Robust Self-Assembled Molecular Passivation for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

Defect passivation via post-treatment of perovskite films is an effective method to fabricate high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the passivation durability is still an issue due to the weak and vulnerable bonding between passivating functional groups and perovskite defect sites. Here we propose a cholesterol derivative self-assembly strategy to construct crosslinked and compact membranes throughout perovskite films. These supramolecular membranes act as a robust protection layer against harsh operational conditions while providing effective passivation of defects from surface toward inner grain boundaries. The resultant PSCs exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 23.34 % with an impressive open-circuit voltage of 1.164 eV. The unencapsulated devices retain 92 % of their initial efficiencies after 1600 h of storage under ambient conditions, and remain almost unchanged after heating at 85 degrees C for 500 h in a nitrogen atmosphere, showing significantly improved stability.

Automated summary

Defects in perovskite films can be effectively passivated by using a cholesterol derivative self-assembly strategy to construct crosslinked and compact membranes. These membranes act as protective layers, improving the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs).