A novel natural scaffold layer improving efficiency, stability and reproducibility of Perovskite solar cells

In this study, our hypothesis was to demonstrate the usability of a natural clay structure as scaffold layer in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Sepiolite, which is a natural and environmentally friendly clay structure, has a very high active surface area and can easily be dispersed in solvents. In addition we predicted that crystallization could easily occur on their surfaces due to their surface chemistry. In the study, we firstly used a natural clay as scaffold layer in PSCs. It is observed that, efficiency, reproducibility and stability of PSCs have been significantly improved. Improvements in efficiency have been observed to be between 30 and 50% depending on the type of perovskite solvent used. In addition, the surface chemistry of the sepiolite resulted in better crystallization as well as stability. Due to its high-water adsorption capability, sepiolite makes the perovskite crystal more stable by trapping the residual water molecules as well as penetrated water molecules from environment. Consequently, we demonstrated that, a natural, low-cost and environmentally friendly clay may be an alternative material which may contribute to the commercialization of PSCs.

Automated summary

In this study, we demonstrated the usability of a natural clay structure as the scaffold layer in perovskite solar cells. The efficiency, reproducibility, and stability of the cells were significantly improved by using the clay scaffold layer. The high active surface area and surface chemistry of the clay facilitated better crystallization and stability, making it a potential alternative material for commercialization of perovskite solar cells.