Synergistic Crystallization and Passivation by a Single Molecular Additive for High‐Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2022-08, Vol.34 (33), p.e2204098-n/a
• Main Authors: Du, Xinyi, Zhang, Jing, Su, Hang, Guo, Xu, Hu, Yingjie, Liu, Dongle, Yuan, Ningyi, Ding, Jianning, Gao, Lili, Liu, Shengzhong (Frank)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carrier density; Carrier lifetime; Crystal defects; Crystallization; device efficiency; device stability; Dimethyl sulfoxide; Efficiency; Energy conversion efficiency; Grain size; Materials science; Passivity; Perovskites; Photovoltaic cells; Precursors; Service life assessment; Solar cells; Surface defects; Thin films
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202204098

With its power conversion efficiency surpassing those of all other thin‐film solar cells only a few years after its invention, the perovskite solar cell has become a superstar. Controlling the intermediate phase of crystallization is a key to obtaining high‐quality perovskite films. Herein, a single molecule additive, N,N‐dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide hydroiodide (DIAI), is incorporated into the perovskite precursor to eliminate the influence of intermediate phases. By taking advantage of the interaction of DIAI and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the intermediate phase FAI‐PbI2‐DMSO complex is eliminated, and δ‐FAPbI3 is entirely converted to the desired α‐FAPbI3 during the crystallization step, resulting in enlarged grain size and improved crystalline quality. This is the first observation in the solution method that FAPbI3 can be obtained without an intermediate phase for high‐performance perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, DIAI is effective at passivating surface defects, resulting in reduced defect density, increased carrier lifetime, and improved device efficiency and stability. The champion device achieves an efficiency of 24.13%. Furthermore, the bare device without any encapsulation maintains 94.1% of its initial efficiency after ambient exposure over 1000h. This work contributes a strategy of synergistic crystallization and passivation to directly form α‐FAPbI3 from the precursor solution without the influence of intermediate impurities for high‐performance perovskite applications. By simultaneous control of the intermediate phase during crystallization of the perovskite film and surface passivation using a single molecule additive N,N‐dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide hydroiodide (DIAI), which has multiple functional groups, an impressive device photoelectric conversion efficiency as high as 24.13% with negligible hysteresis is obtained. The bare device without any encapsulation maintains 94.1% of its initial efficiency after ambient exposure for over 1000 h.