Inhibition of Sn²⁺ Oxidation in FASnI₃ Perovskite Precursor Solution and Enhanced Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells by Reductive Additive

Abstract

Tin-based halide perovskite solar cells (Sn–PSCs) have attracted a progressive amount of attention as a potential alternative to lead-based PSCs (Pb–PSCs). Sn-perovskite films are fabricated by a solution process spin-coating technique. However, the efficiency of these devices varies significantly with the different batches of precursor solution due to the poor chemical stability of SnI 2 -DMSO and the oxidation of Sn 2+ to Sn 4+ . This study investigated the origin of Sn 2+ oxidation before film formation, and it was identified that the ionization of SnI 2 in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) causes the oxidation of free Sn 2+ and I – ions. To address these issues, this study introduces the reductive additive 4-fluorophenylhydrazine hydrochloride (4F-PHCl) in the FASnI 3 perovskite precursor solution. The hydrazine functional (–NH–NH 2 ) group converted detrimental Sn 4+ and I 2 defects back to Sn 2+ and I – in precursor solution while retaining the properties of the perovskite solution. Furthermore, the addition of 4F-PHCl in the precursor solution effectively slows the crystallization process, enhancing the crystallinity of FASnI 3 perovskite films and guaranteeing the Sn 2+ /I – stoichiometric ratio, ultimately leading to a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.86%. The hydrophobic fluorinated benzene ring in 4F-PHCl ensures moisture stability in perovskite films, allowing unencapsulated PSCs to retain over 92% of their initial PCE in an N 2 -filled glovebox for 130 days. Moreover, the 4F-PHCl-modified encapsulated PSCs showed superior operational stability for 420 h and maintained 95% of their initial PCE for 300 h under maximum power point tracking at 1 sun continuous illumination. This study’s findings provide a promising pathway to create a controlled Sn-based perovskite precursor solution for highly reproducible and stable Pb-free Sn–PSCs.

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