Stabilizing high-efficiency perovskite solar cells via strategic interfacial contact engineering

Li, Guixiang, Zhang, Zuhong, Agyei-Tuffour, Benjamin, Wu, Luyan, Gries, Thomas W., Prashanthan, Karunanantharajah, Musiienko, Artem, Li, Jinzhao, Zhu, Rui, Hart, Lucy J. F., Wang, Luyao, Li, Zhe, Hou, Bo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9918-8223, Saba, Michele, Barnes, Piers R. F., Nelson, Jenny, Dyson, Paul J., Nazeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja, Li, Meng and Abate, Antonio 2025. Stabilizing high-efficiency perovskite solar cells via strategic interfacial contact engineering. Nature Photonics 10.1038/s41566-025-01791-1

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Abstract

Surface passivation in perovskite solar cells can enhance device efficiency, yet incomplete interfacial functionality poses challenges to long-term reliability. Here we present a strategic interfacial engineering approach using sodium heptafluorobutyrate to fully functionalize the perovskite surface. Sodium heptafluorobutyrate acts as an ion shield that tunes the perovskite surface work function and increases the defect formation energy, resulting in an improved interface with the electron transport layer that minimizes recombination and boosts electron extraction under operation. We find that a sodium-heptafluorobutyrate-functionalized perovskite surface promotes a uniform, compact C60 layer that effectively blocks ion diffusion and stabilizes the device stack. This approach allows p–i–n perovskite solar cells to achieve a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 27.02% (certified 26.96% with a maximum-power-point-tracking PCE of 26.61%). Devices with an active area of 1 cm2 deliver a PCE of 25.95%. Perovskite solar cells retain 100% of their initial efficiency following 1,200 h of continuous 1-sun illumination at the maximum power point. Devices also demonstrate exceptional thermal stability, retaining 92% of the initial PCE when ageing at 85 °C for 1,800 h and 94% after 200 thermal cycles between –40 °C and +85 °C.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Physics and Astronomy
Publisher:	Nature Research
ISSN:	1749-4885
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	17 November 2025
Date of Acceptance:	1 October 2025
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2025 16:35
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182448

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