Flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs) are light-weight, conformal and thus ideal for seamless integration of photovoltaics onto wearable and portable electronics. Nevertheless, the spread of f-PSCs is limited by both the lower efficiency compared to rigid counterparts and the employment of costly materials. Among them, hole-transporting materials (HTM) represent the most expensive component and also a weak spot for long-term stability, due to poor resistance against heat and moisture. Here, we propose poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)-modified HTMs embodying benzothiadiazole (BTD) moieties as electron-poor host. BTD is inserted along P3HT backbone, creating a donor-acceptor system able to promote the charge mobility throughout the HTM. A first series of copolymers, synthetized by Stille coupling, shows a decrease of benzothiadiazole/thiophene ratio (1:2, 1:4, 1:6), allowing to modulate both electronic and optical properties. Additionally, a greener approach (Kumada polycondensation) is employed to synthetize a homologous copolymer (VI-LM-027) embodying a lower amount of BTD that, used as HTM in f-PSCs, leads to power conversion efficiency comparable to commercially available P3HT and shows improved stability under continuous illumination. Finally, VI-LM-027 is also employed in 6 × 6 cm2 modules, delivering 6.9% efficiency on 16 cm2 of active area and demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed HTMs for large area manufacture.

Modified P3HT materials as hole transport layers for flexible perovskite solar cells

Renno G.;Ilieva V.;Fin A.;Bonomo M.
;
Barolo C.
;
2021-01-01

Abstract

Flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs) are light-weight, conformal and thus ideal for seamless integration of photovoltaics onto wearable and portable electronics. Nevertheless, the spread of f-PSCs is limited by both the lower efficiency compared to rigid counterparts and the employment of costly materials. Among them, hole-transporting materials (HTM) represent the most expensive component and also a weak spot for long-term stability, due to poor resistance against heat and moisture. Here, we propose poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)-modified HTMs embodying benzothiadiazole (BTD) moieties as electron-poor host. BTD is inserted along P3HT backbone, creating a donor-acceptor system able to promote the charge mobility throughout the HTM. A first series of copolymers, synthetized by Stille coupling, shows a decrease of benzothiadiazole/thiophene ratio (1:2, 1:4, 1:6), allowing to modulate both electronic and optical properties. Additionally, a greener approach (Kumada polycondensation) is employed to synthetize a homologous copolymer (VI-LM-027) embodying a lower amount of BTD that, used as HTM in f-PSCs, leads to power conversion efficiency comparable to commercially available P3HT and shows improved stability under continuous illumination. Finally, VI-LM-027 is also employed in 6 × 6 cm2 modules, delivering 6.9% efficiency on 16 cm2 of active area and demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed HTMs for large area manufacture.
2021
494
1
12
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378775321002767
Hole transporting material; Module; P3HT; Perovskite solar cells; Polymers; Stability
De Rossi F.; Renno G.; Taheri B.; Yaghoobi Nia N.; Ilieva V.; Fin A.; Di Carlo A.; Bonomo M.; Barolo C.; Brunetti F.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/1784894
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