Efficient, stable and scalable perovskite solar cells using poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Perovskite solar cells typically comprise electron- and hole-transport materials deposited on each side of a perovskite active layer. So far, only two organic hole-transport materials have led to state-of-the-art performance in these solar cells¹: poly(triarylamine) (PTAA)^2–5 and 2,2ʹ,7,7ʹ-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9ʹ-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD)^6,7. However, these materials have several drawbacks in terms of commercialization, including high cost⁸, the need for hygroscopic dopants that trigger degradation of the perovskite layer⁹ and limitations in their deposition processes¹⁰. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is an alternative hole-transport material with excellent optoelectronic properties^11–13, low cost^8,14 and ease of fabrication^15–18, but so far the efficiencies of perovskite solar cells using P3HT have reached only around 16 per cent¹⁹. Here we propose a device architecture for highly efficient perovskite solar cells that use P3HT as a hole-transport material without any dopants. A thin layer of wide-bandgap halide perovskite is formed on top of the narrow-bandgap light-absorbing layer by an in situ reaction of n-hexyl trimethyl ammonium bromide on the perovskite surface. Our device has a certified power conversion efficiency of 22.7 per cent with hysteresis of ±0.51 per cent; exhibits good stability at 85 per cent relative humidity without encapsulation; and upon encapsulation demonstrates long-term operational stability for 1,370 hours under 1-Sun illumination at room temperature, maintaining 95 per cent of the initial efficiency. We extend our platform to large-area modules (24.97 square centimetres)—which are fabricated using a scalable bar-coating method for the deposition of P3HT—and achieve a power conversion efficiency of 16.0 per cent. Realizing the potential of P3HT as a hole-transport material by using a wide-bandgap halide could be a valuable direction for perovskite solar-cell research.