The application of luminescent down shifting (LDS) layers as alternative UV filters for CH3NH3PbI3(1-x)Cl3x perovskite solar cell (PSC) devices is reported. A combination of photoabsorption measurements and of device decay measurements during light soaking are used to verify the stability. The application of a UV filter or LDS layer was able to significantly retard photo-induced degradation with ~18% drop in device power conversion efficiency (PCE) observed over 30 hours for non-encapsulated devices, which is compared to ~97% for an unfiltered device, also without encapsulation. Whilst the PCE of the PSC device decreases with the application of the LDS layer, the drop is not as significant as when a commercial UV filter is used. Considering that UV filters will be essential for the commercialization of PSCs, the work provides evidence that the LDS layer can act as an alternative UV filter in PSCs and can limit the drop in PCE that can be expected from the inclusion of a UV filter, thus providing an added benefit over commercial UV filters.
Luminescence down-shifting (LDS) is used in several photovoltaic technologies aiming to improve the photon conversion efficiency (PCE) of the devices through the increase of the light harvesting in the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum where the EQE of the solar cells is poor. The aim of this work was to produce films of mixtures (blends) of two luminescent materials, dispersed in a poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix, hoping to improve their properties both as LDS layer and as UV filter when applied on the clear, external surface of P3HT:PC61BM photovoltaic devices. The best results led to an increment of 7.4% in the PCE of the devices, and a six fold enhancement in their half-life (T50%). This study indicates that multidye LDS layers with optimized optical properties can lead to an effective improvement in the performance and operational stability of OPVs.
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