Passivation of 2D Cs₂PbI₂Cl₂ Nanosheets for Efficient and Stable CsPbI₃ Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Abstract

Inorganic CsPbI 3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) possess remarkable optical properties, making them highly promising for photovoltaic applications. However, the inadequate stability resulting from internal structural instability and the complex external surface chemical environment of CsPbI 3 PQDs has hindered the development of CsPbI 3 PQD solar cells (PQDSCs). In this work, the capping layer composed of inorganic two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden−Popper (RP) phase Cs 2 PbI 2 Cl 2 nanosheets (NSs) is introduced, which may be effectively treated to improve the surface properties of the CsPbI 3 PQD film. This modification serves to passivate defects by filling cesium and iodine vacancies while optimizing the energy band arrangement and preventing humidity intrusion, leading to the meliorative stability and photovoltaic performance. The optimized CsPbI 3 PQDSCs achieve an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.73%, with the superb stability of only a 16% efficiency loss after being exposed to ambient conditions (30 ± 5% RH) for 432 h. KEYWORDS: RP Cs 2 PbI 2 Cl 2 nanosheets, CsPbI 3 quantum dot solar cells, passivation, energy band arrangement, stability