Suppressing Interface Defects in Perovskite Solar Cells via Introducing a Plant-Derived Ergothioneine Self-Assembled Monolayer

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells are among the most promising renewable energy devices, and enhancing their stability is crucial for commercialization. This research presents the use of L-Ergothioneine (L-EGT) as a passivation material in perovskite solar cells, strategically placed between the electron transport layer and the perovskite absorber layer to mitigate defect states at the heterojunction interface. Surface analysis reveals that introducing L-EGT passivation material significantly improves the quality of the perovskite film. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that L-EGT slows down perovskite film degradation and successfully suppresses secondary phase formation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis shows that oxygen vacancies in the lattice decrease from 29.21% to 15.81%, while Ti4+ content increases from 70.75% to 79.15%, suggesting that L-EGT effectively passivates trap states at the interface between perovskite and TiO2 electron transport layer. The reduction of defects at the interface inhibits charge accumulation and lowers the device’s internal series resistance, leading to improved overall performance. The study finds that the introduction of L-EGT significantly improves the fill factor and efficiency, with the power conversion efficiency (PCE) rising from 16.88% to 17.84%. After 720 h of aging, the PCE retains approximately 91%. The results demonstrate the significant impact of the amino acid L-EGT passivation material in suppressing interfacial defects and greatly improving the long-term stability of perovskite devices.