Mechanical robust and self-healing flexible perovskite solar cells with efficiency exceeding 23%

Abstract

Flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs) have experienced rapid advancements due to the light-weight, flexibility, and solution processability of the perovskite materials, which prompted the power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 24.08%. However, f-PSCs still face challenges in terms of mechanical and environmental stability. This is primarily due to their inherent brittleness, the presence of residual tensile strain, and the high density of defects along the boundaries of perovskite grains. To this end, we carefully developed a cross-linkable elastomers 3-[(3-acrylamidopropyl)dimethylammonium] propanoate (ADP) with electrostatic dynamic bond, which could be in-situ cross-linked and coordinate with [PbI₆]⁴⁻ to regulate the crystallization process of perovskite. The cross-linked elastomers attached to the perovskite grain boundaries could release the remaining tensile strains and mechanical stresses, leading to enhanced stability and flexibility of the f-PSCs. More importantly, the electrostatic interaction between positive and negative groups of cross-linked elastomers and hydrogen bond formation between N–H and C=O accelerate the cross-linking of ADP, endowing the flexible perovskite films with self-healing ability under mild treating conditions (60 °C for 30 min). As a result, the device achieves a remarkable PCE of 23.53% (certified 23.16%). Additionally, the device exhibits impressive mechanical sustainability and durability, retaining over 90% of initial PCE even after undergoing 8,000 bending cycles.