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C ₆₀ -based ionic salt electron shuttle for high-performance inverted perovskite solar modules

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adv4701

You, Shuai; Zhu, Hongwei; Shen, Zhongjin; Wang, Xiaoming; Shao, Bingyao; Wang, Qingxiao; Lu, Jianxun; Yuan, Youyou; Dou, Benjia Dak; Sanehira, Erin M; et al (April 2025, Science)

Although C₆₀is usually the electron transport layer (ETL) in inverted perovskite solar cells, its molecular nature of C₆₀leads to weak interfaces that lead to non-ideal interfacial electronic and mechanical degradation. Here, we synthesized an ionic salt from C₆₀, 4-(1',5′-dihydro-1'-methyl-2'H-[5,6] fullereno-C₆₀-I_h-[1,9-c]pyrrol-2'-yl) phenylmethanaminium chloride (CPMAC), and used it as the electron shuttle in inverted PSCs. The CH₂-NH₃⁺head group in the CPMA cation improved the ETL interface and the ionic nature enhanced the packing, leading to ~3-fold increase in the interfacial toughness compared to C₆₀. Using CPMAC, we obtained ~26% power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) with ~2% degradation after 2,100 hours of 1-sun operation at 65°C. For minimodules (four subcells, 6 centimeters square), we achieved the PCE of ~23% with <9% degradation after 2,200 hours of operation at 55°C.

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