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US-20260130107-A1 - CHIRAL-STRUCTURED HETEROINTERFACES ENABLE DURABLE PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS

US20260130107A1US 20260130107 A1US20260130107 A1US 20260130107A1US-20260130107-A1

Abstract

An electronic device including: an electron-transport layer; a chiral interface layer disposed on a surface of the electron-transport layer, wherein the chiral interface layer includes a chiral compound, wherein the chiral compound is substantially enantiomerically pure or racemic; and a perovskite layer disposed on a surface of the chiral interface layer; or an electron-transport layer, wherein the electron-transport layer further includes a chiral compound, wherein the chiral compound is substantially enantiomerically pure or racemic; and a perovskite layer disposed on a surface of the electron-transport layer. The electrical device exhibits improved mechanical failure and chemical degradation relative to electrical devices not including the chiral interface layer or the electron-transport layer further including the chiral compound.

Inventors

  • Yuanyuan Zhou
  • Tianwei DUAN

Assignees

  • THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250512

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An electronic device comprising: an electron-transport layer; a chiral interface layer disposed on a surface of the electron-transport layer, wherein the chiral interface layer comprises a chiral compound, wherein the chiral compound is substantially enantiomerically pure or racemic; and a perovskite layer disposed on a surface of the chiral interface layer; or an electron-transport layer, wherein the electron-transport layer further comprises a chiral compound, wherein the chiral compound is substantially enantiomerically pure or racemic; and a perovskite layer disposed on a surface of the electron-transport layer.
  2. 2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the chiral compound comprises one or more chiral centers, axial chirality, planar chirality, spiro chirality, helical chirality, or a combination thereof.
  3. 3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the chiral compound comprises one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of alcohols, thiols, esters, acyls, thioacyls, amines, amides, ureas, carbamates, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, carbonates, phosphines, phosphites, phosphates, halides, sulfoxides, sulfones, sulfonamides, and conjugate salts thereof.
  4. 4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the chiral compound is a chiral amine or a conjugate salt thereof.
  5. 5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the chiral compound is represented by a compound of Formula 1: or a conjugate salt thereof, wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, perhaloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, and aralkyl; and R 4 for each instance is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, perhaloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, and aralkyl; or two instances of R 4 together with the atom they are covalently bonded form a 3-6 membered heterocyloalkyl, wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each different.
  6. 6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the chiral compound comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, iodide, formate, acetate, propionate, cyanide, cyanate, fulminate, thiocyanate, cyanamide, azide, tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate, and mixtures thereof.
  7. 7 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen.
  8. 8 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein R 2 is alkyl, haloalkyl, perhaloalkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl; and R 3 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or aralkyl.
  9. 9 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen; R 2 is alkyl; and R 3 is cycloalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl; or R 1 is hydrogen; R 2 is alkyl; and R 3 is haloalkyl.
  10. 10 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen; R 2 is alkyl; and R 3 is aryl; or R 1 is hydrogen; R 2 is alkyl; and R 3 is haloalkyl.
  11. 11 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen; R 2 is methyl; and R 3 is optionally substituted phenyl; or R 1 is hydrogen; R 2 is methyl; and R 3 is trifluoromethyl.
  12. 12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein R 4 is hydrogen.
  13. 13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the chiral compound comprises (R)-α-methylbenzylammonium, (S)-α-methylbenzylammonium, (R)-2-ammonium-1,1,1-trifluoropropane, (S)-2-ammonium-1,1,1-trifluoropropane, racemic α-methylbenzylammonium, or racemic 2-ammonium-1,1,1-trifluoropropane.
  14. 14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the chiral compound comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, iodide, formate, acetate, propionate, cyanide, cyanate, fulminate, thiocyanate, cyanamide, azide, tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate, and mixtures thereof.
  15. 15 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the perovskite layer comprises an organic-inorganic halide perovskite having the formula: (A + )(M 2+ )(X − ) 3 , wherein M 2+ comprises Pb 2+ , Sn 2+ , Ge 2+ , or a mixture thereof; X − is F − , Cl − , Br − , I − , or a mixture thereof; and A + is Cs + , Rb + , CH 3 NH 3 + , CH 3 CH 2 NH 3 + , H(C═NH 2 )NH 2 + , Me(C═NH 2 )NH 2 + , or a mixture thereof.
  16. 16 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein M 2+ is Pb 2+ ; A + is Cs + and Me(C═NH 2 )NH 2 + ; and X − is I − .
  17. 17 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the perovskite layer comprises an organic-inorganic halide perovskite having the formula: FA 0.9 Cs 0.1 PbI 3 , wherein FA is Me(C═NH 2 )NH 2 + .
  18. 18 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the perovskite layer further comprises PbI 2 .
  19. 19 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electron-transport layer comprises PC 61 BM, bathocuproine, C 60 , SnO 2 , or a mixture thereof.
  20. 20 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the chiral compound comprises (R)-α-methylbenzylammonium iodide, (S)-α-methylbenzylammonium iodide, (R)-2-ammonium-1,1,1-trifluoropropane iodide, (S)-2-ammonium-1,1,1-trifluoropropane iodide, racemic α-methylbenzylammonium iodide, or racemic 2-ammonium-1,1,1-trifluoropropane iodide; the perovskite layer comprises an organic-inorganic halide perovskite having the formula: FA (1-x) Cs x PbI 3 , wherein x is 0.01-0.99 and FA is Me(C═NH 2 )NH 2 + ; and the electron-transport layer comprises SnO 2 .

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/715,017, filed on Nov. 1, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTORS OR JOINT INVENTORS UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6) Part of the present invention was disclosed in a paper published in Tianwei Duan, et al., Chiral-structured heterointerfaces enable durable perovskite solar cells, Science, Vol. 384, Issue 6698, pg. 878-884, 2024 DOI: doi.org/10.1126/science.ado5172, available online May 24, 2024. This paper is a grace period inventor-originated disclosure disclosed within one year before the filing date of this application and falls within the exceptions defined under 35 USC § 102(b)(1). This paper is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to electronic devices exhibiting improved mechanical and chemical stability and increased photoelectronic efficiency. BACKGROUND Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have proven to be a highly cost-effective photovoltaic technology with impressive performance. Organic-inorganic halide perovskites (OIHPs), the essential light absorbers in PSCs, have exceptional photophysical properties and compatibility with established commercial manufacturing processes, and certified power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of single-junction PSCs as high as 26.1% have been reported. However, an important challenge faced by PSCs for withstanding real-world conditions subject to temperature variations is the relatively low mechanical reliability of their critical interfaces, especially those where the two sides have different coefficients of thermal expansion. For example, temperature variations associated with diurnal cycles—along with the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between different device layers—can lead to interfacial sliding, interlayer delamination, and void formation, ultimately resulting in mechanical failure and material degradation in PSCs. Despite the importance of this problem, there are a limited number of reported efforts specifically targeting interface failures in PSCs. Reported strategies to mitigate thermal-cycling fatigue include exploring thermally stable materials, alleviating interfacial stress, and refining encapsulation methods. Although these strategies help improve the thermal stability of materials, more efforts are needed to address the critical challenges related to mechanical reliability at the heterointerfaces. Functional head and tail groups of any incorporated interfacial layer need to be designed that strengthen the bonding between the charge-transport layer and the OIHP surface and also maintain the carrier transport. Conventionally, in tackling interfacial problems, interface passivation has been used to strengthen the interaction between the charge-transport layer and the OIHP. Organic molecules at the interface can also serve as a barrier against environmental factors to improve chemical stability. However, the impact of interface passivation on the mechanical stability of PSCs remains unclear. Chiral materials have intriguing optical and electronic properties, but most studies of chiral perovskite materials have focused on applications in optoelectronics and spintronics. Chiral structures in natural, mechanically stable biostructures can adopt the form of spiral or helical microstructures and exhibit outstanding deformation tolerance and dynamic adaptability. Examples include helical DNA and viruses, gyroid structures in butterfly wings, the cholesteric liquid crystal phase in beetle exoskeletons, and eye-distinguishable spiral aloe and seashells. Scientists have also designed artificially chiral archetypal metamaterials with distinctive mechanical properties, such as negative Poisson ratios, as well as an enhanced indentation resistance, fracture toughness, shear modulus, and dynamic energy absorption. The prominent mechanical properties of chiral materials are associated with the helical packing of their subunits. The packing arrangement resembles a mechanical spring, which can deflect or deform under force and restore its original shape when the force is released. However, the mechanical characteristics of chiral materials have been rarely considered for PSC development. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to develop improved methods for increasing PSC interfacial stability. SUMMARY In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic device comprising: an electron-transport layer; a chiral interface layer disposed on a surface of the electron-transport layer, wherein the chiral interface layer comprises a chiral compound, wherein the chiral compound is substantially enantiomerically pure or racemic; anda perovskite layer disposed on a surface of the chiral interface layer; oran electron-transport layer, wherein the electron-transport layer further comprises a c