2D-3D Mixed Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Layers for Solar Cells with Enhanced Efficiency and Stability Induced by n-Propylammonium Iodide Additives

Device instability has become an obstacle for the industrial application of organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells that has already demonstrated over 23% laboratory power conversion efficiency (PCE). It has been discovered that the sliding of A-site cations in the perovskite compound through and out of the three-dimensional [PbI6](4-)crystal frame is one of the main reasons that are responsible for decomposition of the perovskite compound. Herein, we report an effective method to enhance the stability of the FA(0.29)MA(0.16)Cs(0.03)Pb(12.5)Br(0.5) perovskite film through the incorporation of n-propylammonium iodide (PM). Both density functional theory calculation and the X-ray diffraction patterns have confirmed the formation of two-dimensional (PA)(2)PbI4 with the Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite as a result of the reaction between PM and PbI2 in the perovskite film. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals less-COOH (carboxyl) groups on the surface of the perovskite film containing (PA)(2)PbI4, which indicates the suppressed penetration of oxygen and moisture into the perovskite material. This is further confirmed by the surface water wettability test of the (PA)(2)PbI4 film that exhibits excellent hydrophobic property with over 110 degrees contact angle. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates the introduction of PM additives that resulted in the upshift of the conduction band minimum of the perovskite by 160 meV, leading to a more favorable energy alignment with an adjacent electron transporting material. As a consequence, enhanced 17.23% PCE with suppressed hysteresis was obtained with the 5% PM additive (molar ratio) in perovskite solar cells that retained nearly 50% of the initial efficiency after 2000 h in air without encapsulation under 45% average relative humidity.