This
work presents an original synthesis of TiO
2
/graphene
nanocomposites using laser pyrolysis for the demonstration of efficient
and improved perovskite solar cells. This is a one-step and continuous
process known for nanoparticle production, and it enables here the
elaboration of TiO
2
nanoparticles with controlled properties
(stoichiometry, morphology, and crystallinity) directly grown on graphene
materials. Using this process, a high quality of the TiO
2
/graphene interface is achieved, leading to an intimate electronic
contact between the two materials. This effect is exploited for the
photovoltaic application, where TiO
2
/graphene is used as
an electron-extracting layer in n–i–p mesoscopic perovskite
solar cells based on the reference CH
3
NH
3
PbI
3–
x
Cl
x
halide
perovskite active layer. A significant and reproducible improvement
of power conversion efficiencies under standard illumination is demonstrated,
reaching 15.3% in average compared to 13.8% with a pure TiO
2
electrode, mainly due to a drastic improvement in fill factor. This
beneficial effect of graphene incorporation is revealed through pronounced
photoluminescence quenching in the presence of graphene, which indicates
better electron injection from the perovskite active layer. Considering
that a reduction of device hysteresis is also observed by graphene
addition, the laser pyrolysis technique, which is compatible with
large-scale industrial developments, is therefore a powerful tool
for the production of efficient optoelectronic devices based on a
broad range of carbon nano-objects.
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