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

Author

Listed:
  • Mengru Wang

    (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

  • Zhifang Shi

    (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

  • Chengbin Fei

    (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

  • Zhewen J. D. Deng

    (University of California San Diego)

  • Guang Yang

    (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

  • Sean P. Dunfield

    (University of California San Diego)

  • David P. Fenning

    (University of California San Diego
    University of California San Diego
    University of California, San Diego)

  • Jinsong Huang

    (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Abstract

Phenethylammonium (PEA+) and butylammonium (BA+) are widely used in three-dimensional (3D) perovskites to form two-dimensional 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. 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 (pKa), including PEAMA+ (pKa = 12.0) and BAMA+ (pKa = 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 1,500 hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengru Wang & Zhifang Shi & Chengbin Fei & Zhewen J. D. Deng & Guang Yang & Sean P. Dunfield & David P. Fenning & Jinsong Huang, 2023. "Ammonium cations with high pKa in perovskite solar cells for improved high-temperature photostability," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(11), pages 1229-1239, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:8:y:2023:i:11:d:10.1038_s41560-023-01362-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-023-01362-0
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