Control of Surface Defects in ZnO Nanorod Arrays with Thermally Deposited Au Nanoparticles for Perovskite Photovoltaics

Tulus Tulus; Selina Olthof; Magdalena Marszalek; Andreas Peukert; Loreta A. Muscarella; Bruno Ehrler; Olivera Vukovic; Yulia Galagan; Simon Christian Boehme; Elizabeth Von Hauff

doi:10.1021/acsaem.9b00452

Control of Surface Defects in ZnO Nanorod Arrays with Thermally Deposited Au Nanoparticles for Perovskite Photovoltaics

Tulus Tulus
, Selina Olthof
, Magdalena Marszalek
, Andreas Peukert
, Loreta A. Muscarella
, Bruno Ehrler
, Olivera Vukovic
, Yulia Galagan
, Simon Christian Boehme
, Elizabeth Von Hauff^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

In this work, we employ vacuum deposited Au nanoparticles (-4 nm) to control the defect density on the surface of hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanorod arrays (ZnO-NR), which are of interest for electron-transport layers in perovskite solar cells. Using a combination of photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that the Au particles reduce the presence of defects in the ZnO-NR. We discuss this in terms of trap filling due to band bending at the ZnO-NR surface. As a proof-of-concept, we apply the Au-decorated ZnO-NR as electron-transport layers in mixed-cation and mixed-halide lead perovskite solar cells (Cs_0.15FA_0.85PbI_2.75Br_0.25). Devices prepared with the Au-decorated ZnO-NR electron-transport layers demonstrate higher open-circuit voltages and fill factors compared to solar cells prepared with pristine ZnO-NR, resulting in an increase in the power-conversion efficiency from 11.7 to 13.7%. However, the operational stability of the solar cells is not improved by the Au nanoparticles, indicating that bulk properties of the perovskite may limit device lifetime.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3736-3748
Number of pages	13
Journal	ACS Applied Energy Materials
Volume	2
Issue number	5
Early online date	26 Apr 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.9b00452
Publication status	Published - 28 May 2019

Funding

The authors thank Martin Slaman, Jan Rector, Saskia Kars, Alina Chanaewa, and Leo Polak for assistance and supporting the experiments. The authors thank Rinke J. Wijngaarden and Ivan Infante for discussion. T. acknowledges the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, the Republic of Indonesia for the scholarship Program for Research and Innovation in Science and Technology (RISET-Pro) World Bank Loan No. 8245-ID. T., E.v.H., and Y.G. acknowledge the COST Action Stable Next Generation Photovoltaics (Grant No. MP1307) for support. S.C.B. acknowledges The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO) for financial support through the Innovational Research Incentive (Veni) Scheme (Grant No. 722.017.011). B.E. acknowledges The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO) for financial support through the Innovational Research Incentive (Vidi).

Funders	Funder number
Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research
Program for Research and Innovation in Science and Technology	8245-ID
The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research
European Cooperation in Science and Technology
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek	722.017.011
Kementerian Riset Teknologi Dan Pendidikan Tinggi Republik Indonesia

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

defects
interface
mixed cation
mixed halide
perovskite photovoltaics
photoelectron spectroscopy
transport layer
ZnO nanostructures

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title = "Control of Surface Defects in ZnO Nanorod Arrays with Thermally Deposited Au Nanoparticles for Perovskite Photovoltaics",

abstract = "In this work, we employ vacuum deposited Au nanoparticles (-4 nm) to control the defect density on the surface of hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanorod arrays (ZnO-NR), which are of interest for electron-transport layers in perovskite solar cells. Using a combination of photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that the Au particles reduce the presence of defects in the ZnO-NR. We discuss this in terms of trap filling due to band bending at the ZnO-NR surface. As a proof-of-concept, we apply the Au-decorated ZnO-NR as electron-transport layers in mixed-cation and mixed-halide lead perovskite solar cells (Cs0.15FA0.85PbI2.75Br0.25). Devices prepared with the Au-decorated ZnO-NR electron-transport layers demonstrate higher open-circuit voltages and fill factors compared to solar cells prepared with pristine ZnO-NR, resulting in an increase in the power-conversion efficiency from 11.7 to 13.7\%. However, the operational stability of the solar cells is not improved by the Au nanoparticles, indicating that bulk properties of the perovskite may limit device lifetime.",

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author = "Tulus Tulus and Selina Olthof and Magdalena Marszalek and Andreas Peukert and Muscarella, \{Loreta A.\} and Bruno Ehrler and Olivera Vukovic and Yulia Galagan and Boehme, \{Simon Christian\} and \{Von Hauff\}, Elizabeth",

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AU - Tulus, Tulus

AU - Olthof, Selina

AU - Marszalek, Magdalena

AU - Peukert, Andreas

AU - Muscarella, Loreta A.

AU - Ehrler, Bruno

AU - Vukovic, Olivera

AU - Galagan, Yulia

AU - Boehme, Simon Christian

AU - Von Hauff, Elizabeth

PY - 2019/5/28

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AB - In this work, we employ vacuum deposited Au nanoparticles (-4 nm) to control the defect density on the surface of hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanorod arrays (ZnO-NR), which are of interest for electron-transport layers in perovskite solar cells. Using a combination of photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that the Au particles reduce the presence of defects in the ZnO-NR. We discuss this in terms of trap filling due to band bending at the ZnO-NR surface. As a proof-of-concept, we apply the Au-decorated ZnO-NR as electron-transport layers in mixed-cation and mixed-halide lead perovskite solar cells (Cs0.15FA0.85PbI2.75Br0.25). Devices prepared with the Au-decorated ZnO-NR electron-transport layers demonstrate higher open-circuit voltages and fill factors compared to solar cells prepared with pristine ZnO-NR, resulting in an increase in the power-conversion efficiency from 11.7 to 13.7%. However, the operational stability of the solar cells is not improved by the Au nanoparticles, indicating that bulk properties of the perovskite may limit device lifetime.

KW - defects

KW - interface

KW - mixed cation

KW - mixed halide

KW - perovskite photovoltaics

KW - photoelectron spectroscopy

KW - transport layer

KW - ZnO nanostructures

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Control of Surface Defects in ZnO Nanorod Arrays with Thermally Deposited Au Nanoparticles for Perovskite Photovoltaics

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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