Selective growth of layered perovskites for stable and efficient photovoltaics

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are promising alternatives toward clean energy because of their high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) and low materials and processing cost. However, their poor stability under operation still limits their practical applications. Here we design an innovative approach to control the surface growth of a low dimensional perovskite layer on top of a bulk three-dimensional (3D) perovskite film. This results in a structured perovskite interface where a distinct layered low dimensional perovskite is engineered on top of the 3D film. Structural and optical properties of the stack are investigated and solar cells are realized. When embodying the low dimensional perovskite layer, the photovoltaic cells exhibit an enhanced PCE of 20.1% on average, when compared to pristine 3D perovskite. In addition, superior stability is observed: the devices retain 85% of the initial PCE stressed under one sun illumination for 800 hours at 50 degrees C in an ambient environment.