High performance novel flexible perovskite solar cell based on a low-cost-processed ZnO:Co electron transport layer

摘要

In this work,high quality uniform and dense nanostructured cobalt-doped zinc oxide(ZnO:Co)films were used as electron-transport layers in CH3NH3Pbl3-based planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells(PSCs)on a flexible conductive substrate.Highly photo catalytically active ZnO:Co films were prepared by a low cost hydrothermal process using the aqueous solution of zinc nitrate hexahydrate,hexamethylenete-tramine and cobalt(II)nitrate hexahydrate.ZnO:Co films were deposited on indium tin oxide(ITO)covered polyethylene terephthalate(PET)flexible substrates.The growth was controlled by maintaining the autoclave temperature at 150℃for 4 h.The CH3NH3Pbl3 layer was deposited on the ZnO:Co films by spin coating.Spiro-OMeTAD was employed as a hole-transporting material.The structural,morphology and optical properties of the grown ZnO nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),field-emission scanning electron microcopy(FESEM),energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry(EDX),ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis)and photoelectrochemical propriety.XRD spectra showed that both ZnO and ZnO:Co nanorods had a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a strong preferred orientation along the(002)plane.The surface morphology of films was studied by FESEM and showed that both the pure and Co-doped ZnO films had hexagonal shaped nanorods.In the steady state,the ZnO electrode gave a photocurrent density of about 1.5 mA/cm2.However,the Co-doped ZnO electrode showed a photocurrent density of about 6 mA/cm^2,which is 4-fold higher than that of the ZnO electrode.Based on the above synthesized Co-doped ZnO films,the photovoltaic performance of PSCs was studied.The Co-doped ZnO layers had a significant impact on the photovoltaic conversion efficiency(PCE)of the PSCs.The latter was attributed to an efficient charge separation and transport due to the better coverage of perovskite on the nanostructured Co-doped ZnO films.As a result,the measured PCE under standard solar conditions(A M 1.5G,100 mW/cm^2)reached 7%.SCAPS-1D simulation was also performed to analyze the effect of the co-doped ZnO thin film on the corresponding solar cell performances.