Preparation of Nanoscale Inorganic CsPbIxBr3-x Perovskite Photosensitizers on the Surface of Mesoporous TiO2 Film for Solid-State Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract Metal chalcogenide quantum dot (QD)-like all-inorganic nanoscale perovskite photosensitizers of CsPbIxBr3-x were prepared on the surface of mesoscopic TiO2 film by a direct two-step spin-coating of lead and cesium halide precursors for application into solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), as confirmed by impedance frequency response analysis. A few nanometer-sized hemisphere-shaped dots of CsPbIxBr3-x perovskites were deposited and distributed separately onto TiO2, which were checked by scanning and transmission electron microscopic (SEM and TEM) techniques. The as-deposited CsPbIxBr3-x perovskites were stable only in the case of including about 20% or more bromide in the composition of halides. When the bromide content increased in the ratio of halides of CsPbIxBr3-x, gradual decrease in lattice spacing and blue-shift of emission peaks were observed in X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, respectively. These well-defined nano-particulate CsPbIxBr3-x perovskites were incorporated into solid-state DSSCs and tested as a new type of photosensitizers. The initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ca. 1.0 ∼ 3.5 % based on relatively thin mesoporous TiO2 film (∼1 μm) looks promising with many parameters remaining for possibly more optimization. The best result, 3.79 %, was obtained from CsPbI2.2Br0.80 25 days after initial measurement. These CsPbIxBr3-x-sensitized cells displayed a stable record of PCE over ∼2 month and no hysteresis behavior in current-voltage traces.