Interfacial engineering and defect passivation of SnO2 through agmatine sulfate in carbon-based perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Electron transport layer has always played a crucial role in the performance of the perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Particularly, SnO2-based PSC has sparked considerable interest due to its superior properties. Even with such remarkable properties, certain challenges persist such as agglomeration of SnO2 particles which can lead to interfacial defects and poor morphology. To solve this problem, Agmatine Sulfate (AGTS) has been introduced as an interfacial modification agent which with the help of its active functional group including amide (-NH2) and hydroxyl (OH) has allowed to facilitate the interaction at the interface between SnO2 and perovskite. The interaction facilitates the growth of perovskite crystals while tuning the energy levels which has boosted the charge transfer capability of the layer. All these improvements in the properties have led to enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 11.17 % to 15.20 % for the encapsulated device. Furthermore, the modification also improved the long-term stability of the device as the AGTS-modified devices retained 87 % of their performance at 15–25 °C with humidity levels between 10 and 20 % for over a period of 31 days. Finally, the devices prepared with the AGTS also showed repeatability in their performance while boosting the overall performance of carbon-based PSCs (C–PSCs) and indicating a novel approach to not only increase but also accelerate the commercialization of C-PSC.