A BODIPY small molecule as hole transporting material for efficient perovskite solar cells. Issue 18 (30th August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dos Santos, John Marques; Jagadamma, Lethy Krishnan; Cariello, Michele; Samuel, Ifor D. W.; Cooke, Graeme
• Is Part Of: Sustainable energy & fuels. Volume 6:Issue 18(2022)
• Page Start: 4322
• Page End: 4330
• Publication Date: 2022-08-30
• Subjects: Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Fuel cells -- Periodicals; Electric batteries -- Periodicals; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 660.297
• DOI: 10.1039/d2se00667g
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2398-4902

Abstract

Abstract : A BODIPY-based hole transporting material for perovskite solar cells has been synthesised and device characteristics are reported. Abstract : BODIPY-based materials are well known for their outstanding chemical and photo-stability as well as their ease of synthesis and tunability of their frontier molecular orbitals. These are attractive features for hole transporting materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) that could help improve device stability and cost. In this paper, we report the straightforward synthesis of a new BODIPY small molecule, PTZ-PTZ-BDP, functionalised with phenothiazine moieties in both the meso and α positions giving rise to a Y-shaped structure. As estimated by DFT calculations, and confirmed by electrochemical and ambient photoemission spectroscopy studies, PTZ-PTZ-BDP presents appropriate energy levels suitable for its use as a HTM in PSCs. Electrochemical measurements also reveal several redox processes with excellent reversibility. Systematic evaluation of its performance as HTM in n–i–p PSC with and without dopants was conducted and the device parameters compared with commonly used HTMs of spiro-OMeTAD and PTAA. The CH3 NH3 PbI3 based PSCs incorporating simple solution processed PTZ-PTZ-BDP as HTM demonstrated a champion power conversion efficiency of 14.6%, matched in performance and shelf-life stability to complex and expensive state-of-the-art HTMs, showing that BODIPY based HTMs are a promising direction for perovskite solar cells.