Fluorene-based hole transport material for efficient perovskite solar cells with low cost and scalable application
摘要
In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSC) have progressed remarkably toward high power conversion efficiencies (PCE) and demonstrated strong commercialization potential; however, device performance and operational stability remain limited by bulk defects, interfacial defects, ion migration, lattice degradation, and hole‑transport material (HTM)-related interfacial incompatibility. In this study, we report a new series of low-cost fluorene‑based HTM such as DHCF‑17, DHCF‑40, and DHCF‑41; featuring a donor–acceptor–donor (D-A-D) molecular architecture centered on a 2‑((9H‑fluoren‑9‑ylidene)methyl)‑5‑(2‑ethylhexyl)thiophene acceptor core. These materials exhibit good hydrophobicity, optimal energy alignment with the perovskite, and favourable charge carrier transport characteristics. Space‑charge‑limited current (SCLC) measurements reveal good hole mobility and low trap‑state densities, as evidenced by lower trap‑filled limit voltage (VTFL). Moreover, charge‑extraction (CE) measurements confirm the efficient charge carrier lifetime, indicating the reduced recombination at the perovskite/HTM interface. The devices incorporating with DHCF‑17, DHCF‑40, and DHCF‑41 achieve efficiency of 21.0%, 18.8%, and 20.6%, respectively. Owing to their competitive photovoltaic performance and lower cost compared to spiro‑OMeTAD, the DHCF‑based HTM emerge as viable, scalable alternatives for next‑generation perovskite photovoltaic technologies.