Multifunctional Two-Dimensional Benzodifuran-Based Polymer for Eco-Friendly Perovskite Solar Cells Featuring High Stability

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2022 Sep 14;14(36):41389-41399. doi: 10.1021/acsami.2c09607. Epub 2022 Aug 29.

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been regarded as an exceptional renewable energy conversion technology due to their rapidly increasing photovoltaic efficiency, while their practical application is highly retarded by their intrinsic instability and potential lead ion leakage. Here, a two-dimensional (2D) π-conjugated benzodifuran-based polymer, PBDFP-Bz, is adopted to modify the perovskite film. Note that PBDFP-Bz could neutralize surface defects, fine-tune interfacial energetics, and hamper moisture ingression into the perovskite film. Therefore, high-quality perovskite films featuring reduced trap state density and enhanced moisture tolerance could be obtained after modification via PBDFP-Bz. Consequently, PBDFP-Bz-modified devices deliver a higher efficiency of 21.73% versus 19.55% of control ones. Meanwhile, PBDFP-Bz-modified devices can preserve 82.7 and 90.8% of their initial efficiency under continuous heating at 85 °C or light soaking for 500 h. However, the corresponding retained values of control devices are only 56.4 and 70.2%, respectively. Moreover, PBDFP-Bz can effectively prevent the leakage of lead ions in modified devices relative to control ones. This work not only reveals that PBDFP-Bz features high potential for fabricating high-performance and robust PSCs but also indicates that 2D π-conjugated benzodifuran-based polymers can endow PSCs with great security for sustainable development without the concern of lead ion leakage.

Keywords: benzodifuran-based copolymer; environmental stability; lead ion leakage; perovskite solar cells; two-dimensional π-conjugated polymer.