Ammonium cations with high pKa in perovskite solar cells for improved high-temperature photostability

Wang, Mengru; Shi, Zhifang; Fei, Chengbin; Deng, Zhewen J. D.; Yang, Guang; Dunfield, Sean P.; Fenning, David P.; Huang, Jinsong

doi:10.1038/s41560-023-01362-0

Ammonium cations with high pK_a in perovskite solar cells for improved high-temperature photostability

Journal Article · Thu Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Nature Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-023-01362-0· OSTI ID:2337954

^[1]; ^[2]; Fei, Chengbin ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[3]; ^[2]

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC (United States); UNC at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC (United States)
University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)

Phenethylammonium (PEA⁺) and butylammonium (BA⁺) are widely used in three-dimensional (3D) perovskites to form two-dimensional (2D) perovskites at film surfaces and grain boundaries (GBs) for defect passivation and performance enhancement. Here, we show that these cations are unstable with 3D formamidinium (FA⁺)-containing perovskites under high-temperature light soaking. PEA⁺ and BA⁺ are found to deprotonate to amines, which then react with FA⁺ to produce (phenethylamino)methaniminium (PEAMA⁺) and (butylamino)methaniminium (BAMA⁺), respectively, severely limiting device high-temperature photostability. Furthermore, removing these cations greatly improves the photostability but compromises device efficiency by leaving non-fully passivated surfaces and GBs. Ammonium cations with a high acid dissociation constant (pK_a), including PEAMA⁺ (pK_a=12.0) and BAMA⁺ (pK_a=12.0), can replace PEA⁺ or BA⁺ for passivation and are stable with FA-based perovskites due to their resistance to further deprotonation. P-i-n structure solar cells with PEAMA⁺ additive maintained over 90% of their initial efficiency after light soaking at open circuit and 90 °C for 1500 hours.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0009520; EE0009527

OSTI ID:: 2337954

Journal Information:: Nature Energy, Journal Name: Nature Energy Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 8; ISSN 2058-7546

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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