Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance of Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells through Surface Modification of a NiO x-Based Hole-Transporting Layer with Quaternary Ammonium Halide-Containing Cellulose Derivatives

I-Hsiu Ho; Yi-Jou Huang; Cheng-En Cai; Bo-Tau Liu; Tzong-Ming Wu; Rong-Ho Lee

doi:10.3390/polym15020437

Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance of Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells through Surface Modification of a NiO _x-Based Hole-Transporting Layer with Quaternary Ammonium Halide-Containing Cellulose Derivatives

Polymers (Basel). 2023 Jan 13;15(2):437. doi: 10.3390/polym15020437.

Authors

I-Hsiu Ho¹, Yi-Jou Huang¹, Cheng-En Cai¹, Bo-Tau Liu², Tzong-Ming Wu³, Rong-Ho Lee¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
² Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin 64002, Taiwan.
³ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.

Abstract

In this study, we positioned three quaternary ammonium halide-containing cellulose derivatives (PQF, PQCl, PQBr) as interfacial modification layers between the nickel oxide (NiO_x) and methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) layers of inverted perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). Inserting PQCl between the NiO_x and MAPbI₃ layers improved the interfacial contact, promoted the crystal growth, and passivated the interface and crystal defects, thereby resulting in MAPbI₃ layers having larger crystal grains, better crystal quality, and lower surface roughness. Accordingly, the photovoltaic (PV) properties of PVSCs fabricated with PQCl-modified NiO_x layers were improved when compared with those of the pristine sample. Furthermore, the PV properties of the PQCl-based PVSCs were much better than those of their PQF- and PQBr-based counterparts. A PVSC fabricated with PQCl-modified NiO_x (fluorine-doped tin oxide/NiO_x/PQCl-0.05/MAPbI₃/PC₆₁BM/bathocuproine/Ag) exhibited the best PV performance, with a photoconversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.40%, an open-circuit voltage of 1.06 V, a short-circuit current density of 18.35 mA/cm³, and a fill factor of 74.0%. Moreover, the PV parameters of the PVSC incorporating the PQCl-modified NiO_x were further enhanced when blending MAPbI₃ with PQCl. We obtained a PCE of 16.53% for this MAPbI₃:PQCl-based PVSC. This PQCl-based PVSC retained 80% of its initial PCE after 900 h of storage under ambient conditions (30 °C; 60% relative humidity).

Keywords: NiOx; cellulose derivative; perovskite solar cells; quaternary ammonium halide.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

NSTC 109-2221-E-005-070-MY3/The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) of Taiwan