Recent Advances of Perovskite Solar Cells Embedded with Plasmonic Nanoparticles

Abstract

In this era of growing energy demand, the recently explored perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have evolved into a potentially viable alternative because of their cost effectiveness and high efficiency. Despite the immense research interest attracted by perovskite solar cells, their commercialization remains constrained by their instability and toxic nature. Among the different advanced solar cells technologies, the application of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) with plasmonic effects is an alternative, practical approach to improve the stability and enhance the generation and transport of photons and charge carriers. Besides, MNPs improve light absorption and scattering in the active layer, in addition to the expansion of electronic properties by decreasing the binding excitation energy. Herein a synopsis of the importance of PSCs and the utilization of plasmonic NPs to improve their performance is presented. In addition, the existing endeavors to incorporate these plasmonic structures into indoor photovoltaic and semitransparent PSCs are reviewed.

How do gold nanoparticles boost the performance of perovskite solar cells?

“…In the literature on PSCs containing metal NPs, many reports have attributed the increased PCE to enhanced light absorption by the perovskite layer due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and light scattering. [26][27][28][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] Figure 2a shows the measured absorbance spectra of the Ref and Au_NPs layers. These spectra share features similar to typical perovskite films with an absorption edge at around 785 nm.…”

“…[26,27] The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of plasmonic nanoparticles can enhance light absorption, either by electromagnetic field enhancement near the particle or by light scattering into trapped optical modes [28,29], and could theoretically improve the photovoltaic performances of solar cells. Many groups have reported the successful application of plasmonic materials to perovskite solar cells (as reviewed in refs [30][31][32][33][34][35][36]) and have reported photovoltaic efficiency relative improvements ranging from 0.6 % to 40 %. However, the understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for these improvements remains incomplete.…”

Plasmonic Effects of Au@Ag Nanoparticles in Buffer and Active Layers of Polymer Solar Cells for Efficiency Enhancement

“…Various attempts have been exercised to improve their PCE that have led to the formation of several mechanisms, such as surface modifications or functionalizations, used to increase the ability of the thin active layer to absorb light through periodic grating structures in electrodes, modifying the structural configuration of the layers, reconstructing the structure of optical devices for improved light distribution, and the inclusion of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs). Among the above strategies, MNPs have garnered broad interests as an effective way to trap light in the active layer, increase the dissociation of excitons, and improve the light absorption without increasing the thickness of the active layer due to their near-field coupling effect or localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Spiky Durian-Shaped Au@Ag Nanoparticles in PEDOT:PSS for Improved Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells

“…As such, OSCs have been modified or functionalized to boost the capacity of the thin active layer to absorb light by means of periodic grating structures in electrodes, controlling the morphology of the layers, reconfiguring the optical device structure for light distribution, and incorporating nanoparticles (NPs). Among these strategies, NPs have gained more interest as an efficient approach for trapping light in the photoactive layer and improving the dissociation of excitons because of their near-field coupling effect [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

“…The incorporation of NPs into the buffer layer (i.e., poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) takes advantage of the electrical hole collection enhancement, far-field scattering effect, and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) by initiating chemical and morphological changes in the buffer layer. PEDOT:PSS was utilized as a hole transport layer (HTL) because of its high transparency in the visible range, electrical conductivity, lasting stability, simple processing, and the usage of ecofriendly solvent [13][14][15]. Moreover, PEDOT:PSS was used as transparent composite electrodes (TCEs) by doping copper nanowires (CuNWs), which demonstrated a high transmittance of about 90% at a wavelength of 460 nm and the potential for application in flexible solar cells and wearable electronics [16].…”