Non-peripherally octaalkyl-substituted nickel phthalocyanines used as non-dopant hole transport materials in perovskite solar cells

This report presents two non-perihperally octaalkyl-substituted nickel phthalocyanines (NiPcs), namely, NiEt₂Pc and NiPr₂Pc, for use as dopant-free hole transport materials in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The length extension of the alkyl chains from ethyl to propyl significantly tunes the NiPcs' energy levels, thus reducing charge carrier recombination at the perovskite/hole transport layer (HTL) interface and leading to higher open-circuit voltage (V_OC) and short-circuit current density (J_SC) observed for the NiPr₂Pc-based PSC. And higher charge carrier mobility, higher thin film crystallinity, and lower surface roughness of the NiPr₂Pc HTL compared with that of the NiEt₂Pc one also lead to higher J_SC and fill factor (FF) observed for the NiPr₂Pc-based device. Consequently, the NiPr₂Pc-based PSC exhibits a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.07% than that of the NiEt₂Pc-based device (8.63%).