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Compared with the crystalline Si solar cells, the J-V characteristics of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells are different under forward and reverse scan, and the CH3NH3PbI3 film exhibits some polarization properties. To explore those performances of the mesoporous TiO2 layer based perovskite solar cells, we focus on the effect of modulating the spin-coating rate of the TiO2 precursor for mesoporous layer on J-V hysteresis of solar cells with the polar film by J-V curves, atomic force microscopy topographic images, and piezoresponse force microscopy phase images. Firstly, the AFM images illustrate that the polarization behaviors exist and the deformation scale is large at the corresponding position when the DC bias voltage increases. Secondly, it is suggested that the polar films which applied the positive DC biases voltage show a tendency to 0° phase angle, while the polar films which applied the negative DC biases voltage show a tendency to −180° phase angle. Thirdly, a weak polar hysteresis loop relation for CH3NH3PbI3 film was observed. Finally, the hysteresis index for the 1500 rpm mesostructured solar cell shows relatively low J-V hysteresis compared with the 3000 rpm mesostructured and the planar-structured solar cell. Our experimental results bring novel routes for reducing the hysteresis and investigating the polar nature for CH3NH3PbI3 material.

The morphology of compact TiO2 film used as an electron-selective layer and perovskite film used as a light absorption layer in planar perovskite solar cells has a significant influence on the photovoltaic performance of the devices. In this paper, the spin coating speed of the compact TiO2 is investigated in order to get a high-quality film and the compact TiO2 film exhibits pinhole- and crack-free films treated by 2000 rpm for 60 s. Furthermore, the effect of annealing process, including annealing temperature and annealing program, on CH3NH3PbI3-XClX film morphology is studied. At the optimal annealing temperature of 100°C, the CH3NH3PbI3-XClX morphology fabricated by multistep slow annealing method has smaller grain boundaries and holes than that prepared by one-step direct annealing method, which results in the reduction of grain boundary recombination and the increase of Voc. With all optimal procedures, a planar fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate/compact TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3-XClX/Spiro-MeOTAD/Au cell is prepared for an active area of 0.1 cm2. It has achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.64%, which is 80.3% higher than the reference cell (8.12% PCE) without optimal perovskite layer. We anticipate that the annealing process with optimal compact TiO2 layer would possibly become a promising method for future industrialization of planar perovskite solar cells.

For the perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the performance of the PSCs has become the focus of the research by improving the quality of the perovskite absorption layer. So far, the performance of the large-area PSCs is lower than that of small-area PSCs. In the paper, the experiments were designed to improve the photovoltaic performance of the large-area PSCs by improved processing technique. Here we investigated the optoelectronic properties of the prototypical CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) further modulated by introducing other extrinsic ions (specifically codoped Cl− and 5-AVA+). Moreover, we used inorganic electron extraction layer to achieve very rapid photogenerated carrier extraction eliminating local structural defects over large areas. Ultimately, we fabricated a best-performing perovskite solar cell based on codoping Cl anion and 5-AVA cation which uses a double layer of mesoporous TiO2 and ZrO2 as a scaffold infiltrated with perovskite and does not require a hole-conducting layer. The experiment results indicated that an average efficiency of double-mesoporous layer-based devices with codoping Cl anion and 5-AVA cation was obtained with exceeding 50% enhancement, compared to that of pure single-mesoporous layer-based device.

Doped films of TiO2/PbS/CdS have been prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. Bi- and Ag-doped-PbS quantum dot (QD) were produced by admixing Bi3+ or Ag+ during deposition and the existing forms of the doping element in PbS QD were analyzed. The results show that Bi3+ entered the cube space of PbS as donor yielding interstitial doping Bi-doped-PbS QD, while Ag+ replaced Pb2+ of PbS as acceptor yielding substitutional doping Ag-doped-PbS QD. The novel Bi-doped-PbS/CdS and Ag-doped-PbS/CdS quantum dot cosensitized solar cell (QDCSC) were fabricated and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.4% and 2.2% was achieved, respectively, under full sun illumination.

PbS : In and CdS quantum dots (QDs) are sequentially assembled onto a nanocrystalline TiO2 film to prepare a PbS : In/CdS cosensitized photoelectrode for QD sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). The results show that PbS : In/CdS QDs have exhibited a significant effect in the light harvest and performance of the QDSC. In the cascade structure of the electrode, the reorganization of energy levels between PbS and TiO2 forms a stepwise structure of band-edge levels which is advantageous to the electron injection into TiO2. Energy conversion efficiency of 2.3% is achieved with the doped electrode, under the illumination of one sun (AM1.5, 100 mW cm2). Besides, a remarkable short circuit current density (up to 23 mA·cm−2) is achieved in the resulting PbS : In/CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cell, and the related mechanism is discussed.

Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) have received extensive attention in recent years due to their higher theoretical conversion efficiency and lower production costs. However, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of QDSSCs is still lower than the DSSCs because of the severe recombination of electrons of quantum dots conduction band. In order to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of QDSSCs, impurity element Mn2+ is doped into the precursor solution of cadmium sulfide (CdS). By optimizing the experimental parameters, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of QDSSCs can be greatly improved. For the deposition of a fixed number of six times, the photoelectric conversion efficiency shows the maximum value (1.51%) at the doped ratio of 1 : 10.

TiCl4 pretreatment is used in the fabrication of high performance photoanodes for dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this paper, TiCl4 pretreatment was used on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) before fabricating ZnO films by electrochemical method. The effects of TiCl4 pretreatment on some important parameters of solar cells, such as short-circuit current (Jsc) and filling factor, were investigated. The morphology of ZnO films was changed after TiCl4 pretreatment, which can offer large surface area to absorb much more dyes. When the time of electrodeposition was 3 min, the dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiCl4 pretreatment ZnO films showed more superior photoelectrochemical performance. The parameters of DSSCs are greatly improved. The DSSC based on ZnO films after TiCl4 pretreatment has a very promising value for fabricating high performance solar cells.

Incorporated foreign atoms into the quantum dots (QDs) used in heterojunction have always been a challenge for solar energy conversion. A foreign atom indium atom was incorporated into PbS/CdS QDs to prepare In-PbS/In-CdS heterojunction by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method which is a chemical method. Experimental results indicate that PbS or CdS has been doped with In by SILAR method; the concentration of PbS and CdS which was doped In atoms has no significantly increase or decrease. In addition, incorporating of Indium atoms has resulted in the lattice distortions or changes of PbS or CdS and improved the light harvest of heterojunction. Using this heterojunction, Pt counter electrode and polysulfide electrolyte, to fabricate quantum dot sensitized solar cells, the short circuit current density ballooned to 27.01 mA/cm2 from 13.61 mA/cm2 and the open circuit voltage was improved to 0.43 V from 0.37 V at the same time.

TiCl4 pretreatment is used in the fabrication of high performance photoanodes for dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this paper, TiCl4 pretreatment was used on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) before fabricating ZnO films by electrochemical method. The effects of TiCl4 pretreatment on some important parameters of solar cells, such as short-circuit current (Jsc) and filling factor, were investigated. The morphology of ZnO films was changed after TiCl4 pretreatment, which can offer large surface area to absorb much more dyes. When the time of electrodeposition was 3 min, the dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiCl4 pretreatment ZnO films showed more superior photoelectrochemical performance. The parameters of DSSCs are greatly improved. The DSSC based on ZnO films after TiCl4 pretreatment has a very promising value for fabricating high performance solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]