Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown tremendous promise due to their excellent optoelectronic properties and cost-efficient fabrication. However, the efficiency of traditional lead halide PSCs is approaching the Shockley–Queisser limit, prompting interest in tin-lead perovskite solar cells (Eg ≈ 1.25 eV) as a candidate for tandem configurations with the potential to surpass this limit. A key challenge lies in optimizing the hole transport layer (HTL), as widely used PEDOT:PSS suffers from high acidity and poor crystallinity, hindering device performance. In this work, we used a formic acid modification of PEDOT:PSS to enhance its conductivity, energy band alignment, and crystallinity. Acid treatment promotes proton transfer, reducing insulating PSS chains and improving phase separation, thereby facilitating efficient hole transport. Tin–lead perovskite films fabricated on formic acid-treated PEDOT:PSS (Fa-PEDOT:PSS) exhibit improved crystallinity, larger grain size, and reduced defect density. Devices incorporating Fa-PEDOT:PSS demonstrate enhanced photovoltaic performance, achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.87% with reduced hysteresis and excellent stability, retaining ∼90% of initial efficiency after 1600 h in an inert atmosphere. These findings highlight the potential of acid-treated PEDOT:PSS as an optimized HTL for tin–lead PSCs, paving the way for high-efficiency, environmentally friendly photovoltaic technologies.
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10 March 2025
Research Article|
March 13 2025
Formic acid-engineered PEDOT:PSS for enhanced crystallinity and performance in tin–lead perovskite solar cells
Qinglong Jiang;
Qinglong Jiang
(Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Writing – original draft)
1
School of Electronic Science and Engineering (School of Microelectronics), South China Normal University
, Guangzhou 510006, China
2
Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Shanghai 201210, China
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Jiebin Wu;
Jiebin Wu
(Data curation, Formal analysis)
1
School of Electronic Science and Engineering (School of Microelectronics), South China Normal University
, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Cheng Chen;
Cheng Chen
(Data curation, Methodology)
1
School of Electronic Science and Engineering (School of Microelectronics), South China Normal University
, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Zhenhuang Su;
Zhenhuang Su
(Funding acquisition, Supervision)
3
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Shanghai 201204, China
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Yuanzhong Liu
;
Yuanzhong Liu
(Data curation, Methodology)
2
Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Shanghai 201210, China
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Lin Yang;
Lin Yang
(Data curation, Methodology)
4
School of Energy and Materials, Shanghai Polytechnic University
, Shanghai 201209, China
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Bingchen He
;
Bingchen He
a)
(Investigation, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing)
2
Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Shanghai 201210, China
3
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Shanghai 201204, China
a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]
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Xingyu Gao;
Xingyu Gao
(Supervision)
3
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Shanghai 201204, China
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Fangliang Gao
;
Fangliang Gao
a)
(Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing)
1
School of Electronic Science and Engineering (School of Microelectronics), South China Normal University
, Guangzhou 510006, China
a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]
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Linfeng Lu
Linfeng Lu
a)
(Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing)
2
Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Shanghai 201210, China
a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]
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a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]
Appl. Phys. Lett. 126, 103902 (2025)
Article history
Received:
December 24 2024
Accepted:
March 02 2025
Citation
Qinglong Jiang, Jiebin Wu, Cheng Chen, Zhenhuang Su, Yuanzhong Liu, Lin Yang, Bingchen He, Xingyu Gao, Fangliang Gao, Linfeng Lu; Formic acid-engineered PEDOT:PSS for enhanced crystallinity and performance in tin–lead perovskite solar cells. Appl. Phys. Lett. 10 March 2025; 126 (10): 103902. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0254767
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