Efficient perovskite solar cells by combination use of Au nanoparticles and insulating metal oxide

Abstract

Achieving high open-circuit voltage and high short-circuit current density simultaneously is a big challenge in the development of highly efficient perovskite solar cells, due to the complex excitonic nature of hybrid organic–inorganic semiconductors. Herein, we developed a facile and effective method to fabricate efficient plasmonic PSC devices. The solar cells were prepared by incorporating Au nanoparticles (NPs) into mesoporous TiO₂ films and depositing a MgO passivation film on the Au NP-modified mesoporous titania via wet spinning and pyrolysis of magnesium salt. The PSCs obtained by combining Au NPs and MgO demonstrated a high power conversion efficiency of 16.1%, with both a high open-circuit voltage of 1.09 V and a high short-circuit current density of 21.76 mA cm⁻². The device achieved a 34.2% improvement in the power conversion efficiency compared with a device based on pure TiO₂. Moreover, a significant improvement of the UV stability in the perovskite solar cell was achieved due to the combined use of Au NPs and insulating MgO. The fundamental optics and physics behind the regulation of energy flow in the perovskite solar cell and the concept of using Au NPs and MgO to improve the device performance were explored. The results indicate that the combined use of Au NPs and a MgO passivation film is an effective way to design high performance and high stability organic–inorganic perovskite photovoltaic materials.