Multifunctional Polymer Restraint of the Agglomeration of SnO<sub>2</sub> Nanocrystals for Efficient and Stable Planar Perovskite Solar Cells
Xingchong Liu, Qinghao Hu, Yongshan Peng, Xian Peng, Weikang Zhao, Haimin Li, Hanyu Wang, Xiaoyan Zhang, Yue Lei
Abstract
The aggregation of SnO 2 nanocrystals due to van der Waals interactions is not conducive to the realization of a compact and pinhole-free electron transport layer (ETL). Herein, we have utilized potassium alginate (PA) to self-assemble SnO 2 nanocrystals, forming a PA-SnO 2 ETL for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, PA can be effectively absorbed onto the surface of SnO 2 . This inhibits the agglomeration of SnO 2 nanocrystals in solution, forming a smoother pinhole-free film. This also changes the surface contact potential (CPD) of the SnO 2 film, which leads to a reduction in the energy barrier between the ETL and the perovskite layers, promotes effective charge transfer, and reduces trap density. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs with a PA-SnO 2 ETL increased from 19.24% to 22.16%, and the short-circuit current ( J SC ) was enhanced from 23.52 to 25.21 mA cm –2 . Furthermore, the PA-modified unpackaged device demonstrates better humidity stability compared to the original device.