Unveiling the Nanoparticle-Seeded Catalytic Nucleation Kinetics of Perovskite Solar Cells by Time-Resolved GIXS
Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Journal Volume
29
Journal Issue
36
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Lin C.-Y.
Li S.-S.
Chang J.-W.
Chia H.-C.
Hsiao Y.-Y.
Su C.-J.
Lian B.-J.
Wen C.-Y.
Huang S.-K.
Wu W.-R.
Wang D.-Y.
Su A.-C.
Chen C.-W.
Abstract
Recently, a new seeding growth approach for perovskite thin films is reported to significantly enhance the device performance of perovskite solar cells. This work unveils the intermediate structures and the corresponding growth kinetics during conversion to perovskite crystal thin films assisted by seeding PbS nanocrystals (NCs), using time-resolved grazing-incidence X-ray scattering. Through analyses of time-resolved crystal formation kinetics obtained from synchrotron X-rays with a fast subsecond probing time resolution, an important “catalytic” role of the seed-like PbS NCs is clearly elucidated. The perovskite precursor-capped PbS NCs are found to not only accelerate the nucleation of a highly oriented intermediate phase, but also catalyze the conversion of the intermediate phase into perovskite crystals with a reduced activation energy Ea = 47 (±5) kJ mol−1, compared to 145 (±38) kJ mol−1 for the pristine perovskite thin film. The reduced Ea is attributed to a designated crystal lattice alignment of the perovskite nanocrystals with perovskite cubic crystals; the pivotal heterointerface alignment of the perovskite crystals coordinated by the Pb NCs leads to an improved film surface morphology with less pinholes and enhanced crystal texture and thermal stability. These together contribute to the significantly improved photovoltaic performance of the corresponding devices. © 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
SDGs
Other Subjects
Activation energy; Additives; Growth kinetics; IV-VI semiconductors; Kinetics; Lead compounds; Morphology; Nanocrystals; Nucleation; Perovskite; Surface morphology; Textures; Thin films; X ray scattering; Catalytic additives; Film surface morphology; Grazing-incidence x-ray scattering; Heterogeneous interfaces; Intermediate structures; PbS nanocrystal; Perovskite thin films; Photovoltaic performance; Perovskite solar cells
Publisher
Wiley-VCH Verlag
Type
journal article