3,6-Bis(methylthio)-9H-carbazole Based Self-Assembled Monolayer for Highly Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2024 Dec 11:e202423206. doi: 10.1002/anie.202423206. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The photovoltaic performance of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) relies on effectively managing the interface between the hole extraction layer and the light-absorbing perovskite layer. In this study, we have synthesised (4-(3,6-bis(methylthio)-9H-carbazol-9-yl)butyl)phosphonic acid (MeS-4PACz), which forms a self-assembled monolayer on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode. The molecule's methylthio substituents generate a favourable interfacial dipole moment and interact with the perovskite layer. This interaction results in well-aligned energy levels among the FTO/SAM/perovskite layers, promoting efficient hole extraction and significantly reducing carrier recombination losses. Additionally, the methylthio groups passivate iodide vacancies and interact with Pb2+ ions of the perovskite, reducing defect-induced trap states and enhancing the crystalline growth of the perovskite layer. Consequently, inverted PSCs incorporating MeS-4PACz achieve a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 25.13%, along with outstanding photostability.

Keywords: hole injection layers; interfacial passivation; inverted perovskite solar cells; self-assembled monolayers.