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Inverted (p‐i‐n) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are advantageous in terms of easy fabrication, low‐temperature processibility, negligible hysteresis, and excellent compatibility with the tandem devices in comparison with the regular (n‐i‐p) counterparts. Hole‐blocking layer is crucial for efficient electron transport of inverted PSCs, and only a single hole‐blocking layer of bathocuproine (BCP) is used typically. Herein, bis[2‐(diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ether oxide (DPEPO) with a deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level is incorporated atop of perovskite film as an auxiliary hole‐blocking layer, resulting in an enhanced electron transport of inverted PSC devices. The P=O group within DPEPO can coordinate with Pb2+ cations of perovskite, leading to passivation of surface defects of perovskite. Besides, incorporation of DPEPO hole‐blocking layer prohibits undesired hole transport from perovskite to PCBM electron transport layer (ETL), thus suppressing non‐radiative electron–hole recombination. As a result, combined with BCP hole‐blocking layer, inverted PSC devices based on double hole‐blocking layers exhibit a decent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.17% with a high open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.15 V which dramatically surpasses that based on single hole‐blocking layer (22.26%). Moreover, incorporation of hydrophobic DPEPO helps to improve the ambient and thermal stabilities of inverted PSC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors with noncovalently conformational locks (OSNCs) are promising building blocks for hole‐transporting materials (HTMs). However, lack of satisfied neighboring building blocks negatively impacts the optoelectronic properties of OSNCs‐based HTMs and imperils the stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To address this limitation, we introduce the benzothieno[3,2‐b]thiophene (BTT) to construct a new OSNC, and the resulting HTM ZS13 shows improved intermolecular charge extraction/transport properties, proper energy level, efficient surface passivation effect. Consequently, the champion devices based on doped ZS13 yield an efficiency of 24.39 % and 20.95 % for aperture areas of 0.1 and 1.01 cm2, respectively. Furthermore, ZS13 shows good thermal stability and the capability of inhibiting I− ion migration, thus, leading to enhanced device stability. The success in neighboring‐group engineering can triggered a strong interest in developing thienoacene‐based OSNCs toward efficient and stable PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic defects at the surfaces of organolead halide perovskite films are detrimental to both the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, sodium p‐toluenesulfonate (STS) is applied during the surface modification of perovskite layer for the first time, leading to the efficient surface passivation of the perovskite film and consequently significant enhancements in both efficiency and stability of mixed‐cation PSC devices. Upon incorporating STS atop the perovskite layer, the power conversion efficiency of the Cs0.05MA0.12FA0.83PbI2.55Br0.45 (abbreviated as CsMAFA) mesoporous‐structure mixed‐cation PSC devices improves from 18.70% to 20.05% with reduced hysteresis. The sulfonate (–SO3−) anion of STS coordinates with the Pb2+ of CsMAFA perovskite, and the Na+ cation of STS electrostatically interacts with the anions (I−/Br−) of CsMAFA perovskite, resulting in the surface passivation of the CsMAFA perovskite film with reduced electron and hole trap state densities. In addition, STS modification induces an upshift of the valence band of perovskite, facilitating hole extraction from the perovskite layer to the hole transport layer with suppressed interfacial charge recombination. Moreover, such a trap state passivation of perovskite film leads to improvement of the ambient stability of PSC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on planar SnO2 (p‐SnO2) demonstrate excellent performance due to the superior properties of SnO2 as electron transporting layer (ETL). However, at present mesoporous SnO2 (m‐SnO2) still lags behind p‐SnO2 due to problems in the fabrication process of m‐SnO2. In this paper, a new strategy for preparing m‐SnO2 ETL is introduced which owns two valuable features: First, it applies a low temperature process to make mesoporous structure, which favors preserving the pristine properties of the raw SnO2 nanocrystals. Second, the degree of porosity and roughness of the m‐SnO2 layer can be well controlled, making it friendly to the following deposition process of PSCs. The performance of the PSCs based on the m‐SnO2 ETL prepared from this strategy shows an obvious improvement which is mainly from the improvement in Jsc and FF, suggesting a higher carrier collection efficiency for the m‐SnO2 ETL. The relevant characterizations including PL, TRPL, EIS, and KPFM confirm that the m‐SnO2 ETL possesses stronger electron extraction capability than the p‐SnO2 ETL. Hence, the proposed strategy can manifest the advantages of m‐SnO2 ETL meanwhile refrain its negative impacts, and thus promote the progress of the m‐SnO2 ETL‐based PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]