Enhancing Durability and Efficiency in Tin-based Perovskite Solar Cells

Enhancing Durability and Efficiency in Tin-based Perovskite Solar Cells

by Riko Seibo

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 30, 2025

Tin-based perovskite solar cells are being hailed as a promising alternative for next-generation solar energy solutions due to their high efficiency, flexibility, and the potential for low-cost printing. However, replacing lead with tin to avoid environmental issues linked to lead toxicity presents its own challenges. Tin’s propensity to oxidize quickly results in reduced performance and durability compared to lead-based counterparts.

Researchers have developed a method to enhance the stability of tin-based perovskite by incorporating large organic cations into the perovskite structure. This results in a unique two-dimensional layered configuration known as Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) tin-based perovskites. Despite its potential, the precise internal structure and the mechanism through which this configuration improves performance have remained unclear.

In this study, researchers employed electron spin resonance (ESR) to analyze the internal behavior of the RP perovskite solar cell during operation at a microscopic level. Their findings revealed two key insights about the interaction of the materials under different conditions.

First, when the RP perovskite solar cell was not exposed to light, the holes in the hole transport layer diffused into the RP perovskite. This movement created an energy barrier at the interface between the hole transport layer and the RP tin perovskite, preventing electron backflow and leading to better performance.

Second, when exposed to sunlight, the high-energy electrons produced by short-wavelength light (such as ultraviolet rays) moved from the RP tin perovskite to the hole transport layer. This transfer further elevated the energy barrier, thereby enhancing the device’s efficiency.

Understanding the mechanisms behind these performance improvements is crucial for developing tin-based perovskite solar cells with greater efficiency and longer lifespans. These findings could provide important insights for future advancements in the field of solar energy.

Research Report:Operando spin observation elucidating performance-improvement mechanisms during operation of Ruddlesden-Popper Sn-based perovskite solar cells