Operando structure degradation study of PbS quantum dot solar cells

• PbS quantum dot (QD) solar cells demonstrate great potential in solar energy conversion with a broad and flexible spectral response. Even though long-term storage stabilities of QD solar cells were reported in literature, the operation stability from a more practical aspect, to date, has been not yet investigated. Herein, we observe the structure degradation process of a PbS QD-ink based solar cell during the device operation. Simultaneously to probing the solar cell parameters, the overall structure evolutions of the QDs in both, active layer and hole transport layer of the solar cell are studied with grazing-incidence small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS). We find a spontaneous decrease of the QD inter-dot distance with an increase in the spatial disorder in the active layer (PbX2-PbS QDs, X = I, and Br) during the operation induced degradation. Consequently, the structure disorder-induced broadening of the energy state distribution is responsible for the decrease in open-circuit voltageVocleading to the device degradation. These findings elucidate the origin of light-soaking as well as the structure degradation of QD ink-based solar cells and indicate that the stability of the device can be realized by the positional stabilization of the QDs in the QD solid.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Annan fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Other Physics Topics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Energy conversion

IV-VI semiconductors

Lead compounds

Nanocrystals

Semiconductor quantum dots

Solar energy

Stabilization

X ray scattering

Hole transport layers

Long-term storage stability

Operation stability

Quantum dot solar cells

Small and wide angle x ray scatterings

Solar cell parameters

Structure degradation

Structure evolution

Solar cells

active layer

degradation

fuel cell

parameterization

quantum mechanics

scattering

spectral analysis

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)