Hole-Transporting Materials with a Two-Dimensionally Expanded π-System around an Azulene Core for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

Hidetaka Nishimura; Naoki Ishida; Ai Shimazaki; Atsushi Wakamiya; Akinori Saeki; Lawrence T Scott; Yasujiro Murata

doi:10.1021/jacs.5b11008

Hole-Transporting Materials with a Two-Dimensionally Expanded π-System around an Azulene Core for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

J Am Chem Soc. 2015 Dec 23;137(50):15656-9. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5b11008. Epub 2015 Dec 10.

Authors

Hidetaka Nishimura¹, Naoki Ishida², Ai Shimazaki¹, Atsushi Wakamiya^{1

3}, Akinori Saeki², Lawrence T Scott⁴, Yasujiro Murata¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University , Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
² Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University , 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
³ Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency , 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
⁴ Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College , Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467-3860, United States.

PMID: 26651163
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b11008

Abstract

Two-dimensionally expanded π-systems, consisting of partially oxygen-bridged triarylamine skeletons that are connected to an azulene (1-3) or biphenyl core (4), were synthesized and characterized. When tetra-substituted azulene 1 was used as a hole-transporting material (HTM) in perovskite solar cells, the observed performance (power conversion efficiency = 16.5%) was found to be superior to that of the current HTM standard Spiro-OMeTAD. A comparison of the hole mobility, the ability to control the HOMO and LUMO levels, and the hole-collection efficiency at the perovskite/HTM interface in 1 with reference compounds (2-4 and Spiro-OMeTAD) led to the elucidation of key factors required for HTMs to act efficiently in perovskite solar cells.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.