Enhancing the potential of a Cs0.1MA0.9PbI3 perovskite layer through the suspension of pure and vanadium-doped metal sulphides for solar cells

Abstract

Though perovskites remain a vital component of the electronics industry and solar cell technology, the defects that occur in perovskite films due to uncontrollable crystallization and the fragility of ionic compounds remain serious limitations. The present study focused on synthesising a perovskite Cs_0.1MA_0.9PbI₃ active layer with tailored configurations using transition metal sulphides (both pure and V-doped WS₂ and MoS₂) to enhance the device characteristics of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By optimizing the organic–inorganic interface, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the optimised V-doped WS₂-based PSC increased by 48% to reach an impressive 15.62%, representing a significant improvement from pure Cs_0.1MA_0.9PbI₃. This enhanced output originates from the high photon absorption capability of V-doped WS₂ and the efficient low-dimensional charge transport pathways, which together effectively increase the generation, separation, and collection of charge while minimizing recombination losses. In long-term stability testing, the optimized device retained 80% and 76% of its PCE after 1000 h under continuous illumination and at 70 °C, respectively. The proposed V-doped MS₂- and WS₂-based design offers reliable interfacial energy alignment and enriched charge transport, while also exhibiting great promise for scalable processing, positioning it as a useful candidate for next-generation energy conversion technologies.