Journal of Infrared and Millimeter Waves, Volume. 41, Issue 3, 517(2022)

Recent progress on natural biomaterials boosting high-performance perovskite solar cells

Shao-Bing XIONG1, Qin-Ye BAO1、*, and Jun-Hao CHU2
Author Affiliations
  • 1School of Physics and Electronic Science,East China Normal University,Shanghai 200241,China
  • 2Department of Materials Science,Fudan University,Shanghai 200433,China
  • show less

    Perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) have been considered as one of the most promising photovoltaic technologies due to their high efficiency, low-cost and facile fabrication process. The power conversion efficiency and stability of PeSCs highly depend on the quality of perovskite film and the interfaces in the device, which are the main sources of PeSCs nonradiative recombination losses. Natural biomaterials, with the advantages of earth-abundance, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, have shown huge potential to improve both perovskite layer and interfaces in PeSCs. Herein, the latest progress using natural biomaterials to achieve high-performance PeSCs is reviewed. It’s discussed the roles of natural biomaterials on perovskite film in terms of morphology optimization, defect passivation and energetics modification. Meanwhile, the strategies using natural biomaterials to create a superior interface between the perovskite and charge transport layer, and to build stretchable, biocompatible, and biodegradable electrodes are present. Finally, an outlook on the further development of PeSCs with respect to natural biomaterials is provided.

    Keywords

    Introduction

    Metal halide perovskites(MHPs)have attracted tremendous attention of both academia and industry communities due to their outstanding optoelectronic merits of high light absorption coefficient1-2,long electron-hole diffusion length3-4,tunable bandgap5-6,and small exciton binding energy7. Attributed to the excellent properties,the power conversion efficiency(PCE)of perovskite solar cells(PeSCs)has boosted to a certified value of 25.5% within a decade of efforts8. Combined with the advances in manufacturing such as low-cost raw materials9-10,low-temperature and facile fabrication process11-12,as well as scalable and flexible compatibility13-15,PeSCs have become the vanguard of the new renewable and clean solar energy technologies.

    In general,perovskite solar cells are composed of the sandwich structures,where the photogenerated carriers in the active layer must travel across the perovskite film,enter the charge transport layer,and finally are collected at the corresponding electrodes. The performances of the PeSCs are the results of the whole system,which requires each layer to collaborate well and all the interfaces to work fluently. However,due to the soft and ionic nature of the perovskite and rapid crystal growth process,numerous defects are inevitable to form at the surface and grain boundaries of perovskite film16-17. These defects can act as recombination centers,impeding carrier transport and thus confining the PCE of PeSCs18-20. The defects are sensitive to external stress including moisture,heat,light and bias,destroying the long-term stability of PeSCs21-24. Moreover,the interfaces in the device are other sources for nonradiative recombination due to unmatched interface energy level alignment,which set the ceiling of photovoltage and further limit the PCE of PeSCs 25-27.

    Many strategies have been explored to break the limits by improving the perovskite film quality with fewer defects and modifying the interface energetics,such as additive engineering28-29,post-treatment30 and interface design 31-34. Various functional materials including metal cations,polymers,ionic liquids and fullerene derivatives have been developed to assist the implement of these strategies 35-40. Recently,natural biomaterials,which are abundant in raw materials,low-cost on fabrication,flexible and biocompatible even biodegradable for application,have been emerging in the field of green optoelectronics devices41-44,especially for renewable energy technologies45-49. Biomaterials play versatile roles as additive to improve perovskite film,as interlayer to improve interface contact,as novel charge transport layer to facilitate carrier transport,even as electrode to improve flexibility(Fig. 1).

    Roles of natural biomaterials in PeSCs. ETL:electron transport layer;HTL:hole transport layer[50-55]

    Figure 1.Roles of natural biomaterials in PeSCs. ETL:electron transport layer;HTL:hole transport layer50-55

    In this review,we retrospect recent progress of natural biomaterials used in PeSCs. In the first section,we introduce the roles of biomaterials on perovskite film including morphology optimization,defect passivation and energetics modification. The following section discusses the biomaterial-assisted perovskite interface. Finally,we give an outlook on the further development of PeSCs with respect to natural biomaterials.

    1 Biomaterials-assisted perovskite film

    1.1 Morphology optimization

    Morphology,which refers to the uniformity,coverage,roughness,crystallinity and grain size of the film,is an important index to assess the quality of perovskite film. The perovskite film with poor morphology can greatly decrease the device performance by causing serious current leakage and substantial charge recombination losses56-57. The morphology of perovskite film can be well optimized by natural biomaterials in the way of additive engineering. Biomaterial additives can effectively modulate the perovskite crystallization kinetics,thereby prompting the formation of homogeneous and uniform perovskite film with larger grain size and fewer defect sites.

    An interesting study of feeding “coffee” for perovskite film was performed by Wang and coworkers58. They introduced 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine,also named as caffeine,into the perovskite film to tune the morphology of perovskite film. It was found that the two conjugated carboxyl groups of caffeine as molecule locks could strongly interact with the unbonded Pb2+ ions,retarding perovskite crystal growth and forcing a preferred crystalline orientation(Fig. 2(a-b)). The morphology-improved perovskite presented reduced defect density and superior vertical charge transport efficiency,thus achieving a champion PCE of 20.25% in PeSCs,which was much higher than the control device with a PCE of 17.50%(Fig. 2(c)). Moreover,the non-volatile and thermal-stable caffeine significantly suppressed ion migration and increased the decomposition activation energy of perovskite. As a result,the caffeine containing PeSCs yielded excellent thermal stability(Fig. 2(d)),which remained over 85% of its initial efficiency after 1300 h heating at an elevated temperature of 85 ℃. However,the control device declined below 60% of its original PCE after only 175 h during the same condition.

    (a)Morphology images of perovskite films with and without caffeine,(b)normalized azimuth angle plots along(110)crystal plane from the 2D grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns of perovskite films with and without caffeine,(c)J-V curves of PeSCs with and without caffeine,(d)normalized PCE decays upon 85 ℃ continuous annealing in nitrogen box[58]

    Figure 2.(a)Morphology images of perovskite films with and without caffeine,(b)normalized azimuth angle plots along(110)crystal plane from the 2D grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns of perovskite films with and without caffeine,(c)J-V curves of PeSCs with and without caffeine,(d)normalized PCE decays upon 85 ℃ continuous annealing in nitrogen box58

    Long-chain biopolymers with multiple functional groups can provide more interactions and stronger constraining force to modulate the morphological quality. Yang et al. added wood-based polymer,ethyl cellulose(EC),into the antisolvent to fabricate high quality perovskite film 49. It was clearly displayed that EC biopolymer slowed down the crystallization process of perovskite film in Fig. 3(a),attributed to the Lewis acid-base interaction. The slower crystallization provided longer time for grains to grow and led to denser and smoother perovskite film with larger grain size(Fig. 3(b)). In addition,the long-chain EC provided a scaffold to eliminate the lattice strain of the annealing process and stabilized perovskite crystal structure(Fig. 3(c)). As a result,EC-modified devices achieved a high PCE of 19.41% compared to 17.11% for the control device. More importantly,EC-modified device showed enhanced environmental stability,which maintained 80% of its initial PCE after storage in ambient air at 45% relative humidity for 30 days,while the control device degraded completely for the same time. Lin and coworkers also employed M13 bacteriophage as perovskite nucleation and crystal growth template50. The carboxylic and amino groups on the surface of M13 bacteriophage gave numerous bonding sites to the uncoordinated Pb2+ in the perovskite,realizing a homogeneous perovskite film with enlarged grain size and favorable orientation(Fig. 3(d-e)). Consequently,the M13 bacteriophage templated perovskite solar cell delivered a PCE improvement from 17.8% to 20.1% with excellent reproducibility(Fig. 3(f)).

    (a)The crystallization process of perovskite films with and without EC under 100 °C annealing,(b)top-view SEM images of perovskite films with different EC concentrations,(c)the schematic diagram of the long-chain EC scaffold against expansion/shrinkage stress,[49](d)chemical structure of M13 bacteriophage with multiple functional groups,(e)working mechanism of M13 bacteriophage-templated perovskite crystal growth,(f)PCE statistical analysis of PeSCs with M13 bacteriophage under different heat treatment[50]

    Figure 3.(a)The crystallization process of perovskite films with and without EC under 100 °C annealing,(b)top-view SEM images of perovskite films with different EC concentrations,(c)the schematic diagram of the long-chain EC scaffold against expansion/shrinkage stress,49(d)chemical structure of M13 bacteriophage with multiple functional groups,(e)working mechanism of M13 bacteriophage-templated perovskite crystal growth,(f)PCE statistical analysis of PeSCs with M13 bacteriophage under different heat treatment50

    1.2 Defect passivation

    Defects are usually formed when the growth of the crystal lattice is interrupted or misaligned,which are basically unavoidable in practical situation due to the soft and ionic nature of perovskite1659. Diverse defects including vacancies,interstitials and anti-site substitutions exist at the surface and grain boundary of perovskite film,which can act as electronic trap states in the band gap of the perovskite and hence capture photogenerated carriers during PeSCs operation1760. The defects also accelerate ion migrations,and reduce the splitting of quasi-Fermi levels,ultimately decreasing the device PCE61-63. Furthermore,defects are detrimental to the stability of perovskite films and solar cells64-65. Therefore,it is of great importance to minimize the defect density at the perovskite surface and grain boundary for the enhancement of both efficiency and stability of PeSCs.

    Natural biomaterials show impressive capability to passivate defects in the perovskite. Xiong et al. employed forest-based biomaterial,betulin,as defect passivator for the first time and reached an PCE over 21% for p-i-n structured PeSCs(Fig. 4(a-b))51. In combination with experimental and theoretical analyses,they revealed that the hydroxyl group of betulin could effectively coordinate with the nonbonded Pb2+ ions by sharing a lone pair of electrons,which reduced the recombination sites and boosted charge transport. Moreover,the formation of hydrogen bonding between betulin and perovskite suppressed methylamine and halogen ions migration and stabilized the perovskite crystal structure,leading to largely enhanced operational stability. Qiu et al. also demonstrated biopolymer ploy-L-lysine(PLL)as effective defect passivator66. The large number of carboxylic and amino groups on the long chain of the biopolymer had a robust capability to chelate under-coordinated Pb2+ and suppress metallic Pb0,resulting in a remarkable suppression of nonradiative recombination. As calculated by the density functional theory(DFT)in Fig. 4(c-h),the Pb-I antisite induced trap states were effectively annihilated with the adsorption of PLL,which neutralized the localized electron distribution by coordination effect. The substantial reduction of defects significantly improved the performance of blade-coated PeSCs,where the PLL passivated device showed a high efficiency of 19.45% and a high open-circuit voltage(Voc)of 1.11 V,whereas the control device only had a PCE of 16.52% with a Voc of 1.01 V.

    (a)The schematic illumination of the interactions between forested-based biomaterial betulin and perovskite,(b)J-V curves of PeSCs with and without betulin under forward and reverse scan,[51] charge density distribution of MAPbI3(001)surface(c)with no defect,(d)with Pb-I antisite defect and(e)with Pb-I antisite defect after PLL passivating,density of states of MAPbI3(001)surface(f)with no defect,(g)with Pb-I antisite defect and(h)with Pb-I antisite defect after PLL passivating[66]

    Figure 4.(a)The schematic illumination of the interactions between forested-based biomaterial betulin and perovskite,(b)J-V curves of PeSCs with and without betulin under forward and reverse scan,51 charge density distribution of MAPbI3(001)surface(c)with no defect,(d)with Pb-I antisite defect and(e)with Pb-I antisite defect after PLL passivating,density of states of MAPbI3(001)surface(f)with no defect,(g)with Pb-I antisite defect and(h)with Pb-I antisite defect after PLL passivating66

    Moreover,Hu et al. explored the relationship of passivation effect and molecule interaction strength by using a series of natural amino acid(NAA)molecules including glycine,glutamic acid,proline and arginine as precursor additive(Fig. 5(a))67. It was found that arginine with guanidine end group had the strongest coordination capability with the uncoordinated Pb2+ and thus showed the best passivation effect(Fig. 5(b-c)). Consequently,the arginine-passivated PeSCs exhibited a PCE of 20.49% with a Voc increase over 100 meV. Recently,Wang and coworkers further demonstrated the impacts of molecule configuration on passivation effect by a set of biomaterials including theophylline,caffeine,and theobromine,which were accessible from the natural materials tea,coffee,and chocolate,respectively48. These nonvolatile biomolecules had the same functional groups of carbonyl group(C=O)and N–H,but the different chemical configurations. The detrimental effects of Pb-I antisite were expected to be eliminated by the coordination interaction with C=O group,and the coordination strength was related to the hydrogen bonding between N-H and I of PbI62- octahedron. The theophylline possessed the optimum configuration,where the hydrogen bonds enhanced the coordination interactions and led to the strongest interaction energy of -1.7 eV(Fig. 5(d)). For caffeine molecule,a methyl group replaced the H atom of N-H group,which broke the formation of hydrogen bonds with I ions,leading to a weaker interaction energy of -1.3 eV. Although the theobromine possessed both C=O and N-H groups,the distance between the two groups was too short,where the coordination impeded the formation of hydrogen bonds. The unfavorable configuration yielded an interaction energy as weak as -1.1 eV and might generate more defects due to the lattice distortion. As a result,theophylline-passivated perovskite solar cells delivered the high efficiency of 23.48%,compared to 21.02% of the control device,22.32% of caffeine-passivated device and 20.24% of theobromine-treated device(Fig. 5(e)),further confirming the crucial role of molecule configuration on passivation effectiveness and device performance. Meanwhile,the strong interactions between the theophylline and perovskite suppressed ions migration and thus enhanced operational stability. As shown in Fig. 5(f),theobromine-treated device maintained over 90% of its initial PCE under continuous light exposure for 500 h,while the control device declined over 80% during the same time.

    (a)Chemical structure of natural amino acids(NAAs)molecules including glycine(Gly),glutamic acid(Glu),proline(Pro),and arginine(Arg),(b)steady-state and(c)time-resolved photoluminescence(PL)spectra of the pristine and various NAAs-passivated perovskite films,[67](d)interaction structures of perovskite and theophylline,caffeine,and theobromine with corresponding theoretical interaction energy,(e)J-V curves of PeSCs with or without biomaterials’ treatment under reverse scan direction,(f)normalized PCE decays of encapsulated PeSCs with or without theophylline treatment under continuous light(90 ± 10 mWcm-2)exposure[48]

    Figure 5.(a)Chemical structure of natural amino acids(NAAs)molecules including glycine(Gly),glutamic acid(Glu),proline(Pro),and arginine(Arg),(b)steady-state and(c)time-resolved photoluminescence(PL)spectra of the pristine and various NAAs-passivated perovskite films,67(d)interaction structures of perovskite and theophylline,caffeine,and theobromine with corresponding theoretical interaction energy,(e)J-V curves of PeSCs with or without biomaterials’ treatment under reverse scan direction,(f)normalized PCE decays of encapsulated PeSCs with or without theophylline treatment under continuous light(90 ± 10 mWcm-2)exposure48

    1.3 Energetics modification

    Electronic structures are the basic properties of a semiconductor,such as valence band(VB),conduction band(CB),Fermi level(EF)and vacuum level 68-69. Perovskite with suitable electronic structures is essential to form favorable energy level alignment with adjacent charge transport layers and to improve charge transport in PeSCs 70-71. A lot of work has demonstrated that the electronic structures of perovskite can be effectively tuned by self-doping effect,which prefer to be more n-type(or p-type)with rich PbI2(or MAI)in the film composition72-73. It was reported that the surface electronic structures of perovskites film heavily depended on the underlying work function(WF)of substrates(electrodes)74-75. Perovskite surface generally shows the higher WF when deposited on the higher WF substrate. The researchers also used molecule doping via natural biomaterials to adjust the energy level positions of perovskite and improve the performance of PeSCs.

    Priya et al. introduced biomaterial deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA)into the perovskite precursor and obtained more p-type perovskite film with superior hole transport capability52. The Fermi level of the perovskite film is shifted from -4.91 to -5.01 eV after DNA incorporation. The highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO)level of DNA matched with the VB of the perovskite,significantly prompting hole transport in the perovskite film. As confirmed by the steady-state photoluminescence(PL)spectra,a remarkable quenching was observed when the DNA-incorporated perovskite contacted with HTL. Therefore,the efficiency of DNA-based PeSCs(20.63%)was significantly improved compared to the control device(18.43%). Later,bioactive neurotransmitter dopamine was also introduced into the perovskite precursor to fabricate perovskite active layer with favorable energetics,reported by Zhang and coworkers76. They found a downshift of EF toward VB for dopamine-incorporated perovskite film,accompanied by a valence band maximum(VBM)of -5.22 eV,which matched with the hole transport layer(-5.20 eV)compared with the pristine perovskite film with a VBM of -5.33 eV. The intimate contact facilitated hole transfer from the perovskite into HTL with a reduction of charge recombination,and largely increased the device performance.

    Recently,Capsaicin,the compound that makes chili pepper spicy,was reported having a significant impact on the perovskite energetics by Xiong and coworkers.77 They added a small amount of capsaicin into the perovskite precursor and systematically investigated the electronic structure of perovskite film. As shown in Fig. 6(a),the ultraviolet photoemission spectra(UPS)demonstrated a remarkable reduction of WF from 4.95 to 4.48 eV with the addition of 0.1 wt% capsaicin,while the energy difference between Fermi level and VBM increased by the same value,keeping a constant ionization potential. Such energy level shift indicated a clear energetics transformation from p-type to n-type for the perovskite top surface(Fig. 6(b)). Moreover,Kelvin probe force microscopy(KPFM)directly showed the formation of p-n junction below about 100 nm of the perovskite film surface(Fig. 6(c)). The resulting surface energetics formed a more efficient interface with the upper electron transport layer(n-type),boosting charge transfer in the device. Combined with the defect passivation effect of capsaicin,both defect-induced and interface nonradiative recombination were significantly suppressed. As a result,they achieved a record efficiency of 21.88% for MAPbI3-based p-i-n perovskite solar cells with the high fill factor(FF)of 83.81%(Fig. 6(d-e)). Capsaicin also improved the device stability attributed to the enhanced water resistance ability of the perovskite film(Fig. 6(f)). In their another work,natural dyes were applied to tune the electronic structure of perovskite79. They introduced 5-chloroisatin(Isatin-Cl)as additive in the precursor and observed an n-type doping behavior for the perovskite film. The upshift of Fermi level produced more n-type perovskite,slowing down the rate of trap-mediated recombination and thus prolonging the carrier lifetime. Therefore,they obtained an enhanced efficiency of 20.18% with a negligible hysteresis and excellent stability.

    (a)UPS spectra of secondary electron cutoff region and valence band region of PTAA:F4TCNQ,pristine perovskite and capsaicin-containing perovskite deposited on PTAA:F4TCNQ,(b)energy levels of perovskite with and without the capsaicin derived from UPS spectra,(c)cross-sectional AFM topographies,corresponding KPFM images,and potential profiles under zero-voltage bias of perovskite-capsaicin/PTAA:F4TCNQ/ITO,(d)J-V curves of PeSCs with or without the capsaicin under reverse and forward scan directions,(e)recent works on polycrystalline based and single-crystal MAPbI3-based p-i-n PeSCs,(f)evolution of the PCEs measured from unencapsulated PeSCs in ambient air with 45% relative humidity(RH)at room temperature(RT),[77](g)UPS spectra of secondary electron cutoff region(left panel),LEIPS spectra of valence band region(middle panel),and LEIPS spectra of conduction band region(right panel)of the perovskite films with and without the carnitine,(h)the schematic illustration of the energy levels of PeSCs with and without carnitine[78]

    Figure 6.(a)UPS spectra of secondary electron cutoff region and valence band region of PTAA:F4TCNQ,pristine perovskite and capsaicin-containing perovskite deposited on PTAA:F4TCNQ,(b)energy levels of perovskite with and without the capsaicin derived from UPS spectra,(c)cross-sectional AFM topographies,corresponding KPFM images,and potential profiles under zero-voltage bias of perovskite-capsaicin/PTAA:F4TCNQ/ITO,(d)J-V curves of PeSCs with or without the capsaicin under reverse and forward scan directions,(e)recent works on polycrystalline based and single-crystal MAPbI3-based p-i-n PeSCs,(f)evolution of the PCEs measured from unencapsulated PeSCs in ambient air with 45% relative humidity(RH)at room temperature(RT),77(g)UPS spectra of secondary electron cutoff region(left panel),LEIPS spectra of valence band region(middle panel),and LEIPS spectra of conduction band region(right panel)of the perovskite films with and without the carnitine,(h)the schematic illustration of the energy levels of PeSCs with and without carnitine78

    Chen et al. also used natural vitamin B(carnitine)as an energetics modifier to fabricate high-performance PeSCs78. After the incorporation of vitamin B,it was observed that the WF increased by 150 meV,and the VBM shifted toward EF by 100 meV,while the conduction band minimum(CBM)shifted away from the Fermi level by 310 meV(Fig. 6(g)). Consequently,carnitine-incorporated perovskite film possessed a VBM of -5.42 eV and a CBM of -3.87 eV,closer with the HOMO(-5.40 eV)of hole transport layer and LUMO(-3.90 eV)of electron transport layer,respectively(Fig. 6(h)). The matched interfacial energy-level alignment caused high charge transfer efficiency at the interface,thereby suppressing interface charge recombination. Moreover,vitamin B could also annihilate both positive- and negative-charged ionic defects in the perovskite film. The combined effects led to grand enhancement of Voc and FF,resulting in a PCE increased from 16.43% to 20.12%78.

    2 Biomaterials-assisted interface

    Interface,which governs carrier extraction and collection in the devices,is of great importance to the efficiency and stability of PeSCs. An ideal interface generates no energy loss when carriers pass through the interface. Furthermore,interface should be robust enough with a strong barrier for ion migration,and oxygen and moisture permeation80-82. With this purpose in mind,the researchers put extensive efforts to improve interface contact,optimize interface energetics,and minimize interfacial trap states83-86. In this section,we focus on recent work of using biomaterials for interface engineering in PeSCs,in terms of electron transport layer,hole transport layer and stretchable electrode.

    2.1 Electron transport layer

    TiO2 is common ETL in conventional n-i-p PeSCs due to its suitable electronic structures and brilliant chemical,electronical and optical properties87-89. However,tremendous oxygen vacancies on TiO2 surface and the ultraviolet photocatalysis effect can trigger the decomposition of perovskite,leading to poor efficiency and stability of PeSCs90. You et al. utilized biopolymer heparin sodium(HS)as an interlayer anchored on TiO2 surface(Fig. 7(a))91. They found that the HS biopolymer played multifunctional roles. First,HS biopolymer improved the morphology of TiO2 film with no pinholes and better hydrophilicity,and also provided a favorable environment for perovskite film to growth,producing perovskite film with enlarged grain size and enhanced crystallinity(Fig. 7(b-c)). Moreover,the HS effectively passivated surface defects of TiO2 film,and uncoordinated Pb2+ and I- ions on the bottom surface of perovskite film. In addition,the strong anchoring effect of HS biopolymer could impede ions migration at TiO2/MAPbI3 interface,suppressing the hysteresis behavior(Fig. 7(d-e)). Therefore,they achieved an efficiency up to 20.1% for MAPbI3 based solar cells with enhanced stability(Fig. 7(f)). Peng et al. demonstrated that deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA)could also reduce the trap states in TiO2 by coordination bonding and electrostatic interactions(Fig. 7(g))92. Moreover,DNA enhanced the surface potential on TiO2,improving carrier transport at the interface of the PeSCs(Fig. 7(h)).

    (a)Cross-section SEM image of PeSCs with HS modified TiO2,top-view SEM images of:(b)pristine and HS-modified TiO2,and(c)perovskite films deposited on pristine and HS-modified TiO2 substrates,J–V characteristics of PeSCs(d)without and(e)with HS layers under forward and reverse scan directions,(f)stability test of PeSCs without and with HS interlayers in N2 and ambient environment,[91](g)the schematic illumination of the interaction mechanism between DNA and meso-TiO2,(h)the surface potential curves of undoped and DNA doped meso-TiO2[92]

    Figure 7.(a)Cross-section SEM image of PeSCs with HS modified TiO2,top-view SEM images of:(b)pristine and HS-modified TiO2,and(c)perovskite films deposited on pristine and HS-modified TiO2 substrates,J–V characteristics of PeSCs(d)without and(e)with HS layers under forward and reverse scan directions,(f)stability test of PeSCs without and with HS interlayers in N2 and ambient environment,91(g)the schematic illumination of the interaction mechanism between DNA and meso-TiO2,(h)the surface potential curves of undoped and DNA doped meso-TiO292

    Recently,Das et al. proposed a new type of bio-PeSCs53,where natural biomaterials,bacteriorhodopsin(bR),are bridging perovskite and mesoporous TiO2 ETL to enhance light energy conversion efficiency(Fig. 8(a-d)). The bR molecule incurred a Förster resonance energy transfer(FRET)process,and the photoexcited electrons could inject into the bR molecule layer and then quickly transfer to the TiO2 cathode,serving as a carrier bridge between TiO2 and perovskite layers. The bR molecule bridge significantly facilitated electron extraction in the PeSCs and restricted the interface charge recombination,leading to an enhancement of device performance.

    (a)Device structure of the bio-PeSCs,(b)the schematics of the FRET process between perovskite and bR,(c)band alignment of the bio-PeSCs,(d)J-V curves of PeSCs with and without bR modification[53]

    Figure 8.(a)Device structure of the bio-PeSCs,(b)the schematics of the FRET process between perovskite and bR,(c)band alignment of the bio-PeSCs,(d)J-V curves of PeSCs with and without bR modification53

    Besides biopolymers,small biomaterials also exhibit excellent interfacial behaviors in PeSCs. Zhang et al. applied neurotransmitter(dopamine)to modify TiO2,creating a cross-link between TiO2 and perovskite(Fig. 9(a))93. Meanwhile,dopamine-modified TiO2 had the closer CB to that of perovskite layer and the deeper VB due to the strong electron-donating ability of dopamine(Fig. 9(b)),which effectively enhanced photogenerated electrons in perovskite layer transfer into the TiO2 ETL. On the other hand,the amino groups of dopamine could repair the uncoordinated Pb2+ and suppress Pb-I/Br antisite on perovskite surface,further reducing carrier recombination loss. Consequently,the energy level aligned interface with fewer trap states by dopamine remarkably boosted the efficiency to 20.93% compared to 18.15% of the control device. Moreover,the device with dopamine-capped TiO2 as ETL retained 80% of the initial efficiency under continuous full-sun illumination in nitrogen atmosphere for 1200 h,showing excellent stability(Fig. 9(c)). In contrast,the control device displayed a severe degradation with the same test condition. Recently,Wang et al. reported that Chlorophyll was applied to modify TiO2 ETL94. They introduced carboxy-chlorophyll derivative(C-Chl)into the mesoporous TiO2 film and yielded a record PCE of 3.11% for lead-free Cs2AgBiBr6 double PeSCs. It was demonstrated that C-Chl enhanced electron transfer at ETL/perovskite interface and suppressed interface charge recombination. Bone-based biomaterial hydroxyapatite nanoparticles(HAP NPs)were also mixed with TiO2 NPs to build a robust scaffold for perovskite deposition95. HAP NPs could absorb Pb ions due to the strong bonding between Pb2+ and PO43-,hence effectively blocking the lead leakage into the environment(Fig. 9(d-e)),which was crucial for the future commercialization of PeSCs.

    (a)The schematic interactions of dopamine with perovskite and TiO2 interface,(b)energy level diagram,(c)the normalized PCE change of PeSCs with TiO2 and dopamine-capped TiO2 as ETLs kept under continuous full-sun illumination in nitrogen atmosphere[93],(d)photographs and(e)Pb release concentrations of PeSCs with different HAP contents after the immersion in water for 0-24 h[95]

    Figure 9.(a)The schematic interactions of dopamine with perovskite and TiO2 interface,(b)energy level diagram,(c)the normalized PCE change of PeSCs with TiO2 and dopamine-capped TiO2 as ETLs kept under continuous full-sun illumination in nitrogen atmosphere93,(d)photographs and(e)Pb release concentrations of PeSCs with different HAP contents after the immersion in water for 0-24 h95

    The ETL SnO2 possesses high carrier mobility and can be deposited at low temperature96-97. However,the poor film crystallinity of SnO2 creates numerous trap states,which triggers interface recombination and decreases the device performance98. Dopamine was proposed to modify the interfacial contact between SnO2 and perovskite film by Hou and coworkers.99 They prepared a self-assembled monolayer(SAM)of dopamine(DA)between SnO2 and perovskite. Similar to the case of TiO2,dopamine anchored on SnO2 surface and passivated the defects on SnO2 surface. Dopamine also improved the surface affinity of the SnO2 film,providing a good template for perovskite growth and thus creating the high-quality perovskite film with enlarged grain size and smoother surface. Dopamine could further reduce the WF of SnO2 with the formation of an interfacial dipole,enhancing electron extraction at the interface. Kim et al. introduced a biomolecule SAM of creatine on the SnO2 surface to improve ETL/perovskite interface(Fig. 10(a))100. The creatine SAM layer also formed an interface dipole and reduced the WF of SnO2 layer,resulting in an enhancement of carrier extraction(Fig. 10(b-c)). As a result,PeSCs with creatine interlayer yielded a high efficiency of 20.8%.

    (a)Dipole effect of creatine layer at the perovskite/SnO2 interface,(b)defect passivation ability of the creatine layer,(c)energy level illustration of the UPS results,[100](d)the schematic of device structure with Isatin and Isatin-Cl as cathode interlayer,(e)the energy level diagram,(f)J-V curves of pristine,Isatin and Isatin-Cl optimized devices under forward and reverse scan directions[84]

    Figure 10.(a)Dipole effect of creatine layer at the perovskite/SnO2 interface,(b)defect passivation ability of the creatine layer,(c)energy level illustration of the UPS results,100(d)the schematic of device structure with Isatin and Isatin-Cl as cathode interlayer,(e)the energy level diagram,(f)J-V curves of pristine,Isatin and Isatin-Cl optimized devices under forward and reverse scan directions84

    Fullerene and its derivatives are the main organic materials used for ELT in inverted p-i-n PeSCs101. However,the large energy difference between the LUMO of PCBM and WF of metal electrodes impairs the electron collection efficiency at the cathode and limits the overall efficiency of PeSCs. Xiong et al. used natural biomaterials Isatin and its derivative Isatin-Cl(Fig. 10(d))to optimize cathode interface84. The WF of Al electrode largely decreased when Isatin was inserted between PCBM and Al,attributed to the formation of a negative dipole at the interface(Fig. 10(e)). It significantly facilitated electron transfer and largely suppressed interface charge recombination at cathode back contact,leading to enhanced PeSCs efficiency(Fig. 10(f)).

    2.2 Hole transport layer

    Hole transport layer(HTL)takes the responsibility of hole transport and extraction during PeSCs operation. The HTLs generally include PEDOT:PSS,Spiro-OMeTAD,polytriarylamine(PTAA)and inorganic NiOx102. Among them,Spiro-OMeTAD is considered to be the landmark during the development of PeSCs,which established all-solid PeSCs with a PCE over 10%103. However,Spiro-OMeTAD needs additional doping of bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimidelithium salt(LiTFSI)and hydrophilic 4-tert-butylpyridine(tBP)to enhance solubility and hole mobility,which not only complicates the fabrication process but also brings poor stability due to the hygroscopic and diffusive nature of these dopants102. Therefore,there is urgent demand to develop cost-effective and dopant-free HTLs for highly efficient and stable PeSCs.

    Li et al. demonstrated that natural photosynthetic catalyst Chlorophyll was feasible for hole transport in PeSCs104. They utilized zinc Chlorophyll aggregates,Chl-1 and Chl-2,as HTL without dopants,and then fabricated CH3NH3PbI3-xClx based PeSCs with a PCE of 11.44%(Fig. 11(a)). They found that zinc Chlorophyll aggregates could form type 1 alignment with perovskite layer,where the LUMO and HOMO levels of Chl-1 and Chl-2 aggregates were above that of perovskite,respectively(Fig. 11(b)),which was favorable for hole transfer(Fig. 11(c)). Later,Yusoff et al. employed DNA based biomaterial,DNA–hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride(CTMA),as new type HTL in inverted PeSCs105. They achieved a high PCE of 15.86% for the biomaterial-based inverted PeSCs compared to 12.49% for PEDOT:PSS based devices. Moreover,DNA-CTMA film was low-temperature and solution processable,and exhibited high thermal stability,good wettability and excellent transparence over a wide range from 300 to 1100 nm,making it a good candidate HTL for high-performance PeSCs.

    (a)Molecular structures of zinc chlorophyll aggregates,Chl-1 and Chl-2,(b)the energy level diagram of PeSCs based on Chl-1,Chl-2,and P3HT as HTLs,(c)time-resolved PL decays,[104](d)UPS spectra for NiOx film before and after adenine modification,(e)the energy diagram of the device,(f)J-V curves of control and adenine-modified devices under forward and reverse scan directions[54]

    Figure 11.(a)Molecular structures of zinc chlorophyll aggregates,Chl-1 and Chl-2,(b)the energy level diagram of PeSCs based on Chl-1,Chl-2,and P3HT as HTLs,(c)time-resolved PL decays,104(d)UPS spectra for NiOx film before and after adenine modification,(e)the energy diagram of the device,(f)J-V curves of control and adenine-modified devices under forward and reverse scan directions54

    NiOx is commonly used as HTL in inverted PeSCs with the advance of low cost and good stability,however,its high VBM level and poor conductivity largely restrict the device performance106. Recently,Xie et al. reported that natural biomaterial adenine was an excellent surface modifier for NiOx HTL54. The adenine modification reduced the WF of NiOx by 0.05 eV and increased the VBM of NiOx from 0.71 to 0.86 eV,leading to a deeper VB level of 5.4 eV than the pristine NiOx film(5.3 eV)(Fig. 11(d-e)). The resulting energetics enhanced the hole extraction efficiency of NiOx HTL. Moreover,the perovskite film deposited on the adenine modified NiOx film showed larger grain size and better crystallinity,attributed to the improved wettability of NiOx surface. Therefore,a significant increase of PCE from 16.76% to 18.96% with suppressed hysteresis behavior was obtained(Fig. 11(f)).

    PEDOT:PSS is also widely used in the inverted PeSCs due to its facile and soluble fabrication process. However,its low WF limits the device photovoltage,and the acidic nature of PEDOT:PSS is also detrimental to the long-term stability of PeSCs107-108. To overcome the drawbacks of PEDOT:PSS,Li and workers introduced dopamine(DA)into PEDOT:PSS aqueous solutions109. The WF of PEDOT:PSS was surprisingly increased from 5.1 to 5.33 eV after doping dopamine,and the PH value raised from 1.5 to 5.2. The improved WF matched well with the VB of perovskite(5.4 eV),facilitating charge transfer and eliminating the photovoltage limit(Fig. 12(a)). Consequently,the dopamine-modified solar cell achieved a much higher Voc of 1.08 V and PCE of 16.6%,while the control devices only had a Voc of 0.96 V and PCE of 15.2%. The mild PH value of dopamine-modified PEDOT:PSS delivered less acid corrosion and impeded the degradation of perovskite,endowing the optimized device longer lifetime. Recently,they further investigated the working mechanism of dopamine doping PEDOT:PSS 110. Electron spin resonance(ESR)measurement revealed that more radical content formed in dopamine doped PEDOT:PSS,which provided stronger electron donating capability(Fig. 12(b-c)). The amino and hydroxyl groups of dopamine were found to interact with the undercoordinated Pb2+ on perovskite bottom surface and improved the quality of the perovskite films,minimizing trap sites and suppressing trap-assisted recombination. Eventually,a champion efficiency up to 18.5% was realized for dopamine-modified PEDOT:PSS based PeSCs with enhanced stability(Fig. 12(d-e)).

    (a)Synthesis condition,copolymer of DA-PEDOT:PSS,and energy levels of PEDOT:PSS and DA-PEDOT:PSS in PeSCs,[109](b)considerable differences in doping of PEDOT:PSS and DA-PEDOT:PSS,(c)ESR spectra of PEDOT:PSS and DA-PEDOT:PSS at room temperature and 373 K,respectively,(d)J–V curves of PEDOT:PSS and DA-modified PEDOT:PSS based PeSCs,(e)long-term stability of PeSCs with PEDOT:PSS and DA-modified PEDOT:PSS HTLs in air under ambient conditions(temperature ≈ 25 ℃,humidity ≈ 40%)[110]

    Figure 12.(a)Synthesis condition,copolymer of DA-PEDOT:PSS,and energy levels of PEDOT:PSS and DA-PEDOT:PSS in PeSCs,109(b)considerable differences in doping of PEDOT:PSS and DA-PEDOT:PSS,(c)ESR spectra of PEDOT:PSS and DA-PEDOT:PSS at room temperature and 373 K,respectively,(d)J–V curves of PEDOT:PSS and DA-modified PEDOT:PSS based PeSCs,(e)long-term stability of PeSCs with PEDOT:PSS and DA-modified PEDOT:PSS HTLs in air under ambient conditions(temperature ≈ 25 ℃,humidity ≈ 40%)110

    2.3 Stretchable electrode

    Stretchable electrodes play a key role in flexible PeSCs and the further application of PeSCs in wearable electronic devices. The commonly used flexible electrodes are based on silver nanowire networks or copper conductors,which are usually coated on plastic substrates such as polyethylene terephthalate(PET)and polyethylene naphthalate(PEN)111-112. Although these electrodes exhibit good stretchable capability and mechanical stability,the plastic substrates are hard to degrade in the environment and will cause white pollutions. Therefore,biomaterial-based flexible electrodes attract more attention due to their environmental harmless,biodegradable and biocompatible ability.

    Cellulose paper,as a mature technique,is low-cost,light-weight,flexible,biocompatible and totally biodegradable,making it being an attractive substrate for flexible devices,which has been used in flexible sensors and organic solar cells. In 2018,Gao et al. employed carbon-modified cellulose paper as anode electrode and fabricated HTL-free flexible PeSCs for the first time(Fig. 13(a))113. The carbon-modified paper showed not only good conductivity but also proper energy level alignment with perovskite layer with the resulting efficient charge extraction(Fig. 13(b)). Based on the bio-substrate,they achieved a PCE of 9.05% for the HTL-free flexible PeSCs,with excellent flexibility and robust mechanical durability(Fig. 13(c-f)). However,the poor transmittance of carbon modified cellulose paper limits its application. Later,Zou and coworkers reported a transparent and stretchable electrode derived from bamboo and then fabricated flexible PeSCs with a PCE up to 11.68%55. Bamboo has tremendous highly-polymerized cellulose fibers,producing cellulose nanofibril substrates(B-CNF)(Fig. 14(a)). The B-CNF substrate showed superior transmittance over the full visible light range due to the presence of numerous carboxylate groups in B-CNT. Combined with the transparent conductive indium zinc oxide(IZO),the B-CNT/IZO electrode successfully integrated the merits of good transmittance,high conductivity and ultra-flexibility as well as extremely light weight. Moreover,the compact and smooth B-CNT/IZO electrode presented excellent mechanical stability,which could remain a stable and reliable square resistance after 3000 times bending with a 4 mm curvature radius,while the square resistance of PET/IZO electrode largely increased after 2400 times same bending(Fig. 14(b-c)). Furthermore,the B-CNT/IZO bioelectrode based PeSCs also delivered remarkable bendable fatigue resistance during the bending process(Fig. 14(d)). Han et al. recently demonstrated the practical feasibility of virus-templated gold nanowire electrodes for flexible PeSCs(Fig. 15(a))114. They used wild-type M13 bacteriophages as substrate for gold nanowire,which could bind to gold ions via ion exchange. The bioelectrode showed considerable conductivity and transparency,leading to a PCE of 9.28% with negligible hysteresis and brilliant stretchable ability(Fig. 15(b-d)).

    (a)Device structure of paper based HTM-free PeSCs and(b)corresponding energy level diagram,(c)photovoltaic performance of paper based HTM-free PeSCs under forward and reverse scan directions,(d)J-V curves of paper based device with different bending cycles,(e)optical image of paper based HTM-free PeSCs attached on the wrist and(f)bent with radius(R)of 6 mm[113]

    Figure 13.(a)Device structure of paper based HTM-free PeSCs and(b)corresponding energy level diagram,(c)photovoltaic performance of paper based HTM-free PeSCs under forward and reverse scan directions,(d)J-V curves of paper based device with different bending cycles,(e)optical image of paper based HTM-free PeSCs attached on the wrist and(f)bent with radius(R)of 6 mm113

    (a)Preparation process of bamboo-derived cellulose nanofibril(b-CNF)electrodes,(b)photographs of b-CNF/IZO electrode recovery from random crumpling,(c)square resistance of b-CNF/IZO and PET/IZO electrode bending at different curvature radii,(d)the main parameters’ variation of the flexible PeSCs upon periodic bending tests of a 4 mm curvature radius[55]

    Figure 14.(a)Preparation process of bamboo-derived cellulose nanofibril(b-CNF)electrodes,(b)photographs of b-CNF/IZO electrode recovery from random crumpling,(c)square resistance of b-CNF/IZO and PET/IZO electrode bending at different curvature radii,(d)the main parameters’ variation of the flexible PeSCs upon periodic bending tests of a 4 mm curvature radius55

    (a)The schematic illustration of preparation process of M13 bacteriophage-templated gold nanowire electrode,(b)illustrations of the virus-templated Au nanowires on PDMS with PTAA and perovskite layers,(c)stretchable ability test of M13 virus-templated Au nanowire electrode,(d)stretchable ability test of M13 virus-templated Au nanowire-based PeSCs[114]

    Figure 15.(a)The schematic illustration of preparation process of M13 bacteriophage-templated gold nanowire electrode,(b)illustrations of the virus-templated Au nanowires on PDMS with PTAA and perovskite layers,(c)stretchable ability test of M13 virus-templated Au nanowire electrode,(d)stretchable ability test of M13 virus-templated Au nanowire-based PeSCs114

    3 Summary and outlook

    In this review,we have summarized recent progress of natural biomaterials boosting highly efficient and stable PeSCs. Natural biomaterials play significant roles in active layer and interface of PeSCs. For the active layer,various natural biomaterials have been successfully introduced into the perovskite precursor to improve morphology,reduce trap density,and modify electronic structure of perovskite films,increasing device efficiency. The mechanism behind the improved perovskite film quality includes multiple factors such as retarded crystallization process,defect passivation via various functional groups and doping behavior. Natural materials also benefit for the long-term stability of PeSCs,attributed to the elimination of vulnerable defects and the enhancement of perovskite crystal structure. In terms of interface,natural biomaterials are effectively applied as buffer layer and charge transport layer to improve interface contact and hence minimize interface charge recombination loss in PeSCs. The mechanism behind the enhanced interface properties is mainly ascribed to the favorable energy level alignment induced by natural biomaterials,boosting charge transfer at the interface. Furthermore,natural biomaterials-based electrodes show excellent flexibility,strong stretchable ability,brilliant biocompatibility and biodegradability,which are suable for the fabrication of flexible and wearable PeSCs.

    In fact,the performance of biomaterials-based PeSCs still lags behind the chemicals-based counterparts. To further improve the efficiency and stability of biomaterials-based PeSCs,in-depth understand of interactions between biomaterials and perovskite should be carefully investigated. The mechanism behind biomaterials-assisted perovskite formation and interface optimization is still unclear. Further exploration of novel biomaterials is highly required for the customized demands of PeSCs. Meanwhile,we also hope the application of natural biomaterials in lead-free PeSCs. The integration of green and biodegradable biomaterials with the nontoxic perovskite would fabricate the full green PeSCs with high efficiency and long-term stability.

    [24] J Yang, X Liu, Y Zhang et al. Comprehensive understanding of heat-induced degradation of triple-cation mixed halide perovskite for a robust solar cell. Nano Energy, 54, 218-226(2018).

    [47] J Li, N Wang, Y Wang et al. Efficient inverted organic solar cells with a thin natural biomaterial L-Arginine as electron transport layer. Sol. Energy, 196, 168-176(2020).

    [54] L Xie, Z Cao, J Wang et al. Improving energy level alignment by adenine for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells. Nano Energy, 74, 104846(2020).

    [86] S Xiong, Y Dai, J Yang et al. Surface charge-transfer doping for highly efficient perovskite solar cells. Nano Energy, 79, 105505(2021).

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    Shao-Bing XIONG, Qin-Ye BAO, Jun-Hao CHU. Recent progress on natural biomaterials boosting high-performance perovskite solar cells[J]. Journal of Infrared and Millimeter Waves, 2022, 41(3): 517

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    Paper Information

    Category: Research Articles

    Received: Jul. 19, 2021

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Jul. 8, 2022

    The Author Email: BAO Qin-Ye (qybao@clpm.ecnu.edu.cn)

    DOI:10.11972/j.issn.1001-9014.2022.03.001

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