Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Low Voltage Loss Achieved by a Pyridine-Based Dopant-Free Polymer Semiconductor

Abstract

Currently, the performance improvement for inverted perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) is mainly limited by the high open circuit voltage (V_OC ) loss caused by detrimental non-radiative recombination (NRR) processes. Herein, we report a simple and efficient way to simultaneously reduce the NRR processes inside perovskites and at the interface by rationally designing a new pyridine-based polymer hole-transporting material (HTM), PPY2, which exhibits suitable energy levels with perovskites, high hole mobility, effective passivation of the uncoordinated Pb²⁺ and iodide defects, as well as the capability of promoting the formation of high-quality polycrystalline perovskite films. In absence of any dopants, the inverted PVSCs using PPY2 as the HTM deliver an encouraging PCE up to 22.41 % with a small V_OC loss (0.40 V), among the best device performances for inverted PVSCs reported so far. Furthermore, PPY2-based unencapsulated devices show an excellent long-term photostability, and over 97 % of its initial PCE can be maintained after one sun constant illumination for 500 h.

Keywords: defect passivation; dopant-free hole-transporting materials; inverted perovskite solar cells; non-radiative recombination.