Enhancing Perovskite Solar Cell Efficiency and Stability with p-(Trifluoromethyl and Trifluoromethoxy) Phenylboronic Acid Additives

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Interface engineering is critical for enhancing the efficiency and operational stability of perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). In this work, two phenylboronic acid derivatives, 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylboronic acid (TFM-PBA) and 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylboronic acid (TFMe-PBA), are employed as interfacial modifiers at the perovskite/C 60 interface in inverted (CsFAMA)Pb(IBr) 3 PeSCs. These molecules effectively passivate interfacial defects, suppress nonradiative recombination, enhance charge extraction, and reduce trap-state density. Optimized incorporation of TFM-PBA (1 mg/mL) yields a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.3%, significantly higher than 15.0% for the control. Stability testing reveals >83% PCE retention after 225 h of open atmosphere. The enhanced performance is attributed to the strong −CF 3 and −B(OH) 2 interactions and hydrogen bonding between TFM-PBA and the perovskite surface, which provide superior defect passivation compared to TFMe-PBA. These findings demonstrate that TFM-PBA is a promising interfacial agent for the development of improved-efficiency, reliable PeSCs.