Optimal fabrication methods for perovskite solar cells with carbon counter electrodes
Date
2022-04-15Author
Peterson, Grace
Syed, Tajamul Hussain
Mathur, Saket Chand
Advisor
Wei, WeiMetadata
Show full item recordCitation
Peterson, Grace; Syed, Tajamul Hussain; Mathur, Saket Chand. 2022.
Optimal fabrication methods for perovskite solar cells with carbon counter electrodes -- In Proceedings: 21st Annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum. Wichita, KS: Wichita State University, p. 30
Abstract
Solar energy is a vital part of the search for viable renewable energy sources.
Increasing the affordability of solar cells while maintaining their efficiency is critical to
implementing them practically on a large scale. Currently, expensive materials, such as
gold, are commonly used as counter electrodes. This study explores the use of carbon as a
more affordable counter electrode material for perovskite solar cells. To fabricate the
perovskite solar cells, the substrate was first spin coated with a titanium solution. After
drying in the furnace, a layer of PbI2 was added by spin coating, the substrate was soaked
in methylammonium iodide, and a layer of hole transport material (HTM) was added by
spin coating. Finally, a layer of activated carbon was added on top of the perovskite layer.
The I-V test (current-voltage test) was used to find the current and voltage when the solar
cell was exposed to sunlight, and to calculate important parameters, including efficiency.
Increasing the number of titanium layers improved the efficiency by helping to uniformly
coat the surface. The efficiency was increased by using a thicker carbon layer and by
increasing the amount of solution used when spin coating the PbI2. Drying the PbI2 and
HTM layers on a heating pad also improved the performance, especially when the solar
cell was placed in a dark environment between stages of fabrication. Continued research
is necessary to verify these results and further optimize the process.
Description
First place winner of a oral presentation for Natural Sciences and Engineering at the 21st Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum (URCAF) held at the Rhatigan Student Center, Wichita State University, April 15, 2022.
Second place winner of University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award.