Tuning the Surface Properties of Polymer Hole Transport Materials (HTM) to Improve Interfacial Properties in Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSC) have achieved remarkable improvements over the past decade. They have comparable efficiency to silicon based devices, are easier and less expensive to manufacture, and have more versatility. Despite these positives, the widespread implementation of PSC is limited due to relatively rapid degradation of the cell during operation. One prevailing degradation route arises due to poor interfacial contact between the hole transport layer (HTL) and the perovskite active layer. This study aims to enhance the performance and longevity of these cells by tuning the wettability and thermal properties of a proven hole transport polymer CzFl, developed by the Sellinger group. This work will specifically deal with the design and synthesis of the novel CzFl-CN polymer, which incorporates a cyano group into the polymer side-chain. The polymer will be synthesized in three molecular percentages (15%, 20%, 25%), which will then be characterized to confirm structure (NMR), measure the molecular weight and the uniformity of the polymers (GPC), calculate the thermal properties (DSC, TGA), quantify the optoelectronic properties (UV-Vis), and assess the wettability of the polymers (goniometer).