Effect of rubrene:P3HT bilayer on photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells with electrodeposited ZnO nanorods

Abstract Improved photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells is demonstrated through the synergistic effect of electrodeposited ZnO nanorods and rubrene:P3HT bilayer as electron and hole-transporting layers, respectively. Highly crystalline ZnO nanorods were obtained by electrochemical deposition in a chloride medium. Additionally, rubrene interlayer was able to passivate or cover the grain boundaries of perovskite film effectively that led to reduced leakage current. A perovskite solar cell optimized with ZnO nanorods and rubrene:P3HT bilayer achieved a maximum efficiency of 4.9% showing reduced hysteresis behavior compared with the device having P3HT as the only hole-transporting layer. The application of longer nanorods led to better perovskite infiltration and shorter charge carrier path length. These results highlight the potential of electrodeposited ZnO nanorods and rubrene:P3HT bilayer as charge selective layers for efficient perovskite solar cells.