Perovskite solar cells employing organic charge-transport layers
Thin-film photovoltaics play an important role in the quest for clean renewable energy. Recently, methylammonium lead halide perovskites were identified as promising absorbers for solar cells(1). In the three years since, the performance of perovskite-based solar cells has improved rapidly to reach efficiencies as high as 15%(1-10). To date, all high-efficiency perovskite solar cells reported make use of a (mesoscopic) metal oxide, such as Al2O3, TiO2, or ZrO2, which requires a high-temperature sintering process. Here, we show that methylammonium lead iodide perovskite layers, when sandwiched between two thin organic charge-transporting layers, also lead to solar cells with high power-conve…
Low cost, efficient hybrid solar cells
Actualmente, existen diversas estrategias para producir energía limpia mediante fuentes renovables, pero es la explotación directa de la energía del Sol la que se presenta como una solución ideal, siendo la mayor fuente de energía verde en la Tierra. La potencia de la energía solar que llega a la Tierra cada año es del orden de 86000 TW (Terawatt, 1012 Watt). Esto representa 4800 veces la demanda energética anual del mundo, estimada en 18 TW. Además, todos los depósitos de energía fósil reconocidos (petróleo, carbón y gas) contienen todos juntos tan sólo una cantidad de energía equivalente a la recibida del Sol durante 56 días. Esta situación muestra claramente la necesidad de aprovechar es…
Nontemplate Synthesis of CH3NH3PbBr3 Perovskite Nanoparticles
To date, there is no example in the literature of free, nanometer-sized, organolead halide CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskites. We report here the preparation of 6 nm-sized nanoparticles of this type by a simple and fast method based on the use of an ammonium bromide with a medium-sized chain that keeps the nanoparticles dispersed in a wide range of organic solvents. These nanoparticles can be maintained stable in the solid state as well as in concentrated solutions for more than three months, without requiring a mesoporous material. This makes it possible to prepare homogeneous thin films of these nanoparticles by spin-coating on a quartz substrate. Both the colloidal solution and the thin film emit l…
Radiative efficiency of lead iodide based perovskite solar cells
The maximum efficiency of any solar cell can be evaluated in terms of its corresponding ability to emit light. We herein determine the important figure of merit of radiative efficiency for Methylammonium Lead Iodide perovskite solar cells and, to put in context, relate it to an organic photovoltaic (OPV) model device. We evaluate the reciprocity relation between electroluminescence and photovoltaic quantum efficiency and conclude that the emission from the perovskite devices is dominated by a sharp band-to-band transition that has a radiative efficiency much higher than that of an average OPV device. As a consequence, the perovskite have the benefit of retaining an open circuit voltage ~0.1…
Metal-Oxide-Free Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite-Based Solar Cells: the Influence of Organic Charge Transport Layers
Metal-oxide-free methylammonium lead iodide perovskite-based solar cells are prepared using a dual-source thermal evaporation method. This method leads to high quality reproducible films with large crystal domain sizes allowing for an in depth study of the effect of perovskite film thickness and the nature of the electron and hole blocking layers on the device performance. The power conversion efficiency increases from 4.7% for a device with only an organic electron blocking layer to almost 15% when an organic hole blocking layer is also employed. In addition to the in depth study on small area cells, larger area cells (approx. 1 cm(-2)) are prepared and exhibit efficiencies in excess of 10…
High efficiency single-junction semitransparent perovskite solar cells
Semitransparent perovskite solar cells with a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) above 6% and 30% full device transparency have been achieved by implementing a thin perovskite layer and a simple foil compatible layout.
Influence of the cyanine counter anions on a bi-layer solar cell performance
ABSTRACTWe present normal and inverted solution processed bi-layer solar cells using cationic cyanine dyes as the electron donor and a fullerene as the electron acceptor. The cells exhibit high open circuit voltages up to 1 volt showing the optimal alignment of donor and acceptor energy levels. We demonstrate the large effect that cyanine dye counter ions can have on the energetics of the solar cells and how the S-shaped current density vs. voltage (J-V) curves can be avoided.
Flexible high efficiency perovskite solar cells
Flexible perovskite based solar cells with power conversion efficiencies of 7% have been prepared on PET based conductive substrates. Extended bending of the devices does not deteriorate their performance demonstrating their suitability for roll to roll processing.
Efficient, Cyanine Dye Based Bilayer Solar Cells
Simple bilayer solar cells, using commercially available cationic cyanine dyes as donors and evaporated C60 layer as an acceptor are prepared. Cyanine dyes with absorption maxima of 578, 615 and 697 nm having either perchlorate or hexafluorophosphate counter-ions are evaluated. The perchlorate dye leads to cells with S-shape current-voltage curves; only the dyes with the hexafluorophosphate counter-ions lead to efficient solar cells. When the wide bandgap dyes are employed, S-shape current-voltage curves are obtained when the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS is used as hole transport layer. Substitution of PEDOT:PSS with MoO3 leads to cells with more rectangular current–voltage curves and high …
Meniscus coated high open-circuit voltage bi-layer solar cells
Neat bi-layer solar cells of a fullerene acceptor and a cyanine dye donor were prepared using meniscus coating. Meniscus coating is very material efficient and leads to high quality pinhole-free films. The cells exhibit high open circuit voltages of 1 volt, only 0.8 eV below the band gap of the cyanine dye. This is one of the smallest differences reported for organic solar cells and illustrates an almost optimal donor-acceptor energy level alignment.
Solution-processed bi-layer polythiophene–fullerene organic solar cells
An ionic polymer based on a polythiophene backbone with appended imidazolium moieties was successfully implemented as a donor material in fully solution-processed efficient bi-layer solar cells prepared by the low impact meniscus coating technique. High fill factors and device reproducibility were obtained, even for ultrathin polymer layers, indicating excellent film formation properties and good compatibility with solution processing techniques. The possibility of smooth counter ion exchange, allowing solubility modification and efficiency tuning, enables exploration of new functionalities and other device architectures.