journal article·2025-01Open access

Phenothiazine‐Modified PTAA Hole Transporting Materials for Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells: A Trade‐Off Between Performance and Sustainability

Daniel Augusto Machado de Alencar, Giulio Koch, Francesca De Rossi, Amanda Generosi, Giuseppe Ferraro, Matteo Bonomo, Samyuktha Noola, Giulia Pellis, Pierluigi Quagliotto, Barbara Paci, Francesca Brunetti, Claudia Barolo

Advanced Sustainable Systems· Volume 9· Issue 1

Abstract

Abstract Hole Transport Materials (HTMs) are one of the key elements in Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) and specifically polymeric HTMs have recently emerged as one of the most viable options to couple excellent performance and good stability. However, most are processed only in aromatic solvents (e.g., toluene or chlorobenzene), thus negatively impacting the overall sustainability of the device. In this contribution, four novel polymers are synthesized specifically designed to be processable in less harsh, non‐aromatic, and non‐chlorinated solvent (i.e., Tetrahydrofuran – THF): the conventional PTAA scaffold is modified by the insertion of a phenothiazine (PTZ) and by the modulation of the methyl moieties on the peripheral benzene. Alternatively, a benzothiadiazole moiety is also added. The polymers are then implemented in flexible PSCs (F‐PSCs) that have recently attracted increased attention due to their high power‐to‐weight ratio. The THF‐processed P1 (a PTZ‐PTAA copolymer with one methyl group substituted) reaches an overall efficiency of 9.10%, outperforming THF‐processed PTAA (PCE = 8.25%) and approaching the one of toluene‐processed reference (PCE = 9.30%). Furthermore, P1 shows better stability under light soaking conditions. To rationalize these results, different characterizations are presented, including optoelectronic techniques, thermal and surface analyses, and GWAXS measurements.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Perovskite Materials and Applications · Conducting polymers and applications · Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Chemistry, NIS and INSTM Reference Centre Università degli Studi di Torino Via Pietro Giuria 7 Torino 10125 Italy

CHOSE – Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome ‘‘Tor Vergata’’ Via del Politecnico 1 Rome 00133 Italy

SpecX‐Lab Istituto di Struttura della Materia CNR Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100 Roma 00133 Italy

ICxT Interdepartmental Centre University of Turin Lungo Dora Siena 100 Torino 10153 Italy

Istituto di Scienza Tecnologia e Sostenibilità per lo sviluppo dei Materiali Ceramici (ISSMC‐CNR) Via Granarolo 64 Faenza, RA 48018 Italy

Funding

Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca

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