Aromatic Spacer Cations in Hybrid 2D/3D Perovskite Solar Cells: Impact on Stability and Performance

• Grant number: 25/04537-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: André Sarto Polo
• Grantee: Bárbara Scola Rodrigues
• Supervisor: Michael Saliba
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Stuttgart, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/05797-6 - Effect of perovskite dimensionality on charge carrier recombination in solar cells, BP.PD

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics, offering high efficiency and low-cost manufacturing. However, their practical application is hindered by degradation caused by environmental factors such as moisture, oxygen, heat, and light exposure. Hybrid 2D¿3D perovskite configurations partially address these challenges, with 2D organic spacer cations serving as hydrophobic barriers to improve stability. Despite this advantage, they introduce new complications: while the 3D perovskite ensures efficient charge transport and broad light absorption, the 2D spacer cations can hinder out-of-plane charge transport and are prone to migration. This ionic migration can affect structural integrity and induce interfacial defects, compromising long-term device performance.This project aims to investigate the influence of aromatic spacer cations-hydroiodide m-toluidine (RP) and hydrodiiodide m-phenylenediamine (DJ)-on ionic migration, structural stability, and light-induced degradation in 2D¿3D perovskite solar cells. The research aims to elucidate the mechanism underlying defect formation, ion migration, and interfacial charge recombination by employing various techniques such as Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence. The insights gained will contribute to developing strategies that balance stability and efficiency, enabling the advancement of PSC technologies for sustainable energy applications.