Revealing Steric-Hindrance-Dependent Buried Interface Defect Passivation Mechanism in Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells with Mitigated Tensile Stress

Interface engineering is one feasible and effective approach to minimize the interfacial nonradiative recombination stemming from interfacial defects, interfacial residual stress, and interfacial energy level mismatch. Herein, a novel and effective steric-hindrance-dependent buried interface defect passivation and stress release strategy is reported, which is implemented by adopting a series of adamantane derivative molecules functionalized with C(sic)O (i.e., 2-adamantanone (AD), 1-adamantane carboxylic acid (ADCA), and 1-adamantaneacetic acid (ADAA)) to modify SnO2/perovskite interface. All modifiers play a role in passivating interfacial defects, mitigating interfacial strain, and enhancing device performance. The steric hindrance of chemical interaction between C(sic)O in these molecules and perovskites as well as SnO2 is determined by the distance between C(sic)O and bulky adamantane ring, which gradually decreases from AD, ADCA, and ADAA. The experimental and theoretical evidences together confirmed steric-hindrance-dependent defect passivation effect and interfacial chemical interaction strength. The interfacial chemical interaction strength, defect passivation effect, stress release effect and thus device performance are negatively correlated with steric hindrance. Consequently, the ADAA-modified device achieves a seductive efficiency up to 23.18%. The unencapsulated devices with ADAA maintain 81% of its initial efficiency after aging at 60 degrees C for 1000 h.

Automated summary

In this study, a novel and effective steric-hindrance-dependent buried interface defect passivation and stress release strategy is reported, which utilizes adamantane derivative molecules to modify the SnO2/perovskite interface. The experimental and theoretical results confirm the steric-hindrance-dependent defect passivation effect and interfacial chemical interaction strength. The device performance is enhanced by mitigating interfacial strain and passivating interfacial defects. The ADAA-modified device achieves an impressive efficiency of 23.18%.