Inorganic Electron Transport Materials in Perovskite Solar Cells

In the past decade, the perovskite solar cell (PSC) has attracted tremendous attention thanks to the substantial efforts in improving the power conversion efficiency from 3.8% to 25.5% for single-junction devices and even perovskite-silicon tandems have reached 29.15%. This is a result of improvement in composition, solvent, interface, and dimensionality engineering. Furthermore, the long-term stability of PSCs has also been significantly improved. Such rapid developments have made PSCs a competitive candidate for next-generation photovoltaics. The electron transport layer (ETL) is one of the most important functional layers in PSCs, due to its crucial role in contributing to the overall performance of devices. This review provides an up-to-date summary of the developments in inorganic electron transport materials (ETMs) for PSCs. The three most prevalent inorganic ETMs (TiO2, SnO2, and ZnO) are examined with a focus on the effects of synthesis and preparation methods, as well as an introduction to their application in tandem devices. The emerging trends in inorganic ETMs used for PSC research are also reviewed. Finally, strategies to optimize the performance of ETL in PSCs, effects the ETL has on J-V hysteresis phenomenon and long-term stability with an outlook on current challenges and further development are discussed.

Automated summary

Over the past decade, there has been significant progress in the development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), with improvements in power conversion efficiency and long-term stability making them competitive candidates for next-generation photovoltaics. This review focuses on the advancements in inorganic electron transport materials (ETMs) for PSCs, particularly the three most prevalent materials (TiO2, SnO2, and ZnO) and their applications in tandem devices. Strategies to optimize the performance of the electron transport layer (ETL) in PSCs and the impact of ETL on device stability and efficiency are also discussed.