Work

Interface Engineering in Hybrid Iodide CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskites Using Lewis Base and Graphene toward High-Performance Solar Cells

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Photovoltaic solar cells based on organic–inorganic hybrid halide perovskites have achieved a substantial breakthrough via advanced interface engineering. Reports have emphasized that combining the hybrid perovskites with the Lewis base and/or graphene can definitely improve the performance through surface trap passivation and band alignment alteration; the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Here, using density functional theory calculations, we show that upon the formation of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 interfaces with three different Lewis base molecules and graphene, the binding strength with S-donors thiocarbamide and thioacetamide is higher than with O-donor dimethyl sulfoxide, while the interface dipole and work function reduction tend to increase from S-donors to O-donor. We provide evidences of deep trap state elimination in the S-donor perovskite interfaces through the analysis of defect formation on the CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 (110) surface and of stability enhancement by estimation of activation barriers for vacancy-mediated iodine atom migrations. These theoretical predictions are in line with the experimental observation of performance enhancement in the perovskites prepared using thiocarbamide.

Source: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b17552