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Effect of Electron‐Transport Material on Light‐Induced Degradation of Inverted Planar Junction Perovskite Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Akbulatov Azat F.,
Frolova Lyubov A.,
Griffin Monroe P.,
Gearba Ioana R.,
Dolocan Andrei,
Vanden Bout David A.,
Tsarev Sergey,
Katz Eugene A.,
Shestakov Alexander F.,
Stevenson Keith J.,
Troshin Pavel A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201700476
Subject(s) - materials science , perovskite (structure) , photoactive layer , degradation (telecommunications) , photovoltaic system , chemical engineering , perylene , perovskite solar cell , layer (electronics) , solar cell , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , polymer solar cell , organic chemistry , chemistry , molecule , telecommunications , ecology , computer science , engineering , biology
This paper presents a systematic study of the influence of electron‐transport materials on the operation stability of the inverted perovskite solar cells under both laboratory indoor and the natural outdoor conditions in the Negev desert. It is shown that all devices incorporating a Phenyl C 61 Butyric Acid Methyl ester ([60]PCBM) layer undergo rapid degradation under illumination without exposure to oxygen and moisture. Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling reveals that volatile products from the decomposition of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ) films diffuse through the [60]PCBM layer, go all the way toward the top metal electrode, and induce its severe corrosion with the formation of an interfacial AgI layer. On the contrary, alternative electron‐transport material based on the perylendiimide derivative provides good isolation for the MAPbI 3 films preventing their decomposition and resulting in significantly improved device operation stability. The obtained results strongly suggest that the current approach to design inverted perovskite solar cells should evolve with respect to the replacement of the commonly used fullerene‐based electron‐transport layers with other types of materials (e.g., functionalized perylene diimides). It is believed that these findings pave a way toward substantial improvements in the stability of the perovskite solar cells, which are essential for successful commercialization of this photovoltaic technology.