A Study of Photoactive Materials for Solution-Processed Thin-Film Solar Cells

Abstract

The overall goal of the research projects herein is to fabricate low-cost and efficient thin-film perovskite and organic solar cells. The fabrication of a planar-heterojunction perovskite solar cell was first optimized by investigating factors that influence perovskite thin film formation. The optimized sequential spin-coating method produces uniform perovskite thin films and yields devices achieving power conversion efficiencies beyond 13 %. Secondly, cheap, organic hole-transporting materials based on a triphenylamine core were investigated as alternatives to spiro-OMeTAD in perovskite solar cells, but poor solubility led to deficiencies in photovoltaic performance. Finally, it was shown that both solution processing techniques and molecular design can influence the morphology, electronic properties and crystallinity of thin films consisting of a fullerene-free donor-acceptor pair for applications in organic solar cells. It was determined that solution processing and the molecular composition of photoactive materials influences thin film properties and device performance in perovskite and organic solar cells.