Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exceeding a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20% have mainly been demonstrated by using mesoporous titanium dioxide (mp-TiO₂) as an electron-transporting layer. However, TiO₂ can reduce the stability of PSCs under illumination (including ultraviolet light). Lanthanum (La)–doped BaSnO3 (LBSO) perovskite would be an ideal replacement given its electron mobility and electronic structure, but LBSO cannot be synthesized as well-dispersible fine particles or crystallized below 500°C. We report a superoxide colloidal solution route for preparing an LBSO electrode under very mild conditions (below 300°C). The PSCs fabricated with LBSO and methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) show a steady-state power conversion efficiency of 21.2%, versus 19.7% for a mp-TiO₂ device. The LBSO-based PSCs could retain 93% of its initial performance after 1000 hours of full Sun illumination.

Science 30 Mar 2017:
eaam6620
DOI: 10.1126/science.aam6620

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/03/29/science.aam6620