the perovskite/PTEG-1 interface, while severe trap assisted recombination takes place at the perovskite/[60]PCBM interface. We attributed these experimental findings to the fact that the higher dielectric constant of PTEG-1 helps to screen the recombination between the traps and free electrons. In addition, the electron donating side chains of PTEG-1 may also contribute to the passivation of the electron traps. As a consequence, the devices using PTEG-1 as the EEL display a considerable increase in the efficiency and a negligible light soaking effect.

Graphical abstract: Elimination of the light soaking effect and performance enhancement in perovskite solar cells using a fullerene derivative

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 May 2016
Accepted
01 Jun 2016
First published
02 Jun 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Energy Environ. Sci., 2016,9, 2444-2452

Elimination of the light soaking effect and performance enhancement in perovskite solar cells using a fullerene derivative

S. Shao, M. Abdu-Aguye, L. Qiu, L. Lai, J. Liu, S. Adjokatse, F. Jahani, M. E. Kamminga, G. H. ten Brink, T. T. M. Palstra, B. J. Kooi, J. C. Hummelen and M. Antonietta Loi, Energy Environ. Sci., 2016, 9, 2444 DOI: 10.1039/C6EE01337F

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