A Multifunctional Interfacial Dipolar Molecule: Universal Applicability in Efficient Rigid, Flexible, and Large‐Area Perovskite Solar Cells

A critical performance gap persists between lab-scale perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and their theoretical efficiency limit, primarily driven by non-radiative recombination at the electron transport layer/perovskite buried interface. Molecular engineering of this interface is a proven mitigation strategy; however, a major limitation of current modifiers is the lack of multifunctional structural design to achieve bifacial passivation, energy level alignment, and interfacial compatibility simultaneously, which typically restricts further improvements in device efficiency and the expansion of applications to large-scale and flexible substrates. To address this challenge, we design a multifunctional dipolar molecule, 2-cyanoethyl phosphate, with three features: a phosphate anchoring group for strong covalent bonding to SnO<sub>2</sub>, a terminal cyano group for effective perovskite defect passivation, and a large intrinsic dipole moment of 5.38 Debye to optimize interfacial energy-level alignment for superior charge dynamics. This integrated strategy delivers a champion power conversion efficiency of 26.45% (certified at 26.31%) for small-area rigid PSCs, 23.51% for mini-modules (30 cm<sup>2</sup>), and 25.09% for flexible PSCs. Our work establishes a general molecular design principle for universal interfacial modifiers, accelerating the commercialization of PSCs that combine high efficiency, scalability, and flexibility.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Materials
Published
2026-02-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202523520
Primary Topic
Perovskite Materials and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

A Multifunctional Interfacial Dipolar Molecule: Universal Applicability in Efficient Rigid, Flexible, and Large‐Area Perovskite Solar Cells

Shiyu Zhang, Peng Qin, Fuqiang Huang, Xin Mi et al.
Advanced Materials
Perovskite Materials and Applications
article

A Multifunctional Interfacial Dipolar Molecule: Universal Applicability in Efficient Rigid, Flexible, and Large‐Area Perovskite Solar Cells

Shiyu Zhang, Peng Qin, Fuqiang Huang, Xin Mi, Xinyu Tan, Yi Zhang, Bowen Li
article en

Abstract

A critical performance gap persists between lab-scale perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and their theoretical efficiency limit, primarily driven by non-radiative recombination at the electron transport layer/perovskite buried interface. Molecular engineering of this interface is a proven mitigation strategy; however, a major limitation of current modifiers is the lack of multifunctional structural design to achieve bifacial passivation, energy level alignment, and interfacial compatibility simultaneously, which typically restricts further improvements in device efficiency and the expansion of applications to large-scale and flexible substrates. To address this challenge, we design a multifunctional dipolar molecule, 2-cyanoethyl phosphate, with three features: a phosphate anchoring group for strong covalent bonding to SnO<sub>2</sub>, a terminal cyano group for effective perovskite defect passivation, and a large intrinsic dipole moment of 5.38 Debye to optimize interfacial energy-level alignment for superior charge dynamics. This integrated strategy delivers a champion power conversion efficiency of 26.45% (certified at 26.31%) for small-area rigid PSCs, 23.51% for mini-modules (30 cm<sup>2</sup>), and 25.09% for flexible PSCs. Our work establishes a general molecular design principle for universal interfacial modifiers, accelerating the commercialization of PSCs that combine high efficiency, scalability, and flexibility.

Advanced MaterialsVol. 38(17)
China Three Gorges University (CN), Tianjin University (CN), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN), Jingchu University of Technology (CN), Shanghai Institute of Ceramics (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 43%
Perovskite Materials and Applications
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