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Stable high-performance hybrid perovskite solar cells with ultrathin polythiophene as hole-transporting layer

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Abstract

Ultrathin polythiophene films prepared via electrochemical polymerization is successfully used as the hole-transporting material, substituting conventional HTM-PEDOT:PSS, in planar p-i-n CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based solar cells, affording a series of ITO/polythiophene/CH3NH3PbI3/C60/BCP/Ag devices. The ultrathin polythiophene film possesses good transmittance, high conductivity, a smooth surface, high wettability, compatibility with PbI2 DMF solution, and an energy level matching that of the CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite material. A promising power conversion efficiency of about 15.4%, featuring a high fill factor of 0.774, open voltage of 0.99 V, and short-circuit current density of 20.3 mA·cm−2 is obtained. The overall performance of the devices is superior to that of cells using PEDOT:PSS. The differences of solar cells with different hole-transfer materials in charge recombination, charge transport and transfer, and device stability are further investigated and demonstrate that polythiophene is a more effective and promising hole-transporting material. This work provides a simple, prompt, controllable, and economic approach for the preparation of an effective hole-transporting material, which undoubtedly offers an alternative method in the future industrial production of perovskite solar cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Weibo Yan, Yunlong Li, Senyun Ye, Zhiwei Liu, Zuqiang Bian & Chunhui Huang

  2. State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Yu Li & Shufeng Wang

Authors
  1. Weibo Yan
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  2. Yunlong Li
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  3. Yu Li
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  4. Senyun Ye
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  5. Zhiwei Liu
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  6. Shufeng Wang
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  7. Zuqiang Bian
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  8. Chunhui Huang
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Correspondence to Shufeng Wang or Zuqiang Bian.

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Yan, W., Li, Y., Li, Y. et al. Stable high-performance hybrid perovskite solar cells with ultrathin polythiophene as hole-transporting layer. Nano Res. 8, 2474–2480 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0755-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0755-5

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