Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells最新文献

{"title":"Unveiling the efficiency potential of simplified-structure CIGSe solar cells: Band alignment optimization and recombination analysis","authors":"Mengyao Jia ,&nbsp;Daming Zhuang ,&nbsp;Ming Zhao ,&nbsp;Qianming Gong ,&nbsp;Hao Tong ,&nbsp;Junsu Han ,&nbsp;Shengye Tao ,&nbsp;Hanpeng Wang ,&nbsp;Zhihao Wu ,&nbsp;Jihui Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114175","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114175","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Completely buffer-free CIGSe solar cells feature a simplified device structure that enhances light absorption in the absorber and streamlines the fabrication process. In this study, such simplified-structure CIGSe devices based on Zn_1-xMg_xO:Al transparent electrodes were fabricated. The Zn_1-xMg_xO:Al films with varying Mg concentrations were prepared using a co-sputtering method. Experimental results demonstrate that Mg incorporation effectively tunes the energy band structure of Zn_1-xMg_xO:Al films as well as the band alignment at the Zn_1-xMg_xO:Al/CIGSe interface, leading to a significant improvement in device performance. Through the introduction of CdS layers with varying thicknesses, this study conducts a systematic analysis and comparative investigation of recombination mechanisms in devices with different <em>p–n</em> junction structures. The carrier recombination rates calculated from <em>V</em>_OC–(<em>G</em>,<em>T</em>) measurements indicate that the dominant recombination pathway strongly depends on the device structure. For unoptimized buffer-free cells, severe recombination occurs at the <em>p–n</em> junction interface, due to the band alignment mismatch. This issue was significantly mitigated by introducing a positive conduction band offset at the Zn_1-xMg_xO:Al/CIGSe interface through Mg doping. As a result, a completely buffer-free CIGSe solar cell fabricated by sputtering process achieved an efficiency of 11.3 %, and the average efficiency showed a 34 % increase, demonstrating the potential of simplified-structure CIGSe solar cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114175"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of electron-withdrawing/-donating groups of thiourea molecules on surface defects restraint and carrier transport optimization for perovskite solar cells","authors":"Wenze Feng ,&nbsp;Junshuai Zhang ,&nbsp;Bingying Sun ,&nbsp;Guohui Yang ,&nbsp;Jiaxing Jiao ,&nbsp;Xiaofan Liu ,&nbsp;Tao Ning ,&nbsp;Yansu Shan ,&nbsp;Ning Li ,&nbsp;Jinkai Li ,&nbsp;Bingqiang Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interface engineering with organic molecules has been proven to be an effective way to improve both photovoltaic performance and operation stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). But in-depth understanding the influences of electronic effect of molecular structures on the defect passivation and charge dynamics optimization remains shielded so far. Herein, a series of thiourea-containing molecules with different side groups, including N-phenylthiourea (PTU), (4-nitrophenyl) thiourea (NTU) and (4-methoxyphenyl) thiourea (MTU), have been applied into interface engineering of wide-bandgap (WBG, <em>E</em>_g = 1.67 eV) PSCs. In comparison with PTU, MTU exhibits the strongest defect passivation capacity, and it significantly optimizes the charge extraction and transfer of WBG PSCs due to the electron-donating conjugation effect of -OCH₃ group. On the contrary, the electron-withdrawing inductive effect of -NO₂ group not only greatly reduces the coordination interaction between the thiourea unit and defective perovskite surface, but also leads to limited energy level arrangement of perovskite films. Consequently, the MTU-treated device achieves the champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.25 % along with excellent open-circuit voltage (<em>V</em>_OC) of 1.21 V and short-circuit current density (<em>J</em>_SC) of 21.96 mA/cm². Additionally, the unencapsulated device displays an improved long-term operation stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114194"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the thermal performance of hemispherical solar distillers using an innovative, sophisticated combination of enhancements","authors":"Habib Ben Bacha ,&nbsp;A.S. Abdullah ,&nbsp;Mohamed Abdelgaied ,&nbsp;K. Harby","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents an innovative, sophisticated combination of enhancements to the design of hemispherical solar distillers, aiming to improve convection heat transfer, ensure thermally stable and efficient performance, and thus improve their thermal performance and freshwater production. To achieve this goal, the hemispherical solar distiller design was developed using an innovative, sophisticated combination of improvements, namely: stainless-steel scrubber wires wound around cylindrical magnets, nanofluids, and reflectors. To achieve this experimentally, the performance of the modified design of hemispherical solar distiller was investigated under four cases, Case 1; integration with stainless-steel scrubber wires, Case 2; integration with stainless-steel scrubber wires wound around circular magnetic fins, Case 3; combined stainless-steel scrubber wires wound around cylindrical magnets with nanofluids, Case 4; an innovative combination of stainless-steel scrubber wires wound around cylindrical magnets, nanofluids, and reflectors. The four modification cases were compared with the reference traditional hemispherical solar distiller (THSD) in the same climate conditions. The results showed a significant improvement in the performance of Case 4, which involved using the innovative, sophisticated combination of improvements. This achieved a production capacity of 10.02 L/m² day, representing a 161.62% improvement over THSD (3.83 L/m² day). Thermally, these design modifications resulted in a 157.99% and 434.1% improvement in thermal and exergy efficiency, respectively, over THSD. Economically, Case 4 achieved the lowest production cost of 3.9 $/m³, a 53.67% reduction over THSD. Environmentally, Case 4 achieved the highest lifetime CO₂ emissions mitigation of 1.17 tons, equivalent to 3.26 times that of THSD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114231"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of thermophysical properties enhancement of nanofluids based on molten salt for solar energy storage: a molecular dynamic study","authors":"Xin Xiao,&nbsp;Jinjin Liu,&nbsp;Mengting Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114183","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114183","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In solar thermal power stations, molten salt serves as a prevalent medium for thermal energy storage. Due to the low intrinsic thermal properties of pure molten salt, performance enhancement is effectively achieved by incorporating nano-materials. In the present study, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to evaluate the influences of adding 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 wt% SiO₂ or Al₂O₃ nanoparticles on the thermal properties of solar salt, including viscosity, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and interfacial thermal resistance. And the accuracy of the simulations was verified by experimental tests for the density and specific heat capacity of the prepared sample. The results indicate that the viscosity and thermal conductivity increase with increasing the mass fraction of nanoparticle. The enhancement of viscosity by SiO₂ nanoparticles is more pronounced than that by Al₂O₃ nanoparticles. This effect is attributed to a stronger suppression of the Brownian motion of base liquid atoms by SiO₂, as evidenced by the calculated mean square displacement. It is found that the interfacial thermal resistance has negative influence on the thermal conductivity of sample. The unstable compressed ion layers might be responsible for the weaker enhancement of thermal conductivity. An increase in specific heat capacity is observed with the addition of 1–2 wt.% SiO₂ or Al₂O₃ nanoparticles, which is attributed to the formation of K⁺ compressed layers on the nanoparticle surfaces, as evidenced by the calculated radial distribution function.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114183"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental study on the energy performance of a solar PV/T system based on capric acid–docosane/SiO2 composite phase change fluid","authors":"Minxiao Hu ,&nbsp;Hongbing Chen ,&nbsp;Fengjiao Yu ,&nbsp;Yuhang Liu ,&nbsp;Pingjun Nie ,&nbsp;Meibo Xing ,&nbsp;Zihan Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhihui Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional heat transfer fluids are facing challenges in enhancing the energy efficiency of PV/T systems, primarily due to their limited latent heat capacity and narrow operational temperature range. This study developed a CA-DE/SiO₂ composite nano-phase change fluid. It was formulated by integrating a binary phase change material consisting of 20 wt% capric acid (CA)–docosane (DE) in a 1:1 mass ratio along with 0.5 wt% silicon dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles. The fluid exhibits a latent heat of 34.39 kJ/kg, thermal conductivity of 0.4783 W/(m·K), phase change temperatures of 20.9 °C and 41.7 °C, and stable thermal properties over 50 thermal cycles. Then, the CA-DE/SiO₂ composite nano-phase change fluid was incorporated into a PV/T system to validate its performance enhancement relative to a water cooling system. Experimental findings reveal that the CA–DE/SiO₂ nanofluid increased daily average electrical, thermal, and total energy outputs by 7.85%, 55.06%, and 44.59%, respectively. Daily average electrical, thermal, and overall efficiencies for the CA-DE/SiO₂-based system reached 13.11%, 59.52%, and 90.57%, representing improvements of 7.9%, 31.33%, and 22.23% than those of the water-based system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114211"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-cycle-stability co-modulating modified disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate/coal gasification slag composite phase change materials in high-efficiency solar thermal conversion and energy storage","authors":"Tao Liu ,&nbsp;Minghao Fang ,&nbsp;Yawen Zhang ,&nbsp;Xin Min ,&nbsp;Yunpeng Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The inorganic hydrated salt disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate (DHPD) is a promising phase change material (PCM) for large-scale solar energy storage due to its high latent heat, low cost, and operational safety. However, its practical application is hindered by poor cycling stability and weak solar absorption. This study addresses these limitations through a synergistic strategy involving porous coal gasification slag (CGS) and sodium silicate nonahydrate (SMN). CGS, a solid waste from industrial processes, was utilized as a porous matrix to encapsulate DHPD, effectively reducing leakage and enhancing cycling stability. Notably, the resulting composite phase change material (CPCM) exhibits lower latent heat degradation than traditional primary encapsulation, while maintaining a simpler preparation process than multi-level encapsulation techniques. Additionally, a Ti₂O₃ semiconductor photothermal agent was incorporated via mechanochemistry to enhance light absorption. The optimized CPCM demonstrates excellent performance: a low supercooling degree (0.37 °C), high latent heat (170.8 J/g), 75.2% loading capacity, high mechanical strength (66.79 MPa), and enhanced thermal conductivity (0.8434 W/(m·K)). It features a suitable phase change temperature (48.7 °C) and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 83.76%. After 100 cycles, the latent heat degradation is only 2%, demonstrating outstanding cycling stability and significant economic potential for solar energy applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114232"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ni/Cu interface optimization via low-temperature dark annealing for enhancing open-circuit voltage and efficiency of mass-produced electroplated electrode TOPCon solar cells","authors":"Yuhan Li ,&nbsp;Xi Xi ,&nbsp;Jianbo Shao ,&nbsp;Jingyun Zhang ,&nbsp;Meixian Huang ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Liu ,&nbsp;Yusen Qin ,&nbsp;Song Zhang ,&nbsp;Jingjia Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electroplated copper electrode technology demonstrates broad application prospects in photovoltaic manufacturing due to its low cost, excellent conductivity, and simplified process. In tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells, electroplated copper electrodes are considered a viable alternative to traditional silver electrodes. However, practical applications indicate that copper-plated electrodes significantly improve the fill factor of the device, while the increase in open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current fall short of expectations, resulting in limited improvements in power conversion efficiency. Therefore, enhancing the open-circuit voltage of electroplated copper electrodes in TOPCon cells has become a key research focus. This paper proposes a low-temperature dark annealing post-processing method, aiming to improve the adhesion and contact performance of the Ni/Cu interface, reduce the recombination current density (<em>J</em>₀), and thereby help restore the open-circuit voltage of the device. This method promotes beneficial atomic inter-diffusion at the Ni/Cu electrode interface through low-temperature thermal treatment of the TOPCon cell, significantly improving the contact quality and electrical performance. Through optimization, the low-temperature dark annealing technique maximally reduces the contact resistivity (<em>ρ</em>_c) of electroplated Ni/Cu electrodes in TOPCon cells by approximately 2.7 mΩ cm², thereby improving the power conversion efficiency by 1.02 %_abs. This study not only validates the effectiveness of low-temperature dark annealing in improving electrode contact interface, but also provides a simple and process-compatible technical approach to further enhance the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of TOPCon cells, thus providing valuable insights for advancing the application of electroplated copper electrodes in efficient photovoltaic cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114197"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hierarchically structured and thermally robust perovskite solar cells with band-engineered double-hole layers","authors":"Md. Faiaad Rahman,&nbsp;Arpan Sur,&nbsp;Ahmed Zubair","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the promising optoelectronic properties of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃)-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs), their commercial viability is hindered by interfacial energy misalignment, suboptimal light absorption, and thermal instability. Here, we present a comprehensive theoretical framework to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of MAPbI₃ based PSC through integrated electronic and morphological engineering. Firstly, to address interfacial recombination and inefficient hole extraction at the perovskite/HTL junction, we introduced a double hole transport layer (HTL) stack comprising CuO and I₂O₅-doped Spiro-OMeTAD, which significantly improved energy level alignment and carrier selectivity. Comprehensive multiphysics simulations, combining finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) optical analysis with finite element method (FEM) based electrical and thermal modeling, demonstrated that optimized doping concentrations and thickness parameters within the CuO/Spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layers can enhance the PCE to 22.78%. However, planar architectures, while offering ease of fabrication and scalability, exhibit weak near-UV and near-infrared absorption, whereas nanostructures attain superior light trapping but incur significant fabrication complexity, underscoring the need for balanced design strategies. To address these inherent limitations, we propose a hierarchical ellipsoidal patterned solar cell (HEPSC), wherein a top-layer ellipsoidal nanostructure is introduced across the full device stack. This design enhances broadband light trapping and optical confinement throughout the active layers while maintaining fabrication feasibility through geometrically realistic structuring. The optimized HEPSC achieved a maximum PCE of 26.39%, with short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, and fill factor reaching 29.29 mA/cm², 1.074 V, and 83.87%, respectively, under isothermal steady-state conditions. Finally, to assess the thermalization effect in the proposed design, a coupled opto-electro-thermal simulation reveals that the HEPSC retains 94.5% of its efficiency under non-isothermal conditions (up to 52 °C). Collectively, these strategies provide an integrated pathway for designing efficient, morphologically optimized, and thermally resilient next-generation thin-film PSCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114201"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Furan and thiophene-based heterocyclic π-extended polyviologens for electrochromic device","authors":"Xian-Xiu Zhu ,&nbsp;Gaurav Kumar Silori ,&nbsp;Kuo-Chuan Ho","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the electrochemical and electrochromic performance of heterocyclic <em>π</em>-extended viologens as monomers for developing polyviologen-based electrochromic devices (ECDs). The <em>π</em>-extended viologens, containing thiophene- and furan-based bridging, which are electron-rich and highly responsive, were introduced as monomers to synthesize polyviologen derivatives (denoted as poly(2,5-di(pyridine-4-yl)benzene), PDPB; poly(2,5-di(pyridine-4-yl)thiophene), PDPT; and poly(2,5-di(pyridine-4-yl)furan), PDPF). The <em>π</em>-extended polyviologens were synthesized and incorporated into gel-based ECDs to enhance stability by reducing dimerization and lowering the coloration driving voltage. By investigating the reaction mechanism of polyviologen in gel-based ECDs through the use of co-solvents, the research further optimized their electrochromic performance. The focus was on the impact of co-solvents and the optimization of utilized polymer (PVdF-HFP) content to improve ECD's stability, transmittance change (ΔT), and response time. Among the three synthesized polyviologens, PDPF-based ECD demonstrated superior electrochromic properties with a ΔT of 73.2 % and fast coloration (t_c) and bleaching (t_b) time of 2.2 and 1.9 s respectively. The PDPF-based ECD also showed excellent long-term stability, retaining 94.3 % of its initial ΔT over 20,000 cycles. Notably, strong absorbance in the NIR region, attributed to the <em>π</em>-extended system, indicates potential applications in heat shielding technologies. The results of this study highlight the significance of polymer structure, co-solvents, and optimal PVdF-HFP content in enhancing polyviologen-based ECD performance, particularly in minimizing dimerization and improving stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114172"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146006810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Promoting Carrier Extraction in Perovskite Solar Cells through Simultaneous Management of the SnO2 Surface-protonation and Perovskite Film Regulation","authors":"Shahbaz Ahmed Khan ,&nbsp;Ming Wang ,&nbsp;Wajid Ali ,&nbsp;Amjad Ali ,&nbsp;Hechao Zou ,&nbsp;Xikang Li ,&nbsp;Baifeng Huang ,&nbsp;Waseem Akram ,&nbsp;Zhengbiao Ouyang ,&nbsp;Guijun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In high-performance perovskite solar cells, tin oxide (SnO₂) has been successfully developed as the electron transport layer in either p-i-n or n-i-p architecture. However, the commercially available nanoparticles suffer from inferior electron extraction due to poor bulk conductivity and defective interface. Here, we investigate the use of a pyridine derivative to modulate the electron extraction ability of SnO₂ in a n-i-p perovskite solar cell. We introduce a single-molecule multifunctional agent (pyridine hydrochloride) that simultaneously. (i) The introduction of pyridine hydrochloride enlarges the zeta potential of the SnO₂ dispersion towards a stable system to prevent particle aggregation and also provides the channel for electron transport between SnO₂ nanoparticles. Modifies SnO₂ surface electronegativity via N→Sn coordination, enabling long-range electron transport pathways. (ii) In addition, it promotes hydrogen bonding between the positively charged C₅H₅NH ⁺ moiety and iodide ions (I⁻) in PbI₂, and supplies chloride for perovskite crystallization, thereby optimizing the nucleation and crystallization process. Regulates perovskite crystallization through C₅H₅NH⁺⋯I⁻ hydrogen bonding and Cl⁻ lattice incorporation. These advancements foster superior charge extraction and improve perovskite crystallization in thick devices. Consequently, the PCE of perovskite solar cells is improved from 22.27% to 24.37%, mostly coming from the enhancement of spectral response in wavelength from 350 nm to 800 nm. Additionally, Perovskite solar cells that integrate pyridine hydrochloride-doped SnO₂ demonstrate exceptional longer-term stability, sustaining over 89.98% of their original efficiency over a period of 720 h in ambient atmospheric conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 114230"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}