Surface engineering with oxidized Ti3C2Tx MXene enables efficient and stable p-i-n-structured CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells

All-inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite has a near-ideal band gap, high ther-mal stability, and simple material composition, thus presenting a promising option for developing perovskite/Si tandem solar cells. However, CsPbI3 undergoes a rapid phase transition under exposure to moisture and exhibits a significant performance gap relative to other perovskite compounds, particularly in the p-i-n structure favored for perovskite/Si tandems. Here, we demonstrate highly efficient and stable p-i-n-structured CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells by surface engineering the CsPbI3 layer with oxidized Ti3C2Tx MXene (OMXene) nanoplates via spray coatings. OMXene provides a phys-ical barrier against moisture and improves charge separation at the perovskite-electron transporting layer interface via an enhanced electric field. Consequently, we demonstrated CsPbI3/OMXene-based p-i-n devices with efficiencies of 19.69% for 0.096-cm2 cells and 14.64% for 25-cm2 minimodules. The encapsulated minimodule showed good stability, retaining -85% of the initial efficiency under simultaneous damp heat (85 degrees C/85% relative humidity) and 1-sun light soaking for over 1,000 h.

Automated summary

Surface engineering of the CsPbI3 layer with oxidized Ti3C2Tx MXene nanoplates via spray coatings resulted in highly efficient and stable p-i-n-structured CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells. The addition of OMXene provided a physical barrier against moisture and improved charge separation at the perovskite-electron transporting layer interface, leading to the demonstration of efficient CsPbI3/OMXene-based p-i-n devices with good stability.